Brisbane to Keppel – Forget the whales. Get on this migration.

by John Curnow on 21 Mar 2016 At 131 years of age, the Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron is steeped in a grand history and pedigree that is quite possibly even bigger than the 20-hectare site it sits upon. Now as RQ, as it is affectionately known as, sets up for the 10th anniversary of their premier ocean race, the Club Marine Brisbane to Keppel Tropical Yacht Race, that much younger milestone and achievement highlights two things.

These are the superb hospitality and facilities of the club from Manly on the shores of the delightful Waterloo Bay. In addition to the great sailing both inside and outside Green Island, RQ harnesses the famous South East Queensland conviviality with totally huge and impressive training and function facilities. There are few places that can accommodate dinghy-rigging areas, keelboat hardstands and lifting crane, along with loads of yacht pens, both concurrently and with ease. The same applies out on the many tracks on offer.

Of course, should you need some quick repairs there is the on-site marine trade centre that can handle nearly all your requirements and add even more peace of mind in the process. Easy access from Brisbane airport, loads of parking, accommodation at the front of the block and many a good shop for all sorts of supplies in the charming Manly village complete the fully rounded package that is RQ.

The Yachting Manager at RQ is Richard Matterson talks about the club itself, “We have grown our membership in the last 12 months to 3525, which is up by around 300 additional family members. This is a direct result of all of our improvements, like the opening of the restaurant, seven day trading for members and very competitive fuel prices.”

“RQ has an inclusive atmosphere and many a style of sailing, from dinghies to Wednesday Afternoon Go Sailing, where anyone can join in. Just come to Manly, sign on and we will get you out on the water. Indeed we have a range of water activities going on from Monday to Sunday, with Stand Up Paddleboarding, and the Introduction to Sailboarding, which ties in with RQ being Yachting Australia’s National Centre of Excellence board sailing. The social activities like ‘Wine Down Fridays’ and Sunday afternoon live entertainment are big hits, too!”

So what then of the 343nm race itself? Well it slots in marvellously after the Sydney to Gold Coast event, with the gun firing on August 5, 2016. Early bird entries finish on May 31 and then they ultimately close on July 22, 2016. As it is the tenth anniversary, 40+ mono and multihull boats are expected to partake in the IRC, ORCI, PHS and OMR categories. Full details, the all-important Notice of Race and entries are available now from www.brisbanetokeppel.com, so head there pronto.

Perhaps the best way to demonstrate this great race is to ask someone who has already entered. On August 5, Tam Faragher will be lining up for his ninth consecutive Brisbane to Keppel Race. He missed the inaugural one, but he and the crew of his Ker 50 Cruiser/Racer Kerumba are super keen to not only go again, but mark this important 10th anniversary, hopefully with a great result. “I have been a member here at RQ for over 20 years, with a couple of those on the sailing committee as well. It is important to support the club and this event, especially given the anniversary”, said Farther.

“Apart from the inspiring build up here at RQ, the driving motivations for competing are the firstly the destination. Keppel Bay Marina is always very accommodating, and there is a good celebration on arrival. Next, the race serves as a good feeder for the Northern series.”

There are 12 souls on board Kerumba, and these comprise a mixture of new and old crew, with the core making up about eight of the positions. “We competed in the 2013 Sydney Hobart Race with 13 crew that had been with me for ages. In a way it was the end journey for us as a group and the new boat was part of it all. This was the only Hobart I have done on my own boat, but there are some more on other people’s craft. Since then we have a new core crew and some additional souls bringing their own keen and invigorating style.”

“I have done something like 10 Hamilton Island Race Weeks, but it is RQ’s Brisbane to Noumea Race that I really love. We competed in last year’s event and then cruised around New Caledonia and Vanuatu, being away for two months altogether with the core crew and plenty of others! It was a great time and I am on the Organising Committee for 2018 event, so we look forward to a great turnout for that and the subsequent cruise.”

“Being out on the water releases all the day to day problems. Your mind is elsewhere when you’re there and then there is the challenge of getting something extra out of the breeze. Kerumba is a relatively new craft, having been built by McConaghy’s in China. As such, she is lightweight, designed around a TP52 rig and was limited to 50 feet LOA, so as to fit my pen at the time at RQ. She has a lifting keel, which reduces her draft to 2.2m from 3m, which makes it Manly friendly for all conditions.” Note to all deep draft vessels, you will accommodated up the Brisbane River, but fear not, still very much a part of the RQ celebration.

The plan for Kerumba was originally conceived with eyes to the stalled around Australia race and rally. Faragher says, “It was all about arriving in time for the party and not after!!!” There were two Beneteaus before the Ker 50 - a First 35, Coco, and a 44.7, Ultimate Position. Much earlier, and before a spell away from sailing, there was an Endeavour 26 in Perth.
That spell no doubt coincided with the mechanical engineer setting up and growing the TFA Project Group, which employs 50 staff at Brisbane and also the branches in Melbourne in Sydney. Today, the company is 20 years strong and performs town planning and design for the oil industry, which equates to service stations and bulk fuel facilities, terminals and pipelines.

“It has allowed me to extend my nautical dreams and I both delighted and thankful for it. Being allowed to partake in it all is in a large part due to the grace of my wife Desleigh, two children Carly and Trent, as well as my grandchildren, Morgan and Jessie”, said Faragher.

“Carly loves the boat, but more when it is in champagne mode, heading to the Moreton Island sand hills. Every Australia Day weekend we listen to Triple J’s top 100 countdown, and she brings 12 friends with her, so there is no shortage of crew putting their hand up to assist me. In all honesty, RQ has one of the best facilities going around, so we look forward to welcoming all for the 10th Brisbane to Keppel Tropical Yacht Race and showcasing our fantastic Queensland hospitality!”
So it is not just the whales that recognise the benefits of a Queensland Winter. Clearly many a sailor does as well. Nestled right in after the Sydney to Gold Coast event, RQ’s Brisbane to Keppel Tropical Yacht Race gives the crew the chance to have one last hit-out before the big regattas up in the tropics, whilst ensuring the boat is delivered quickly with the A team on board.

The Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron would like to thank their naming rights sponsor, Club Marine, who is Australia’s largest insurer of marine pleasure craft. Speaking of pleasure, if you’d like to be amongst the fleet for the 10th anniversary of the Brisbane to Keppel race on August 5, 2016, then please go to www.brisbanetokeppel.com and start clicking away, Sun, fun, warm hospitality, sunshine and perhaps even the odd whale await you.