Brisbane to Gladstone Yacht Race - Official Starter announced
by Nigel Statham on 4 Apr 2014
Laura-J, the Official Start Boat for this year’s Race. The boat belongs to Greg Cavill’s son Richard. Nigel Statham
The Queensland Cruising Yacht Club is proud to announce the Official Starter for the QantasLink Brisbane to Gladstone Yacht Race, starting for the 66th time on Good Friday April 18 at 11am, is well known and respected businessman and yachtsman Mr Greg Cavill of Hendra, QLD.
Greg is also well known as the publican who established the reputation of the Breakfast Creek Hotel and also greatly supported the fledging Queensland Cruising Yacht Club in its early days. His nephew, Dick Cavill was a famous swimmer and established Surfer’s Paradise as a surfing mecca.
Today Greg is the oldest surviving Commodore of Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron.
Along with competing in the race between 1950 to 1998 with five different yachts he bought back Rapid, the yacht he competed with in 1950-1952 and restored it to its former glory, a passion he has bestowed on several other yachts.
As crew aboard the Norman Wright skippered Flying Saucer he sailed to Line Honours in 1955 and set a new race record of 41hrs 19min 04sec. This record was held until Vic Meyer arrived on the scene with his famous yacht Solo in 1958.
Greg gathered the same crew from the 1955 race to once again sail Flying Saucer in the fiftieth anniversary of the race in 1998, except this time he was owner and skipper.
The Cavill family has a long association with this iconic race and this year son Richard Cavill’s beautiful Norman Wright built Laura – J will be Official Start Boat following Ron Jenyn’s South Pacific II retiring after 30 consecutive years of duty as the host to the Start Crew and guests.
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