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.

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.

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.”

Early-bird offer: Register by 11:59pm AEDT on 31 December 2025 to receive 10% off the entry fee. Terms and conditions apply.

Enter now here: Hamilton Island Race Week

Images

Hamilton Island Race Week images are available here. Additional images are available from the Hamilton Island Image Library here. One-time registration is required.

Media enquiries

Caroline Denyer
Group Communications Manager
E: pr@hamiltonisland.com.au

Notes to Editors

About Hamilton Island Race Week 

• Hamilton Island Race Week has been a highlight of the Australian sailing calendar for decades. The late Mr. Bob Oatley, an avid sailor, famously acquired Hamilton Island while competing in the regatta more than 20 years ago. Today, the Oatley family continues to uphold his legacy.
• Now in its 40th year, Hamilton Island Race Week is Australia's largest offshore sailing regatta, attracting more than 200 yachts - from high-performance yachts to trailer-pulled family favourites - and their crews from across the country and around the world. Established in 1984, it is one of the most anticipated events on the sporting and social calendar, offering a unique blend of high-performance sailing and premium onshore hospitality in the heart of the Great Barrier Reef. 
• hamiltonislandraceweek.com.au @hamiltonislandraceweek #HIRW26

About Hamilton Island 

• Hamilton Island is Australia’s tropical island in the heart of the Great Barrier Reef, offering direct flights from major east coast cities in under 2.5 hours from take-off to the reef. The island features a diverse range of accommodation, from family-friendly apartments to luxurious stays at private retreat qualia and relaxed coastal at new boutique hotel The Sundays. Guests can enjoy two spas, a golf course, over 20 restaurants and bars, and more than 60 activities and experiences, including tours to world-famous Whitehaven Beach and the iconic Heart Reef.
• The island also boasts a year-round calendar of world-class events. Highlights include the Hamilton Island Endurance Series—featuring the Great Whitehaven Beach Run (22 June 2025), the Hamilton Island Triathlon and Ocean Swim (15-16 November 2025) and the Hamilton Island Hilly Half Marathon (3 May 2026) —as well as pas de deux in Paradise, a bi-annual collaboration with The Australian Ballet at Pebble Beach, qualia (15-17 and 17-19 May 2026). 
• hamiltonisland.com.au