The Palm Beach Motor Yachts Trans-Tasman 49er Exhibition Series wrapped up in style at Hamilton Island, with Australia and New Zealand locked in a fierce battle across Olympic-class racing. 

Dubbed the “Wetisloe Cup”, the event was a brand-new addition to the 40th Hamilton Island Race Week. It brought the thrill of high-performance skiff sailing to the Whitsundays - waters already earmarked as a potential sailing venue for the Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games.

Competition was fierce between the two sailing nations. Australia’s Laura Harding and Annie Wilmot claimed victory in the women’s 49erFX, while New Zealand’s Seb Menzies and George Lee Rush edged out Australians Harry Price and Max Paul to take the win in the men’s 49er.

“It was fantastic to come up racing at Hamilton Island,” said Paul. “The hospitality was awesome, Palm Beach Motor Yachts were great sponsors for the series, and everyone on the island made us feel right at home. Race Week is probably one of the biggest sailing events in Australia, with a wide variety of classes, ages and boats. So, it was great to be up here.” 

The 13 invited teams enjoyed glamour training conditions in the lead-up, staging a week-long camp in the Whitsundays before going head-to-head over three days of racing in front of the iconic Hamilton Island Yacht Club. The lighter breezes and strong tides made for challenging, spectator-friendly battles.

“We’re super happy with how we sailed,” Paul added. “It was a great week leading into the last few weeks of training before Worlds, so we’re pretty happy with how it all went.”

The series was such a success that Palm Beach Motor Yachts Founder and CEO Mark Richards has already signalled his support for a rematch. “Palm Beach Motor Yachts is really proud to sponsor and support Olympic class sailing from Australia and New Zealand and we look forward to supporting this amazing event again next year.”

Results:

49er:
1^st – Seb Menzies & George Lee Rush (NZL)
2^nd – Harry Price & Max Paul (AUS)
3^rd – Matthias Coutts & Oscar Gunn (NZL)
4^th – Otto Henry & Shaun Connor (AUS)
5^th - Isaac McHardie & William McKenzie (NZL)
6^th – Francesco Kayrouz & Hamish McLaren (NZL)
7^th – Jack Ferguson & Jack Hilderbrand (AUS)
8^th – Kurt Hansen & Charlie Zeeman (AUS)
9^th – Sam Bacon & Blake McGlashen (NZL)

FX:
1^st – Laura Harding & Annie Wilmot (AUS)
2^nd – Brooke Wilson & Evie Haseldine (AUS) 
3^rd – Mina Ferguson & Dervla Duggan (AUS)
4^th – Nicole Hume & Rebecca Hume (NZL)