Queensland Beneteau Cup and French Yacht Challenge preview

by Tracey Johnstone on 13 Sep 2012 Spirit Marine Queensland Beneteau Cup and French Yacht Challenge is being held next month when the French national anthem may unite the fleet, but the competition will divide it.

Held over the weekend of 27th and 28th October 2012 at Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron and organised by the Queensland Beneteau Owners Group, the fun-filled annual regatta is open to monohull French-built yachts. Jeanneaus, Beneteaus, Dufours and other French production boats will be able to participate in a weekend of good racing, good food and wine, and French camaraderie.

On Saturday all entries will race for the Spirit Marine French Yacht Challenge and for the first race in the Beneteau Cup. Entrants in the Cruising Division will be able to choose between spinnaker or non-spinnaker for the day’s race. In the evening the party continues under the Squadron’s new and very smart-looking marquee.

Then on Sunday the Beneteau Cup entries will be back on the water for the second and third races in the Spirit Marine Beneteau Cup.

This year’s Challenge format will be slightly different from last year. Event co-ordinator Jane Virtue explained, 'The new format will provide a more exciting experience and closer finishing times. Both events will be split into Cruising and Performance divisions. The French Yacht Challenge will be a passage race with the Cruising boats starting before the Performance start, but both divisions will race over the same course.

'Then for the Beneteau Cup windward/return races on Sunday, there will be longer courses than before with the Performance boats completing two laps and the Cruising boats starting a little later and just doing one lap.'

Continuing the tradition of past years, race officer Sylvia Talbot advised she has acquired a new and louder copy of the French national anthem which she will play for the red, white and blue decorated boats just before she fires the five minute gun. Then the fun continues for some entrants as they go on to enjoy a pleasant passage race around Waterloo Bay while for others the serious business of defending or grabbing the French Yacht Challenge trophy will begin.

Entries to the weekend event are now open. Entries close on the 12 October 2012.

To read the Notice of Race and enter online go to the event website.