Queensland Beneteau Cup and French Yacht Challenge - Entry now open
by Tracey Johnstone on 12 Sep 2013
QLD Beneteau Cup 2012, Brilliant Pearl on the work to first mark with all weight out Tracey Johnstone
On the 26th and 27th October 2013, Queensland’s Beneteau Cup and French Yacht Challenge weekend of tri-colour fun is on again. Sponsored by Lee Randall’s Spirit Marine and hosted by Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron, both events are open to performance and cruising boats.
It’s a great weekend of sailing and celebrating the French boat connection. Dressing up in red, white and blue is common and encouraged. Great camaraderie over breakfast and cool drinks for the post-race prize givings celebrations are all part of a full weekend of fun.
The Beneteau Cup is held over two days and entry is open to all Beneteau yachts. The two divisions, Cruising and Performance, have separate start times, but both will race passage races. Entries in this event are automatically entered in the French Yacht Challenge.
The French Yacht Challenge is open to all French production boats. The Challenge is held on the Saturday with the Cruising and Performance divisions split into two starts for the passage race. It’s a lot of fun seeing the Beneteaus line up against the Jeanneaus, Dufours and more.
With positive input from the previous year’s competitors, event manager Jane Virtue has made some changes to this year’s program. 'This year the first heat of the Beneteau Cup, which also includes the French Yacht Challenge, will as usual be a passage race. However, in a departure from previous years, the second day of the Beneteau Cup will be one passage race instead of two windward and return races.
'Feedback from the yachts who sail with limited crew tells us that they find windward and returns too difficult and would prefer another passage race. As the aim of this regatta is to encourage cruising sailors to race and not scare them off it was an easy change to make to the program.
'We will again also encourage the cruising boats to race with or without a spinnaker,' Virtue said.
The Notice of Race for both events are now posted to the Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron
website.
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