Audi Hamiltin Island Race Week has kicked off on Friday (August 20) with over 200 boats racing in Australia’s largest and most awarded offshore keelboat regatta, taking place until Saturday 28 August 2010.
Highlights of the 27th annual regatta will be the new Superyacht division which includes Lang Walker’s brand new 58-metre sloop, Kokomo, as well as four-time Rolex Sydney to Hobart winner, Wild Oats XI.
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Hamilton Island yacht Club will host a variety of celebraity chefs for the Race Week
Onshore the atmosphere will be just as exciting with a social program comprising of fashion events, culinary master classes, sports clinics and wine tastings. Highlights will include an exclusive showing of Collette Dinnigan’s Cruise Collection 2010 with an introduction by leading actress Miranda Otto and presented by Audi. Celebrity chefs, Matt Moran and Shannon Bennett, will host Chefs Table Dinners and spectators can rub shoulders with TV and sporting personalities such as Sandra Sully, Mark Beretta, Matt Burke and Tourism Queensland’s ‘Best Job in the World’ winner, Ben Southall.
Fashionistas can receive styling tips from model and designer Gail Elliott at her ‘Little Joe Woman’ trunk show or drop into the Pandora Marquee for jewellery styling workshops with Harper’s BAZAAR and ModelCo. In true Race Week style, some crew members will become newbie models strutting the catwalk in the Henri Lloyd 2010 Spring / Summer collection. Also, ModelCo will offer free makeovers in its Styling Suite, by appointment, prior to most major events.
Foodies will be treated to a series of Chefs Table Dinners in the new Yacht Club’s Bommie restaurant by celebrity chefs Matt Moran from acclaimed Aria restaurant and Melbourne’s Shannon Bennett from Vue de monde. The dinners will be hosted by TV personality Sandra Sully, and Australian rugby union champion, Matt Burke.
Vue de monde’s Shannon Bennet (above) will be ready to impress foodies during the annual racing event
Special guest, Captain Andy Hillstrand, from highly-watched US TV deep sea fishing series will regale audiences once again at the popular Deadliest Catch Dinner with personal stories about the ones that didn’t get away!
The hottest party at this year’s Audi Hamilton Island Race Week will be the Beachside Pool Party – with tunes from DJ Simon Philby, cocktails and a live flair show by world champion mixologist, Hayden Wood, followed by live-music from Sydney-based band Alexandra Project. On qualia’s Pebble Beach there will be a Barefoot Black-tie Dinner where spectators can enjoy a degustation menu and a live performance by singer and popular TV personality, Erika Heynatz.
Spectators can take a break from sailing by practicing their swing with a golf clinic by resident golf-pro, Cherie Byrnes or gather friends to enter the 4-person Callaway Ambrose Golf Team competition at the new Hamilton Island Golf Club. Located on neighbouring Dent Island, it’s Australia’s only 18 hole championship golf course on its own island and designed by five-time British Open winner, Peter Thomson AO, CBE.
Tennis enthusiasts can sharpen their serve with clinics held by legendary Australian tennis champion, Wayne Arthurs, at the Hamilton Island Sports Centre.
For more information on Hamilton Island click here.
