Despite the influx of visitors during Audi Hamilton Island Race Week, the marina can be eerily quiet during the day when the boats are out on the course. While guests to the island enjoy seafood and champagne lunches, just what are the sailors on those aqua waters up to?

Mark Bulka, winner of the 2016 Contender World Championships, says no regatta is as much fun as Hamilton Island Race Week – but looks can be deceiving. The water may look smooth and welcoming to bystanders, but the conditions around the islands are not always perfect.