Bruce McCracken's Ikon has maintained its flawless record at Hamilton Island Race Week, securing two more victories on Day Four to remain unbeaten through five races in Rating Division 2.
The Victorian family team now holds a commanding lead with a perfect scorecard, putting them in contention for Boat of the Week honours. "This is our fifth Race Week, coming up from Victoria, and the team just has the boat going so well," McCracken said. "Hopefully we can continue to race well over the rest of the regatta."
The day's racing around White Rock and in the Eastern starting area produced several tight contests across the 194-boat fleet, one of the strongest in the event's 41-year history.
In Rating Division 1, Peter White's First Light seized the overall IRC lead on countback after recording a second and a win. The boat now sits tied on 17 points with Sandy Oatley's Wild Oats X, which won the opening race before finishing second. Just one point separates the next three boats, with Mark Spring's Highly Sprung third overall ahead of Lee Hawksley's Gusto and Robert Kelly's Virago.
Under TPR scoring, Highly Sprung won the second race of the day to lead the series on 10 points, one clear of Gusto, which took the opening TPR race.
Raymond Roberts' Team Hollywood continued its dominant Super 40+ campaign, claiming a fourth consecutive IRC victory to lead on four points. The boat also won under SFR scoring, though Peter Higgins' Black Sparrow holds the overall SFR lead on six points.
Terry Robinson's Miyu strengthened its grip on Multihull Racing with another OMR win, leading on five points. In Hamilton Island Blue, Grant Wharington's Wild Thing 100 maintained its overall lead despite finishing second, with John Kint's Bundaberg taking the race win.
Sharon Ferris-Choat's Vixen Racing broke through for its first victory in Hamilton Island Pink. The win came with Bob 'Cyclone Bob' Stuart on board, a veteran of the inaugural Hamilton Island Race Week in 1984. "We've got a 69-year age difference across the crew," Ferris-Choat said. "Bob's experience is definitely coming through."
With two days of racing remaining, battles are tightening across multiple divisions. Rating Division 2, Super 40+, and Multihull Racing all have clear leaders, while several classes remain wide open ahead of Saturday's final race and presentation evening.
