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Catherine and I decided to stay an extra night at Hamilton Island to enjoy the resort at a more leisurely pace. On Sunday morning we checked out of our beautiful apartment and moved back on board Debonnaire in the marina. After all the fun we had, we reluctantly farewelled our crew at the airport. In the afternoon we cruised around the Island in our golf buggy and cooled off at one of the resort swimming pools. We had a delicious dinner that evening at the popular Coca Chu restaurant.

On Monday morning, we set off for Cape Gloucester north of Airlie Beach. We had arranged with Paul to rendezvous there for dinner. Carpe Diem was stopping there on its way from Hamilton Island Race Week to Magnetic Island Race Week near Townsville. We had heard it was a delightful spot popular among cruisers passing through the area. It was a no-frills, eco-style resort, quite unlike Hamilton Island. We had to get to shore by tender, and that meant we were going to get our feet wet and covered in sand. Shorts and sandals were not only the practical choice but also in keeping with the dress code for the restaurant. Despite its plain appearance, we had warm service and a delicious dinner.

On Tuesday morning, Carpe Diem continued north and we returned south to Airlie Beach.

We nearly crashed into 2 boats before we even left the marina. I wondered if this was the start of a good day or a bad day.

Saturday was the last day of Hamilton Island Race Week. It was yet another glorious, warm morning. We met down at the boat early and I was pleased that all 11 crew reported fit for duty. As soon as the boat was ready and I finished briefing the crew on the day’s race, we reversed out of our berth to head off to the start area. But then inexplicably the forward gear would not engage and we continued to drift towards 2 boats berthed behind us. The crews rushed to stop the boats colliding. Paul helped, too, dashing over from Carpe Diem with a fender. Thankfully, we managed to avoid hitting the other boats by only centimetres. We soon fixed the forward gear and drove off with only a minor scuff mark on Debonnaire’s transom and a scrape on my shin. My hope was that this going to be our only drama for the day and that we had got it out of the way early.

As it turned out, we had a terrific race. The wind was ideal at 15-20 knots, although this made the seas choppy. We had a clean start and found our groove as we settled into the race. The first half of the race was a long beat to windward from Hamilton Island to Lindeman Island. We were only about 200 metres behind Carpe Diem when we first crossed. But when we next crossed we were maybe 300 metres in front. Everyone was focussed on getting as much as we could out of Debonnaire. We were so excited to reach Lindeman Island before Carpe Diem but she was close behind and keeping the pressure on us. She eventually edged in front of us as we turned downwind back to Hamilton Island. Although the wind had eased to 10-15 knots, we launched our smaller asymmetric spinnaker expecting the stronger winds to return. Carpe Diem launched her big asymmetric spinnaker and sailed away from us. We debated changing to our symmetrical spinnaker, which was larger and would allow us to sail faster and deeper downwind. The risks were that it was not built for winds above 15 knots, the crew were not experienced in handling this more complicated sail and we would lose speed while changing sails. We still had a long way to the finish line and needed speed to stay in the race, so we decided to change the spinnaker. It wasn’t a simple task but the crew got the job done smoothly. The boat felt fast and stable once the big spinnaker was flying and we were pleased we changed. We flew the spinnaker all the way to Hamilton Island, squeezing through the narrow Dent Passage and over the finish line with pole forward and trimmed on hard.* The sailing was sensational.

Back in our marina berth, I was just finishing my debrief of the race and how much the crew had improved during the week when Catherine announced the results that had just been posted: “First – Debonnaire!” We were so excited and cheered with joy. We had improved during the regatta, finishing 13th, 14th, 10th, 8th and then 7th. After race 5, John declared we wanted a podium finish. Everyone gave it their best and achieved a fabulous result in the final race. We were 11th on aggregate for the regatta and very happy with that position, too. We celebrated not only a good regatta but also our trophy for race 6 which we collected at the daily prize-giving.

