Acting Mayor’s Welcome

2020 Airlie Beach Race Week – Festival of Sailing

Ahoy and a very warm welcome to the many competitors and their families, visitors and locals ready to enjoy the 2022 Airlie Beach Race Week Festival of Sailing.

This event is one of the most anticipated and memorable sporting events on our annual calendar and in 2022 we welcome a record 170 plus boats attending from all over Australia.

In 2022, we celebrate 34 years since the first Airlie Beach Race Week was held and as Acting Mayor of this beautiful region, I am not surprised that this event has grown as a must attend event for yachties.

Our diverse region is home to the world-famous Whitehaven Beach, 74 Whitsunday Islands and Heart Reef that dramatically contrast with the awe-inspiring landscapes of the north Queensland outback.

The Whitsundays is also home to the Great Barrier Reef which surrounds our tropical islands and mainland creating a safe and calm aquatic playground where visitors can swim, snorkel, dive, sail and explore our stunning backyard.

Race Week provides a fantastic onshore social events program for our visitors to complement the fierce competition out on the water.  It delivers a massive economic boost to our region with an incredible amount of money being spent locally on accommodation, retail, dining and tourism activities.

While visiting our beautiful region, we hope you stay a few extra days and experience some big barra fishing at Lake Proserpine, explore the beautiful beaches of Bowen, visit the historical township of Collinsville and relax on Airlie Beach’s lagoon and foreshore.

Finally, I would like to acknowledge the major sponsors and local supporters of this event, not to mention the great work undertaken by the Whitsunday Sailing Club and everyone involved in the coordination of this event – your efforts are evident by its ongoing success.

Good luck to all the competitors over the course of the event.

Cr John Collins

Acting Mayor

Whitsunday Regional Council