Please select your home edition
Edition
Switch One Design

Ensign Yachts Challenge- Bataille de la Beneteaus et Jeanneaus

by Tracey Johnstone on 24 Oct 2010
Ensign Yachts Queensland Beneteau Cup and French Yacht Challenge Jane Virtue
French yacht owners pride will be on the line on Saturday 30 October as they tussle for the title of grand champion in the Queensland French Yacht Challenge.

Hosted by Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron, the fleet of 30 Beneteaus and Jenneaus will contest the title in a 19 mile passage race on the waters of Moreton Bay. Spinnaker and non-spinnaker division yachts will have an equal chance of winning the title.

Also up for grabs on day one of the Ensign Yachts Beneteau Cup and French Yacht Challenge is the inaugural Jeanneau Yachting Queensland Trophy which will be awarded to the skipper and crew who obviously have the most fun on the day. There is also a rumor that one event sponsor will be offering an additional award for each Jeanneau yacht that finishes in front of a Beneteau. So, the challenge is on !

Leading the Jeanneau fleet will be Wynnum Manly Yacht Club’s Ian Heathwood with his 52 footer, Sun Odyssey, and Bruce Moore’s 45 footer representing the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia.

While the seven Jeanneaus will be battling themselves and their Beneteau foes, the Beneteau fleet will also have their eyes on the weekend prize of the Ensign Yachts Queensland Beneteau Cup. Saturday’s passage race will give this fleet the chance to stretch out and prepare for the shorter races the next day.

Sunday will see the 20 or more Beneteaus contest two windward/leewards races on the bay.

Leading the Beneteaus will be the new 50 footer The Matrix, owned by event organisers, Jane Virtue and David Waller. Finally hitting the water last Friday, the Matrix team has been flat out getting the boat ready. Giving this team an added advantage over the other Beneteaus will be Ullman sailmakers Yancey Smith and brother Bucky, the 2009 Etchells class world champion tactician. Also joining them will be 2010 Solo Trans Tasman competitor and monohull division winner, Trevor Hill.

On board the First 34.7 Brilliant Pearl from Mooloolaba will be another 2010 Solo Trans Tasman sailor, Jenny Fitzgibbon. Fitzgibbon, who did a superb job to win the IRC division in the Tasman race, will be adding her local knowledge to this team’s challenge on the Ensign Yachts Queensland Beneteau Cup.

Delighted by the number and quality of entries in this year’s event, Virtue said she was looking forward to a weekend of great racing, good French camaraderie and fun. 'Pour le vainqueur va le butin,' declared Virtue.

The Sailing Instructions are now available for download from the RQYS website. For more late entries, contact event organiser, Jane Virtue on jane.virtue@bigpond.com
Navico AUS Zeus3S FOOTERPantaenius Sail 2025 AUS FooterX-Yachts X4.3

Related Articles

Rolex Fastnet Race IRC Four preview
The pinnacle of grass roots sailing has 97 entries The very largest yachts, including the 100ft Ultim foiling trimarans and 60ft IMOCAs are an essential part of the spectacle of the Fastnet Race, however a critical element in the race's enduring appeal is that this is predominately a grass roots event.
Posted on 14 Jul Long Beach Olympic Classes Regatta day 2
Classic Long Beach conditions return The weather conditions at the Long Beach Olympic Classes Regatta shifted noticeably today, delivering the classic Long Beach breeze that many expect from this world-class venue.
Posted on 14 Jul NYYC International Women's Championship update
Third group of skippers includes Nicole Breault, Dominique Proyoveur, Laura van Veen While there is no nationality requirement for the crews that will compete in the 2026 New York Yacht Club International Women's Championship, a number of teams are embracing the opportunity to wave their respective national flags at the debut edition.
Posted on 14 Jul The Sardinia Cup set to return in 2026
The competition will make its long-awaited return to the waters of the Costa Smeralda The Yacht Club Costa Smeralda (YCCS) is pleased to announce the return of the Sardinia Cup, one of the Club's most iconic regattas and a renowned international sailing event.
Posted on 14 Jul How inclusive is sailing?
Largest global survey aims to find out The Magenta Project has today launched the 2x25 global survey, marking the start of the most ambitious equity and inclusion review ever undertaken in sailing and the wider marine industry.
Posted on 14 Jul Aegean 600 - Snakes and ladders in extremis
Event was the sixth in the IMA's annual Mediterranean Maxi Offshore Challenge If the previous two Aegean 600s were among the most brutal offshore races on record with storm force winds and violent gusts, conversely this year's fifth edition of the anti-clockwise lap of the Aegean Sea was largely the lightest.
Posted on 14 Jul 2025 Long Beach Olympic Classes Regatta kicks off
The first week of the OCR includes five Olympic classes The highly anticipated 2025 Long Beach Olympic Classes Regatta officially commenced on Saturday, 12 July, marking the beginning of Olympic campaigns since the venues were announced.
Posted on 14 Jul Dufour 44 set to make waves at 40th HIRW
Hamilton Island Race Week offers the ultimate blend of competitive sailing and island festivities Dufour Yachts is proud to announce its official sponsorship of Hamilton Island Race Week 2025, Australia's premier offshore regatta.
Posted on 14 Jul How Transpac's first finishers earned the podium
The first teams to reach Diamond Head are as varied as they are inspiring From a maxi-sled to a doublehanded keelboat and a 68-foot catamaran, the first teams to reach Diamond Head are as varied as they are inspiring.
Posted on 14 Jul A challenging and memorable 5th edition AEGEAN 600
Bright lights and gleaming trophies were not the only indication of a successful edition At Saturday night's Awards Ceremony of the 2025 AEGEAN 600 the bright lights and gleaming trophies were not the only indication of a successful 5th edition of this challenging offshore race organized annually by the Hellenic Offshore Racing Club (HORC).
Posted on 13 Jul
This site and its contents are Copyright © 2025 Sail-World Sail-World Australia and/or the original author, photographer etc. All Rights Reserved. Photographs are copyright by law. If you wish to use or buy a photograph contact the photographer directly.
If you have any questions about advertising or editorial then please contact our team. If you encounter any technical issues then please email techsupport@sail-world.com
Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy