"Felicity"

Felicity is probably one of the best known yachts in the Whitsundays and well known along the east coast of Australia. She arrived in the Whitsundays in 2004. She is a cutaway long keeled sloop 30ft long 8ft beam and approx 50% ballast ratio. This makes her an excellent offshore and heavy weather cruiser.The design dates back to 1964 and she was built in 1978,number 90 of 108 made. Although the design is excellent for cruising she has excelled at racing having won nearly every race in the Whitsundays including Airlie Beach Race Week in 2006. She excells in winds over 25kts where she can still carry a No1 Genoa whilst others are reduced to No3's.

Both students and crew have always had great affection for her. In 2008 Airlie Beach was hit with a bad storm with winds from the north and over 60 vessels were damaged with 50million dollars of damage to boats. After breaking away from her mooring due to a waterspout she sailed herself into a nearby marina, through the marina past all the fingers and boats and parked herself on a small beach inside the marina. After an inspection not a scratch was found.

Wilson’s Wonderful world in the Whitsundays

An Article written by Ian Grant for "AFLOAT" a Sydney Publication

Lachie Wilson has cruised many enjoyable miles around the Whitsunday Islands at the tiller of Felicity while also logging similar rewarding experiences in Whitsunday Sailing Club point score racing off Airlie Beach.He never needs an excuse to cast Felicity’s mooring lines to just simply go for a sail with a few of his mates.The fun loving skipper values the crew fellowship and the opportunity to be out sailing gaining more treasured sea time in the friendly cockpit on Felicity.Wilson is a very experienced sailor but he has never been guilty of being classified as an aggressive win-atall-cost type skipper. In fact he is the opposite with the fun factor being a high priority when he and crew tension the sails and press Felicity into racing mode.

Felicity’s crew, who always manage to enjoy a post race ‘sundowner’, had a reason to top up the celebrations last month when they claimed the class win in Abel Point Yacht Sales trophy series. Skipper Wilson will never be known to be a ‘pot hunter’ and Felicity was again sailed with the attitude that the fun factor always comes first and any success just adds a special touch to the post race celebrations back at the dock.

As expected Felicity was rocking at the dock after her crew sailed into sixth place to claim a narrow one point win over the improving Sunflower (Roger Boast) while Stewart Key steered Serendipity into third. Sunflower started the series as a distinct outsider placing eighth in the first of five races but skipper Boast progressively improved his chances scoring a 6-4-2-1 while Felicity, which held an eight point lead over Sunflower after two races, was under the hammer in the final needing to finish in the top six to win overall.

Naturally the Felicity crew placed little importance on the mathematics associated with the handicap ratings and the race clock and happily completed another fun time on the water only to find out later they had won the trophy with their 4-2-2-6-6 score compared with Sunflower 8-6-4-2-1. Sunflower also finished with a 5 minute 8 second faster five race corrected time aggregate to place on record that her crew has progressively improved to become the pacesetter for the important points when the Cumberland Yacht Charters trophy is decided this month.