HTCAV Sponsor Profile - Whitsunday Rent A Yacht
Words: Chris Ralph
Photos: Supplied (unless indicated)
One of the HTCAV’s newest Gold Sponsors is rapid racer Rob Burns, who’s offering a luxury catamaran for rent in the Whitsundays. At the HTCAV Awards Ceremony, held at this year's Phillip Island Classic, a generous ‘five nights free’ was a door prize for club members, but a special incentive from Rob means you can escape to paradise on this luxury vessel, too.
Rob Burns has always been an all-or-nothing guy on the track and started out sprinting an Alfa 105 GTV Coupe in the early ’80s. He upgraded to CAMS Road Registered racing in 1983, winning the Under 2 Litre Championship first up.
Thinking, if this is good, more must be better, he then bought the ex-Peter Wherrett Alfetta Sports Sedan from Gordon Stephenson in Perth. Further pumped with a Garrett Turbo, it made up to 480hp (358kW) from its 2-litre DOHC engine and featured in a support race at the 1988 Adelaide F1 Grand Prix.
Then, a fire breather…
Rob’s next ride, a BMW 320 GT Turbo Sports Sedan, was a rare factory lightweight car that had been built in 1978. Raced by Ronnie Peterson and Hans Stuck, it was sold to IMSA racer Jim Busby in 1979. A year later, it was in Australia, driven by Allan Grice, then Jim Richards, who raved about its explosive performance, calling it “a very special car”.
By the late ’80s, the brawny Beemer was in Rob’s hands, but the regs of the day meant a big reduction in the aero and rear tyre size - from 14-inch to 10-inch.
Flick the switch and catch the twitch
“Ever tried to turn a light switch on slowly?” asks Rob, “At 4900rpm it was a gutless slug. At 5000 all hell broke loose!” With 700hp (521kW) and 880kg, the 320 GT could spin its wheels at any stage down the front straight at Sandown.
But that wasn’t the only thing holding Rob’s attention on the track. In the same period, he was racing Auscars at the Thunderdome, where average laps were over 220km/h.
Rob was regularly in Calder’s top ten during that short but interesting period of Australian motorsport history. However, running two cars was taxing and by 1993 he’d sold both, with the BMW going to the US for a good figure and a ground-up restoration.
Welcome to the HTCAV
Seven years after taking a breather to concentrate on his clay mineral processing business in Bendigo, the old fire stirred within Rob when watching an historic touring car race at Bathurst on TV. ‘I’m back in here!’ he thought.
Looking for something a bit different, Rob set about building a Valiant Charger, which has run at the front over the years – and is currently for sale.
Along the way, he also returned to his first love and built an Alfa Romeo GTV 2000. Unsurprisingly, Rob’s rapid blue Alfa also ran where you’d expect – at the front.
Rob goes to Water
“I’m a car, trucking, earthmoving kind of guy and was never into boats,” he says. “But on holidays in FNQ, I saw a harbour full of craft and went ‘wow’, this is the new me!”
As ‘a toe in the water’, he bought a smaller catamaran before the one he has now - a Leopard 40 named ‘It’s All about Me’. Seafaring lore says it’s bad luck to change a ship or boat name, so he has ruefully stuck with it…
Putting it in the fleet of Whitsunday Rent A Yacht allows Rob to offer extra time on his cat to HTCAV members and followers using the 'HTCAV' promo code (see more below).
Support on Water
This past March, Rob launched his Gold Sponsorship of the HTCAV at the club’s Phillip Island Awards presentation with a $7,500 door prize – the equivalent of five free nights on board the catamaran.
Phil Langenbacher, a crew member for Andrew Beard’s Camaro, felt his jaw drop when his number was called out. “I had to look twice at the ticket - I was in shock,” Phil recalled. “But it’s great. The Team Beard ‘four amigos’ are very old friends and we’ll be up there as soon as we can.”
Rob says he’s enjoyed the HTCAV’s friendship and camaraderie during his two decades in the club. “I’ve met some great people, and while its rebate scheme returns money to competitors, I can now return something to the club… in Northern Queensland!” he smiles.
‘It’s All About Me’ is all about you
Rob explains that rental with Whitsunday Rent A Yacht isn’t just for sea dogs – those with no maritime experience can enjoy time aboard ‘It’s All about Me,’ too.
“You don’t need a licence and you get a full safety briefing. If you can’t sail, you can motor or have a sail guide for part or all the trip,” he says.
“It sleeps up to ten - four big double cabins plus two forward bunks, two bathrooms, a big inside saloon – and all air-conditioned. It’s luxury all the way.”
The galley, fridge and freezer are large enough to take all your food and drink. Rob claims the latter is important: “I can proudly say we have never had one case of scurvy on board!”
HTCAV promo code = a free night on board
The HTCAV’s special arrangement with Whitsunday Rent A Yacht and Rob allows anyone reading this to take the $220 ‘Sleep Aboard’ option at no charge - for a limited time.
“Great idea,” explains Rob, “Fly in the day before, get your provisions, on board by 4:00PM, settle in and enjoy a quiet, beautiful night in a sheltered harbour.”
Your briefing next day comes forward to 8:00AM instead of 12 Noon, giving you another half day to explore the 74 islands in the warm, pristine waters of the Whitsundays - snorkelling, fishing, or just lazing in the sun…
If this sounds like you, beat the rush and book before 31 August via [email protected] or call 1 800 075 000. And remember, use the promo code ‘HTCAV’ for your free night on board.
Could there be a better way to help historic touring cars?
