Twice-daily skeds, wave surfing, and 30- plus knots — all in a day’s work for your average offshore racer, but not quite what you’d expect from a tranquil cruising trip. Sure, there was plenty of time spent chilling in the sunshine with a cold stubbie, but sailing the Whitsundays proved to be a whole lot of fun because, well, the sailing itself was fun too. Quite revolutionary.

A cruising yacht, for a racing sailor at least, is basically a preferable mode of holiday transport, and it’s the destination that’s usually the real fun. The sailing isn’t to be taken seriously — maybe indulge in a bit of motor sailing, or let the autopilot take over — because wallowing around in a big boat in light winds doesn’t tend to be very challenging.

But the Whitsundays are home to Hamilton Island Race Week, and after five days spent cruising the area, that regatta is going straight to the top of my ‘must-do’ list. If Australia is God’s own country, then the Whitsundays are God’s own sailing country.