Please select your home edition
Edition
Lloyd Stevenson - AC INEOS 1456x180px TOP

South-easterly winds point to a fast and furious 74th Brisbane to Gladstone Yacht Race

by Andra Bite 10 Apr 2022 22:14 PDT 15 April 2022
Brisbane to Gladstone Yacht Race start line © www.SurfSailKite.com

Current weather predictions point to a thrilling and colourful spinnaker start and fast 308 nautical miles to Gladstone for the 38 offshore racing yachts and crews contesting Gladstone Ports Corporation's iconic 74th annual Brisbane to Gladstone Yacht Race which sets sail on Good Friday, 15th April 2022 at 11am from Moreton Bay.

The current weather forecast is for south easterly winds for the duration of the race ranging from 10-15 knots.

Ian Gidlow, Commodore of race organising club, Queensland Cruising Yacht Club (QCYC) says the excitement is building with the 74th edition of the Brisbane to Gladstone Yacht Race shaping up to be one of the best in the history of the mighty race.

"QCYC is immensely proud of the reputation and stature of the Brisbane to Gladstone Yacht Race and how the best offshore sailors in the world regard our race and its management," Mr Gidlow said.

"The race fleet this year will see some of the most competitive offshore racing yachts with skippers and crews that range from top tier sailing professionals who compete throughout the world to family-owned race yachts and credit to all our entrants - each and every race yacht is brilliantly campaigned," he said.

"Our entrants undergo onerous safety and legal compliance to be able to compete - a process that is diligently managed by the QCYC race officials' team.

"Furthermore, our team keeps a close eye on seasonal performances to ensure the race handicap system accurately represents the capability of each vessel according to its design which is then measured against performance with our yachts competing for the overall prize - considered one of the "holy grails" of Australian sailing - The Courier-Mail Cup.

"We are thrilled to once again be live-streaming the race to the world thanks to our sponsor, Gladstone Regional Council and their "Easter in Gladstone" campaign so people can watch the race from anywhere around the globe. Last year, our statistics showed the live stream reached a global audience in excess of 61,000."

Line honours is expected to be battled out amongst the current race record holder, Black Jack (skipper - Mark Bradford) of 16 hours, 53 minutes and 57 seconds since 2018 and first-time entrant Stefan Hair (skipper - Grant Wharington) along with Alive (skipper - Duncan Hine).

Black Jack returned to Queensland yesterday after making history as the first ever Queensland boat to take line honours in the Sydney to Hobart. Black Jack was originally scheduled to head to Europe at the end of this month and miss the Brisbane to Gladstone Yacht Race but 'changed tack' due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine with the boat now set to remain in the country to contest the Australian sailing season

The winner on handicap will come down to masterful sailing with numerous past winners amongst the 2021 race fleet.

Five times winner of The Courier-Mail Cup, the Gladstone based Wistari with skipper Scott Patrick at the helm is entered for a sixth crack at the title.

Ichi Ban - which won the 2021 Rolex Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race overall and also won the Brisbane to Gladstone Yacht Race in 2017 and 2018 will also be a hot contender with veteran skipper, Matt Allen leading the boat's charge to Gladstone.

Many other yachts who have taken past honours or placings in the history of the Brisbane to Gladstone Yacht Race are entered including Kerisima (skipper - Christopher Larsen) and Italian Job (skipper - Michael Johnston) to name a few.

From the start line which is located approximately two nautical miles east of Shorncliffe Pier (Park Parade, Shorncliffe), the yachts proceed via a mark off Redcliffe Point to the North West Channel up to Caloundra and through to Gladstone.

Considered Queensland's most iconic annual Easter sporting event and hosted by Queensland Cruising Yacht Club (QCYC), the Gladstone Ports Corporation Brisbane to Gladstone Yacht Race sees sailors compete for the coveted overall prize, The Courier-Mail Cup.

The race start will once again be live-streamed including pre-race commentary which is proudly supported by Gladstone Regional Council's Easter in Gladstone. There will also be an interactive Race Tracker which is keenly followed around the globe.

