Hogs Breath Regatta ready for more growth

by Rob Kothe on 18 Aug 2005 In 2004, Hogs Breath Race Week regatta started with a fleet of 107 boats, this week 157 boats have been circulating in the tropical waters of Pioneer Bay.

Denis Thompson, the regatta professional who will head up the 2006 Hogs Breath Race Week team believes the fast growing Airlie Beach regatta is ready for more growth.

Thompson is consider a fair judge of events like this, he was for 10 years the Yachting Manager at Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club in Sydney, he was heavily involved with the 2000 Olympic regatta in Sydney and officiated at the recent Farr 40 One Design World titles.

‘My role is to be the regatta director for 2006 onwards, however in the last few weeks I’ve been able to take some of the load from Mick Phillips, the WSC Commodore and Regatta Director this year so he's been able to spend more time on his official position as Commodore again, for the busiest time of the year.

‘This is my first time at Hogs Breath Race Week. I am very impressed with the sailing area; it very large, with space for some excellent races and there is plenty of variety with the islands to go round. That and the trade winds and the temperatures just makes it magic.

‘The tide alway plays apart in the Whitsundays, in Pioneer Bay the tide is not so strong but it comes into play when racing round islands and that complexity along with flat water in the bay makes for an excellent regatta.

‘The Abel Point Marina facilities are going to be excellent, right now there are some difficulties because the marina is going through a construction phase, with rapid expansion. So there has been some rafting up but it will be great by next year.

‘Airlie Beach itself is very crew friendly, there are all styles of accomodation, from five start right down to backpackers camping on the beach and there is the same large range of options on the food side.

‘The on water team has been in place for some time, the mixture of professional from Sydney and Melbourne and experienced local volunteers, melded quite well,
they have developed a good relationship over the last number of years.

‘The Whitsunday Sailing Club volunteers have developed a lot of expertise across a range of regatta elements, from on water to catering, they do a brilliant job and its gratifying that the locals are so supportive, its not a holiday for them,

‘My role will be one of fine-tuning. to continue the work of smoothing every facet of the regatta.

‘The sailors are the regatta’s customers and they have limited leisure time, we need to ensure when they get to Airlie Beach, they have the very best sailing we can give them and as much fun as possible off the water too.

‘The cruising fleet here is having a wonderful time. They are just running out of superlatives and its clear that Hogs Breath Race Week cruising fleets will grow and grow.

‘There is plenty of capacity. The sailing area has the capacity for 500, certainly the marina will be able to hold 500 the accomodation as its current expansion rate will soon be able to hold it, if that was to happen over five years or so we could manage it.’