One of the many boats competing in the 2008 Audi Hamilton Island Race Week is Rick Morgan’s Custom Murray Burns Dovell 40, Dream Lover. After racing in the recent Brisbane to Keppel Tropical Race and a cruising leg up to Hamilton Island, this regatta continues Morgan’s racing campaign, which will culminate in this year’s Sydney Hobart.

Regularly sailing out of Scarborough from the Moreton Bay Boat Club, it was near this club where Morgan established his seafood business over 20 years ago. Starting up with a couple of trawlers and a fish and chip shop, Morgan’s seafood empire now stretches along the waterfront and is right next-door to the Boat Club.

Dream Lover was built after Morgan briefed designers Murray Burns Dovell that he wanted a shorthanded cruiser / racer that would perform well with very small crew numbers.

Although the yacht is racing in the current regatta with a full crew, it has also just completed a comfortable cruise from the Keppel Bay Marina to Hamilton with just Rick and Penny on board. The overall design has clearly paid off for Rick as he often completes the return delivery from regattas on his own, including the trip back from Lord Howe to Scarborough last year.

The racing component in the design is also paying dividens for Rick as in the recent Brisbane to Keppel Tropical Race, Dream Lover was eighth over the line and achieved the same position on handicap in the PHS Division.

Rick Morgan's Custom MBD 40 Dream Lover to the right of Tam Faragher's Beneteau First 44.7 Ultimate Positioning, out on Moreton Bay after the start of the Brisbane to Keppel Tropical Yacht Race. Photo: © Suellen Hurling.

Penny Morgan, navigator and cook on the yacht said “We were happy with the result. It was where we should have been.”

In only its second year, the 2008 Brisbane to Keppel attracted several larger yachts which sailed away from the rest of the fleet, including Peter Harburg’s new Black Jack which took line and handicap honours.

The newly launched Black Jack is named after Sir Jack Brabham and is aiming to emulate on the water that great man’s feats in car racing on land.

Rick Morgan's Custom MBD 40 Dream Lover, out on Moreton Bay after the start of the Brisbane to Keppel Tropical Yacht Race. Photo: © Suellen Hurling.

After having had to pull out of this year’s Sydney Gold Coast race just before the start, Black Jack enjoyed the race from Moreton Bay to Keppel, a shake-down for the crew before arriving to compete in the Hamilton regatta this week.

After six races in the IRC Grand Prix division Black Jack is facing stiff competition from the rest of the fleet, which is currently led by Cougar II, Quest and Living Doll.

Rick Morgan's Custom MBD 40 Dream Lover, approaching finishing line of the Brisbane to Keppel Tropical Yacht Race. Photo: © Tom Johns.