By Ian Grant.

Whitsunday Sailing Club will celebrate the opening regatta of the 2009 Festival of Sails when they host the Meridien Marinas Airlie Beach Race Week over their tactically testing courses from August 14-20.

The annual multiclass regatta has attracted entries from a number of high profile racing crews including the defending IRC class champion the Ray Roberts skippered Sydney sloop Evolution Sails and the equally exciting Victorian yacht Living Doll helmed by the popular Victorian skipper Michael Hiatt.
Both crews staged an exciting nip-n-tuck duel in 2008 before Ray Roberts claimed the title under the count-back rule with a final heat win.

This tactical clash will be one of many highlights when the interesting fleet of 96 yachts compete for class honours in the opening race over the Double Cone-Armit Island course on Friday.

The competitive boat speed suggests that the new generation IRC racing yachts headed by Evolution Sails, Living Doll and the equally exciting new Victorian sloop Scarlet Runner will dominate the series while local interest will support the former Admirals Cup class sloop Surefoot.

Sure the grand old lady of International yacht racing now showing signs of being race weary is always well sailed by her experienced skipper Rod Sawyer and his dedicated crew.  They are exceptionally passionate about wearing a Surefoot crew shirt and if that passion is expressed in handicap rated boat speed then the Surefoot crew could add another important entry to the log book of the former Royal Papua Yacht Club Admirals Cup competitor.

However the pre regatta form suggests that the 2009 championship battle will be decided by an intense match race between the present champion Ray Roberts and the 2007 champion Michael Hiatt.  Charles Wallis has also returned to defend his 2008 Performance Handicap class trophy win with Reignition.
The Whitsunday sail maker has a gifted knowledge of the local sailing waters and he is expected to compete with an experienced crew including Sydney Hobart Race sailors Seddon Cripps and Bob Thomas.

Thomas the navigator and part owner of the high performance Ed Psaltis skippered AFR Midnight Rambler which won the Audi Sydney Gold Coast race last month to enter another important victory to his impressive career log book will add some extra tactical clout to the challenge providing the strong rumour presently drifting about the Airlie Beach waterfront becomes a reality when the sails are tensioned for the opening race on Friday.

Regatta founder Don Algie and his first mate twin brother Bob will also line up to defend their Cruising Class championship with Storm 11.
The Storm 11 crew overcame a terminated spinnaker to win the series 12 months ago and they have added more ‘grunt’ to their overall handicap rated speed with a replacement spinnaker added to the sail locker which promises to give the happy Storm 11 crew the opportunity to be a front line contender for the 2009 title when the final race is decided on Pioneer Bay on Thursday August 20.