The 22nd staging of the Mickey Ink Port Douglas Race Week, which starts today and concludes on Monday, May 2 at the Port Douglas Yacht Club, is an ever-growing event and organisers are more than satisfied with this year’s entry.

Kristie McDowall, Race Week co-ordinator, said they had attracted 39 entrants – five up on last year – and expected this to increase over the next few years.

“Our numbers would have been higher, but a number of the local fleet are unable to compete for a number of reasons,” said Ms McDowall.

“However, I am delighted that we have boats from Townsville and Cairns and this is a huge boost for us.”

Ms McDowall said it was also significant that the highly regarded Greg Sinclair will be the Race Director.

Sinclair is a National Race Officer from the Royal Geelong Yacht Club and has both National and International experience in running keelboat regattas.

He has been involved in some of Australia’s leading yachting events including the Festival of Sails at his home club, Hamilton Island Race Week and Sail Port Stephens, as well as regattas in Townsville, Thailand and Hong Kong.

What was once called the “Clipper Cup”, the PDYC have rebranded it as an established event on the sailing calendar as the Port Douglas Race Week.

In 1995 the inaugural Mirage Resorts Clipper Cup was held and attracted 44 entries from as far afield as PNG, New Zealand, Victoria and New South Wales. The seven race series commenced with the first three races staged by Cairns Yacht Club with the fourth being a 40nm passage from Cairns to Port Douglas followed by three further races staged by Port Douglas Yacht Club.

Racing starts at 10am each day across four divisions, and the winner of each will be engraved on the Clipper Cup:   

Division 1: Performance Handicap (boats over nine metres)

Division 2: Performance Handicap (no spinnakers or code zeros)

Division 3: Multihulls

Division 4: Sports Boats, J24’s & similar boats under nine metres.

The sailing schedule includes racing around the stunning Low Isle and Snapper Islands, as well as some technical racing off the famous Four Mile Beach.

Schedule: 

• April 27: Registration & Welcome at PDYC   

• April 28: Division 1, 2, 4 - two short races. Division 3 - short passage race  

• April 29: Passage race for Division 1, 2, 3. Two short races for Division 4  

• April 30: Lay day. (WAGLS evening race, not part of this regatta) 

• May 1: two short races.  

• May 2: Long triangle/W&R race. 

• 7:00pm (approximately) Presentation of Prizes in the evening