Sail Paradise 2014 - The old and the new – both Black Jacks are set

by Bronwen Ince on 11 Mar 2014 Sail Paradise 2014 - They were once stable mates and carried the famous name, Black Jack, and now both will be competing at Southport Yacht Club’s Sail Paradise 2014 regatta this weekend.

Leading the charge at Sail Paradise will be Peter Harburg’s latest yacht to be named Black Jack, the Volvo 70 class racer which finished a very impressive fourth across the line in the last Rolex Sydney Hobart Race.

Also in the fleet will be the former Black Jack, a Reichel/Pugh 66 design which has been purchased by Philip Turner and renamed Alive.

Both yachts will be in the IRC division and are likely to rival to the end when it comes to winning the series and having their name engraved on the magnificent Sail Paradise championship trophy.

The series will be contested over three days, from March 14 to 16, on offshore courses set along the edge of the Gold Coast’s famous golden sand beaches. A total fleet of 50 is expected. It will comprise a broad cross-section of the sport, from the grandest of ocean racing keelboats to high-performance off-the-beach dinghies.

Apart from being a great regatta in itself, Sail Paradise will also provide the opportunity for some of the monohulls and multihulls competing in the Brisbane to Gladstone Yacht Race at Easter to be fine-tuned for that long-distance event.
'We are delighted to have both the new Black Jack and the former Black Jack back at Southport Yacht Club for Sail Paradise,' said Southport Yacht Club’s Commodore, Ian Hall. 'Sail Paradise gives the Club yet another opportunity to show what excellent sailing waters we have here on the Gold Coast, and why we are considered to be the friendliest yacht club on the east coast.'

'We pride ourselves on our hospitality, so we are pleased to be able to showcase to such an elite level of sailors everything this Club has to offer. Sail Paradise promises to be a fun, three-day event for everyone involved.'
Sail Paradise 2014 is open to racing and cruising monohulls, multihulls and off-the-beach sailboats.

Event website: Click here