Rivalry and revelry coming to Jeanneau and 74 Islands Airlie Beach Race Week
by Di Pearson/ABRW media 24 Jun 09:31 UTC
6-13 August 2026
Frantic on the race course in 2016 © Andrea Francolini / ABRW
Entries in the Rating Passage division at Jeanneau and 74 Islands Airlie Beach Race Week (ABRW) are on the rise, so the competition the 38th running of the regatta, to be held from 6-13 August is looking stronger than it has for years.
So far 14 owners are locked in for the Rating Passage division at Whitsunday Sailing Club's (WSC) annual event.
Bruce McCraken is making his first foray to ABRW, but no matter, there is a first time for everything.
"This is our first time racing at Airlie Beach," McCraken confirmed today. "I asked crew if they would like to go. I got no argument, so we're in. We decided just before Christmas to come up and there'll be 20-25 of us, including family."
Expectations of the Victorian performing well with Ikon are well founded, because over a 14-year period, McCraken has enjoyed the lion's share of wins with his 18-year-old Beneteau First 45 that just keeps on giving.
In a nutshell, some of McCraken wins in recent years are: Division 2 at the 2022 Australian Yachting Championships at Hamilton Island, Division 1 of the 2024 Range Series on his local waters, Port Phillip, with multiple wins at the Festival of Sails in Geelong, including this year's victory across all three Division 1 categories - IRC, ORC and AMS.
McCraken says, "Crew work keeps the boat competitive. The main body of crew, five or six of us, have been together for 18 years. We're always trying to work out how to make the boat go faster, especially in light breezes, which we've become more competitive in. We just try and get a bit more out of it every season."
Competition for Ikon are the likes of Clockwork, the Sydney 38 owned by Andrew Lloyd and Mary Ann Harvey. The pair will be ripped and ready to go, having travelled thousands of miles in the last couple of years alone to contest major events both at home in South Australia and in other states. Clockwork sailed into Sydney from Melbourne recently, ready for the Noakes Sydney Gold Coast race and others, so should be a worthy rival.
Three TP52s add to the allure of the Rating Passage series. All three are more geared to offshore racing, but have trodden the boards at ABRW at different times in the past. Novocastrian Michael Martin (Frantic) Annika and Ian Thomson's Ocean Crusaders J-Bird (Qld) and Brian Petersen's V5 from New Zealand will thrash it out with each other and the rest.
"We're looking forward to the challenge. The boat's getting antifouled and we are getting ready," McCraken commented. "It'll be a bit of fun too. Something new for me and the crew."
Six days of racing, where the competition ratches up a notch on some of the most scenic waters in the world, will be complemented by seven nights of entertainment organised by Whitsunday Sailing Club. There will be food stalls and live music every night, starting on opening night following registration - so come and join the party!
Returning from 7 to 10 August, come and enjoy a free coffee at the Ronstan Coffee Cart and a chance to try an Orbit Winch. Another popular return is Friday Night Movies in the Park for the whole family, starting at 5pm.
Lay Day offers many options. Join the Thomsons from Ocean Crusaders for their annual Clean Up to help keep local waters pristine. Those taking part will go out on Ocean Rafting's high speed big RIB and will be dropped off along shore line around Double Cones and Armit area of islands.
"The rubbish - we collected over 380 kilos last year - gets put on Ocean Crusaders' barge. We go pretty much from 8am to1pm, then it's back to the Club (WSC) for a barbecue," says Ian Thomson, who has long organised such events at major races and events he and Annika compete in.
Those who would like to take part in this worthwhile Lay Day clean up, sponsored by www.boatnames.com.au, can book at: www.oceancrusaders.org/events
Or join in the 74 Islands Distillery Long Lunch at Elementa Whitsundays. It is an exclusive three-hour extravaganza with canapés and beverages, live entertainment amid stunning Coral Sea views. See the official website to book and look at other fun things to do on Lay Day.
On the final night is the Presentation Dinner (a ticketed event with bookings online) followed by fireworks and music from Viva Band to close out another memorable year.
More on entertainment in upcoming releases.
No matter what type of boat you sail, there is a class and division for all at Jeanneau and 74 Islands Airlie Beach Race Week, so go online to enter and view the Notice of Race: www.abrw.com.au