Sailors sign up - Brisbane to Great Keppel Island

by Event media on 29 Jul 2007 More than one hundred sailors have signed up to make Australian ocean racing history by tackling the inaugural Brisbane to Great Keppel Island yacht race.

A fleet of 15 yachts from Western Australia, New South Wales and Queensland has entered the non-stop 348-nautical-mile race, due to start from Brisbane’s historic Waterloo Bay on Friday, August 3.

The blue water-race is the only Australian coastal yachting classic to start on a bay and finish at a tropical island resort in the Coral Sea.

The entire fleet are racing veterans having competed in events as diverse as the Rolex Sydney Hobart and Hamilton Island Race Week.

Great Keppel Island general manager Anthony Cleary said the prospect of good spinnaker sailing winds meant speed-sailing Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron sloop Wedgetail would be the likely line honours pacemaker.

'Wedgetail, owned and skippered by Bill Wild, will have former Women’s World Champion Vanessa Dudley and the skilled Gail Harland on deck as it goes up against the smaller Mooloolaba sloop Wasabi (Ken Down) and Kevin Miller’s former Rolex Sydney to Hobart champion Quest in the race,' Mr Cleary said.

'Size and sail power favour this trio of well sailed sloops for the first-to-finish trophy while the 39-year-old Margaret Rintoul II, originally built to represent Australia at the Admirals Cup in England, has the proven long race record of 21 Sydney to Hobart races with different skippers, including the internationally famed Syd Fischer, to be a worthy nomination as a handicap challenger.'

Mr Cleary said there would also be a high degree of personal pride associated with the watch-keeping aboard the smallest yacht in the fleet, the John Gray skippered Battleship Gray.

'John’s seafaring father, the late Allan Gray, was a key crew member when John Bourne skippered Sea Prince to her history-making win in the inaugural Brisbane to Gladstone race during the 1949 Easter holiday weekend,' Mr Cleary said.

'Naturally, the new generation ocean race seafarer would like to emulate his father’s feat by celebrating 59 years of proud family yachting history by winning the inaugural Brisbane to Great Keppel Island race with Battleship Gray.

'And while all crews expect to face a test of their personal offshore sailing skill and seamanship, their time at sea will be pleasant with a view of picturesque coastal scenery and tropical islands throughout the race.'

ENTRIES TO DATE:
The 15 yachts entered into the inaugural Brisbane to Great Keppel Island yacht race are:

YACHT SKIPPER
Night Nurse Russell McCart
Quest Kevin Miller
Asylum Years Nico Sieling
Sweethart Tony Love
Mondo Ray Sweeney
Trumpcard Craig Coulsen
Wasabi Ken Down
Wedgetail Bill Wild
This Way Up John Moore
MDBS Margaret Rintoul II Michael Freebairn
Lloyds Brokers Too Impetuous Rudy Weber
Overdraft Brian ozzey
Dream Lover Rick Morgan
Battleship Gray John Gray
Cadi David Netherton