Chasing the Breeze: YOTI at Hamilton Island Race Week 2026

What a week. Stepping aboard a beautiful S&S 92ft Marguerite for Hamilton Island Race Week 2026 was one of those sailing weeks that reminds you exactly why we do what we do.

Now in its 41st year, Hamilton Island Race Week is Australia’s premier offshore regatta, with close to 200 boats and close to thousand sailors converging on the Whitsundays for a week of racing set against the turquoise backdrop of the Great Barrier Reef.

It’s the kind of event photos never quite capture. You really do have to be out there, tide running and sails full, to understand the scale of it.

A Baptism by Wind

Race Week opened with a statement. Day one brought gusts up to 30 knots through the Whitsunday Passage the kind of breeze that separates the well-prepared boats from the rest of the fleet in a hurry. Rain squalls rolled through on and off through the week too, keeping everyone on their toes: reefing early, watching the sky, trimming for conditions that changed almost as fast as they arrived. It was full-on sailing, and Marguerite handled every bit of it beautifully.

A Cruising Boat Among Racers

Marguerite is a proper S&S design drawn by Sparkman & Stephens, the legendary house behind some of the most beautiful offshore yachts ever built. She’s built for miles, not buoys, and that showed against some of the purpose-built grand prix machinery in the fleet. We weren’t fighting for the podium in our division, and that’s fine by us as this crew came to sail hard, get to know the boat properly, and enjoy every minute of it.

There’s a real satisfaction in racing a boat for what she is rather than what she isn’t, pushing her as hard as she’ll go, and still getting everyone home in time for a beer.

More Than Just Racing

Part of what makes Hamilton Island Race Week special is everything that happens once the sails come down.

It’s this mix of serious racing by day and genuinely great social sailing by night that keeps people coming back year after year, whether they’re chasing line honours or just chasing a good time.

Having a common interest with everyone around is what gets people chatting, making good connections and friends that you look forward to meeting at the next race.

Finding Our Rhythm as a Crew

If there’s one thing that stood out just as much as the sailing, it was the crew. We had a great group on board, including our own Stuart Broom, who came together brilliantly over the course of the week everyone got to know Marguerite that little bit better with each race, and by the back end of the regatta we were working as a genuine team. That’s really what a week like this is about, sharing the highs and lows on board, learning each other’s strengths, and building the kind of teamwork that only comes from putting the hours in together.

Reflections from the week

Weeks like this are exactly why we love this industry. Whether you’re campaigning a grand prix raceboat or bringing a cruising boat like Marguerite up to have a crack, Hamilton Island Race Week has a place for you and a week like this is a reminder of what these boats are actually for. If watching from the marina has ever had you thinking about getting out on the water yourself, whether that’s your first regatta or your first boat, we’d love to help make it happen.

– Ross Price

Ross Price

With over 50,000 nautical miles logged, Ross has a wealth of hands-on experience, a practical understanding of vessel systems, and a strong grasp of owner expectations. His approachable nature, industry insight, and deep enjoyment of life on the water make him a trusted advisor and a valued member of the YOTI brokerage team.