32nd Land Rover Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race sets sail

by Ross MacDonald on 29 Jul 2017 A fleet of 56 yachts set off from Sydney Harbour this afternoon as the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia (CYCA) started the 32nd Land Rover Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race in what initially light conditions.

Promoted as the great winter escape, the Land Rover Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race is second only in status to the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race among long ocean races conducted by the CYCA.

The 384-nautical mile race, which starts from Sydney Harbour and finishes off Main Beach on the Queensland Gold Coast, was first conducted in 1986. The CYCA works with Southport Yacht Club as the race finishing partner.

The first boat to arrive at the finish line will be recognised for taking line honours but the overall race winner will be established through the internationally recognised handicap system IRC. The 56 boats in the race will compete across eleven divisions including line honours.

Speaking on the commencement of the 2017 race, CYCA Commodore, John Markos, said:

“The Land Rover Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race is our second biggest offshore race of the year and with that comes an enormous amount of prestige, excitement and amongst our sailors, a great desire to win. Offshore racing is never for the faint of heart and our competitors will face tough challenges out there. Good seamanship, tactics and teamwork will see the best boat victorious and we look forward to congratulating the worthy winner of this challenging race, on the Gold Coast.”

The Land Rover Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race is a prestigious race in its own right, but adding to its status is that it is the opening event of the CYCA's ocean racing season for the Blue Water Pointscore. The closing event within this series is the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race.

The start of the race was covered live for the first time through the CYCA’s drone broadcast, to watch the start and to follow the remainder of the race visit:

- Replay of the live coverage: Facebook or YouTube
- Official race website: www.goldcoast.cyca.com.au
- Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/cycaustralia
- Follow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/SydneyGoldCoastYachtRace