The celebrations didn’t end there, though. Saturday night was the Presentation Dinner where the winners of various divisions and other awards would be announced. We weren’t going to win any sailing trophies but we had a chance of winning the Prix d’Elegance for Best Presented Yacht and Crew. We leapt from our seats when Debonnaire was announced the winner. It was an amazing prize, not just a big, shiny trophy but also a luxurious holiday at the world-class qualia resort on Hamilton Island and an Audi to drive for a weekend. The sailing trophies paled in comparison to the Prix d’Elegance. All praise to our creative team for their excellent work: Liz, Jane, John, Richard and Catherine. I admit I was sceptical but I’m glad I trusted your talents. You have been vindicated by the judges’ decision to award Debonnaire the Prix d’Elegance. I feel like an impostor accepting the prize but don’t worry, I’m sure a couple of days of luxury therapy at qualia will help me come to terms with my anxiety.

After our drama leaving the marina in the morning, I didn’t imagine our last day would be such a highlight of our week racing at Hamilton Island. It was so much fun. Congratulations to the crew, you should be proud of your achievements.

Debonnaire crew

Andrew and Phil

Steve

Leanne and Richard

Catherine and John

Phil jr

Brigit, Colin and Karen

Debonnaire crew

Click photos to view larger images.

*Apologies for any sailing jargon. I’ve tried to avoid sailor-talk but sometimes there aren’t any regular English phrases that convey the passion adequately.

The following video is the highlights package from Race Week TV.

More daily video highlights from Hamilton Island Race Week days 6 and 7.

Day 6 has a close-up shot of Debonnaire. Look for us at about the 4 minute mark, after the footage of the yacht that ran aground on the beach.

Tonight at the Hamilton Island Race Week Presentation Dinner, Debonnaire was awarded the Prix d’Elegance for best dressed boat!

In the last race of the regatta, the crew of Debonnaire gave it their all and won first place in race 6. Congratulations! Your efforts this week have delivered continuous improvements and today they paid off.  Well done team!

Detailed report to come…

More video highlights of Thursday from Race Week TV.

Friday’s racing was a thrilling ride and tiring workout. With racing abandoned yesterday due to lack of wind, the Race Committee decided to squeeze 2 races into Friday. So it was an early start with all hands reporting to the boat by 8:30am. We were back up to 9 crew today.

The first race was a short sprint around a small island. The wind forecasts were divided, with some predicting moderate winds of 10-15 knots while others predicted 15-25 knots. We decided to setup for the stronger winds and this turned out to be a good call: soon after the start the wind was 20 knots. We had a very good race. Although short, there was plenty of action. We were all puffing by the end but didn’t have long to catch our breath and get ready for the next race.

The second race was a much longer course around Hamilton Island and beyond. The wind was quite fresh at over 25 knots. Gusts close to 30 knots after the start caused us some problems and we broached twice. We didn’t lose anyone overboard and had only minor breakages, so we soon recovered and settled for a thrilling downwind ride. We surfed down one wave at 12.5 knots, which is pretty quick for Debonnaire. We then had a long work to windward and the crew had to put in many tacks. It was tiring and awkward with the boat heeling over. The wind eased to 15 knots later in the afternoon and we had a sensational downwind run to the finish line.

Congratulations to the crew for their good work under difficult conditions. We finished 8th and 7th in today’s races. They certainly earned their beers (and wines and gins).

Thursday was the Prix d’Elegance event of Hamilton Island Race Week where boats compete for either:

• the Best Presented Yacht and Crew (yacht in first-class trim and crew in matching uniforms); or
• the Best Fun-Themed Yacht and Crew.

Our theme was “debonair with a twist of Hamilton Island”. In addition to making our costumes, we choreographed a routine and sang “Love is Debonnaire” to the tune of “Love is in Air” by John Paul Young. It was a lot of fun.

There were many entrants, including boats that made great efforts with very clever themes. Have a look at the terrific video below by Bow Caddy Media. Carpe Diem put on an entertaining show called “Swan Fake”. I don’t think many people know about Paul’s ballroom dancing trophy and he, no doubt, would also love to have the Prix d’Elegance title. We have to wait until the Presentation Dinner on Saturday night to find out the winners.

Thanks to our creative team who developed the concept, made our costumes, selected the theme music and choreographed our routine, particularly Liz, Jane, John, Richard and Catherine.

Race 4 was scheduled to follow the Prix d’Elegance but there was insufficient wind and racing was abandoned. We spent the day enjoying the resort’s cafes, restaurants, bars and swimming pools. Sunny, warm, 24°C — another day in paradise!

Here is some more footage of the lay-day picnics and parties.