Enter by 31 December 2025 to access early-bird rates
The Notice of Race for Hamilton Island Race Week 2026 is live, opening entries for Australia’s premier offshore sailing regatta in the heart of the Great Barrier Reef. The 2026 event is the 41st edition.
2024 HIRW © Salty Dingo 2024
Early-bird entries are open until 31 December 2025, offering reduced fees for a limited
time.
Race Week’s 40th year underlined the regatta’s depth and diversity: more than 155 Australian and international boats lined up across Grand Prix and performance fleets, with Marcus Blackmore’s TP52 Hooligan sealing Rating 1 and TP52s filling the podium. Trade-wind racing around the islands produced close results across divisions, with race management praised for smart course setting and fair handicapping in challenging tide windows.
The 2025 program also widened the lens beyond the start line. The Palm Beach Motor Yachts Trans-Tasman 49ers Exhibition Series brought Australia and New Zealand’s elite skiff teams head-to-head in Olympic-class 49er and 49erFX boats — a high-octane preview as the Whitsundays look ahead to hosting Olympic sailing during Brisbane 2032.
Hamilton Island Race Week © Salty Dingo 2023
On shore, a serious food-and-wine line-up featured long lunches and beachfront dinners with Josh Niland, Alanna Sapwell-Stone and Will Cowper, plus wine stories with Larry Cherubino.
“Hamilton Island Race Week is a celebration of sailing, camaraderie and this remarkable place in the heart of the Great Barrier Reef,” said Hamilton Island CEO Nick Dowling. “After an unforgettable 40th year, entries for 2026 are now open and we encourage skippers from around Australia and the world to take advantage of the early-bird window.”
The Notice of Race and entry portal are available here: Hamilton Island Race Week | Australia’s Largest Offshore Sailing Regatta
