Y Knot
Hanse 430
Skipper: Rob Rainsford | Magnetic Island Race Week
My first Magnetic Island Race Week. What a great event. I was the Bow person of the crew racing Y Knot, a Hanse 430 skippered by Rob Rainsford.
Sailing at Magnetic Island feels a long way from the usual routines of southern club racing. Warm water, trade-wind breezes, bright blue skies and an island that never really leaves your field of view — every day starts feeling more like a privilege than a race. Cleveland Bay delivers proper racing conditions, but with the kind of scenery that constantly reminds you you’re somewhere special.
Y Knot proved a great boat for the week. The Hanse 430 sits nicely in that sweet spot where you can push the boat hard during racing, then relax into the rhythm of island sailing once the sails come down. Racing around the headlands and bays of Magnetic Island brings its own little challenges — shifts, pressure lines and local effects — and it keeps everyone switched on without ever feeling relentless.
What really makes Magnetic Island Race Week stand out, though, is the atmosphere. Sailing during the day flows straight into stories, laughs and cold drinks ashore. Crews mix easily, friendships form quickly, and it never takes long before someone’s replaying a start or a rounding with exaggerated hand gestures. It’s one of those events where the racing matters, but the shared experience matters just as much.
Being part of the Y Knot team at MIRW was a great reminder of why sailing is such a special sport — good people, a solid boat, warm water under the keel, and an island that makes even the toughest race day end on a high.
hosted by
Rosshaven Spinnaker Class Division 1
| Place | Sail No | Boat Name | Skipper | From | Sers Score | Race 6 | Race 5 | Race 4 | Race 3 | Race 2 | Race 1 |
| 1 | 43842 | DAGUET 2 | Peter Byford/ Rob Aldis | MHYC | 19.0 | 7.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 5.0 | [8.0] | 1.0 |
| 2 | B330 | HARTBREAKER | Hughie Lewis | BYC | 19.0 | [11.0] | 5.0 | 2.0 | 3.0 | 5.0 | 4.0 |
| 3 | AUS114 | SEEKING ALPHA | David Hamilton | MHYC | 24.5 | [10.0] | 4.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 2.5 |
| 4 | AUS150N | PANTHER 32 | Stephen O'Rourke | 26.0 | 4.0 | 10.0 | 1.0 | 4.0 | [10.0] | 7.0 | |
| 5 | BOW33 | HUTCHIES YEAH BABY | Andy Lamont | SYC | 26.0 | [8.0] | 7.0 | 5.0 | 2.0 | 7.0 | 5.0 |
| 6 | NZL10750 | AWEN | Michael Lazzarini | SYC | 27.0 | 1.0 | 6.0 | 10.0 | 1.0 | 9.0 | [11.0] |
| 7 | 6838 | PONYO | David Currie | HIYC | 27.0 | 9.0 | 1.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 3.0 | [9.0] |
| 8 | 7027 | THE GOAT | Mitchell Gordon | CYCA | 27.5 | 6.0 | 9.0 | 9.0 | [9.0] | 1.0 | 2.5 |
| 9 | 52002 | QUEST | Grant Golombick | 29.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 4.0 | 11.0 | [12.0R] | 10.0 | |
| 10 | B2 | BKT JAMHU | Ken Christensen | RBYC | 31.0 | 5.0 | 8.0 | [11.0] | 8.0 | 2.0 | 8.0 |
| 11 | AUS153 | MAC 2 | John & Andrew McDougall | GSC | 31.0 | 3.0 | [11.0] | 8.0 | 10.0 | 4.0 | 6.0 |
Rosshaven Spinnaker Class Division 2
Hosted By Townsville Yacht Club
| Place | Sail No | Boat Name | Skipper | From | Sers Score | Race 5 | Race 4 | Race 3 | Race 2 | Race 1 |
| 1 | 6612 | POPEYE | Craig Douglas | RPAYC | 17.0 | [11.0] | 1.0 | 2.0 | 9.0 | 5.0 |
| 2 | M133 | JOKER X2 | Grant Chipperfield | MYC/SYC | 17.0 | [9.0] | 5.0 | 8.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 |
| 3 | PD447 | SHAZAM | Doug Ryan | TYC | 17.0 | 4.0 | [10.0] | 6.0 | 3.0 | 4.0 |
| 4 | BOW08 | SAMURAI | Stuart Tivey | TYC | 19.0 | 2.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 | [10.0] | 9.0 |
| 5 | RQ19 | JOINT VENTURE | Stephen Green | RQYS | 19.0 | 8.0 | [12.0] | 3.0 | 5.0 | 3.0 |
| 6 | R1210 | MIKA | Brian Yarnall | RYCV | 21.0 | 6.0 | 3.0 | 1.0 | [13.0] | 11.0 |
| 7 | SB430 | Y KNOT | Robert Rainsford | SBSC | 22.0 | 1.0 | 9.0 | 5.0 | 7.0 | [12.0] |
| 8 | H8118 | MERLION | Eddie Mackevicius | HBYC | 24.0 | 7.0 | [11.0] | 10.0 | 6.0 | 1.0 |
| 9 | SYD1 | SERENE SUMMER | Tina Courtenay | CYCA | 28.0 | 5.0 | 2.0 | 9.0 | 12.0 | [13.0] |
| 10 | 83 | CHARM OFFENSIVE | James Permezel | TYC | 28.0 | [13.0] | 6.0 | 11.0 | 4.0 | 7.0 |
| 11 | RP36 | TREASURE VIII | Robert Davis | WSC | 29.0 | 12.0 | 8.0 | [12.0] | 1.0 | 8.0 |
| 12 | 7711 | BOUDICA | Mike Steel | TYC | 30.0 | 10.0 | 7.0 | 7.0 | [11.0] | 6.0 |
| 13 | SM46 | HOT CHIPPS | John Chipp | SYC | 34.0 | 3.0 | 13.0 | [13.0] | 8.0 | 10.0 |
Blogs
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Cartouche
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Australian Yachting Championships (IRC)
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Belle – IY60
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Rushour
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Wings
The 1,100nm delivery of Wings from Hamilton Island to Sydney was a lesson in persistence. Most of the trip was spent punched into 18 to 25-knot headwinds and heavy seas. It was a great chance to get some serious hours on the helm at night and see how offshore routing actually works in the real world.
Unprecedented
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