AIRLIE Beach Race Week starts today and organisers are expecting the record fleet to deliver some nailbiting action on the water.

The Whitsunday Sailing Club is thrilled that a record 134 entries have been received, bettering the 126 boats that hit the water for the 25th anniversary in 2014.

Numbers are up across the board and highlights include 19 boats for the Trailable Nationals, 23 multihulls, international entries and those attracted to the Tropical Festival of Sailing for the first time, including international competitors and boats.

Former Sydney Hobart winner and Hong Kong businessman Karl Kwok has brought the reigning Australian IRC champion Beau Geste to Airlie Beach ahead of defending their IRC crown later in the month.

At one-year-old, she is one of the newest TP52s.

Beau Geste's Kiwi sailing master Gavin Brady says the crew is preparing to defend its IRC title later this month and feel Airlie Beach Race Week will give them the edge and preparation they will need to stay on top of the expected increased entry, including an enlarged TP52 fleet.

Kwok will represent the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron and his main competition at Airlie Beach Race Week will come from Phillip Turner's Reichel/Pugh 66, Alive. The Tasmanian entry is in prime form and will be driven by her usual skipper, Duncan Hine.

Alive comes armed with race records and won IRC Division 0 in the 2015 Hong Kong Vietnam Race, won IRC overall at the Royal Langkawi International Regatta 2016, and took line honours, race record and IRC DIV 0 victory for the biannual Rolex China Sea Race 2016.

Hine says they want to keep the momentum going, "as she is now back in Australia hoping to compete in the Sydney to Hobart 2016".

Racing at the 27th Airlie Beach Race Week starts on Friday.