The Brisbane to Gladstone Yacht Race is steeped in history and was first ever sailed in Easter 1949 where seven vessels took the start line, two of which carried radios while Brisbane's Homing Pigeon Club supplied pigeons for the other competing vessels.

Further information about the Gladstone Ports Corporation's Brisbane to Gladstone Yacht Race is available by visiting www.brisbanetogladstone.com or telephoning Queensland Cruising Yacht Club (QCYC) on (07) 3269 4588.

Spectators can watch the race start on water in vessels near the start line OR on land at either the two festivals established to celebrate the start of the race - Sandgate Bluewater Festival (www.sandgatebayside.com.au/bluewater-festival) and Redcliffe Festival of Sails (www.redcliffefestivalofsails.com.au).

While in Gladstone, the Brisbane to Gladstone Yacht Race is celebrated throughout the Easter weekend thanks the Gladstone Regional Council's 'Easter in Gladstone' www.gladstone.qld.gov.au/easter

Related Articles

Bulwarks and Bulldust – Show 2 Season 3
Alice Parker from URM talks Fastnet, Hammo, Malta, Hobart and a loads more... On the back of busy schedule, the über-effervescent Alice talks about all the happy times, the not so glorious moments, pathways into sailing, changing careers, sometimes being the only female on board, Ugg Boots, and cups of tea. Posted today at 12:29 am
A Q&A with Steven Mikes on the 2025 J/80 NAs
Steven Mikes on the 2025 J/80 North American Championship The J/80 class has long delivered great racing. Take, for example, the 2025 J/80 North American Championship (October 7-12), which is being hosted at the Southern Yacht Club, and which will be contested on the waters of Lake Pontchartrain. Posted on 2 Oct
Voiles de Saint-Tropez Day 3 Ingrid Abery Gallery
The impossibly beautiful classic yacht fleet continue to dazzle The impossibly beautiful classic yacht fleet sailing from Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez continue to dazzle, and Ingrid Abery was again out on the water to catch the best of the action. Posted on 2 Oct
Manly 16s Club Championship Heats 1 & 2
Women on the Move On and off the water, September 27, 2025, is not a date Georgia Clancy will easily forget. Posted on 2 Oct
Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez Day 3
An on-the-water celebration at Les Voiles The sunshine and the wind were in perfect harmony on Wednesday afternoon in the Gulf of St Tropez. At 2 pm all the Modern and Tradition fleets got some racing under their belts, revelling in their respective coastal courses. Posted on 2 Oct
2025 Hobie 16 Open North Americans Day 3
A promising start comes to nothing in Pensacola Day 3 looked promising at the start with NE winds of 15 knots, but it wasn't to be. Shortly after the 11:00 AM scheduled start time the wind promptly shut off and dropped to 5-8 for the remainder of the day. Posted on 2 Oct
2025 Cape 31 Europeans in Palma Preview
A record fleet of 25 yachts are set to contest the title The countdown is on for the 2025 Cape 31 Europeans, taking place 16-19 October at the prestigious Real Club Náutico de Palma (RCNP). With a record 25 boats entered from 13 nations, this will be the largest and most competitive Europeans in class history. Posted on 1 Oct
2025 Formula Kite Worlds Quartu Sant'Elena day 2
“Happy accident” boosts Whitehead to two race wins Breiana Whitehead was the star performer in the women's fleet on day two of the Formula Kite World Championships in Quartu Sant'Elena. The Australian was the only rider to score 2 wins from four races, moving Whitehead up to third in the overall rankings. Posted on 1 Oct
Malcesine hosts the 2025 2.4mr World Championship
The event that celebrates sailing as a sport without barriers From October 7 to 12, 2025, Fraglia Vela Malcesine will host the Inclusive World Championship 2.4mr 2025, the World Championship that celebrates sailing as a sport without barriers. Posted on 1 Oct
Zhik launches Daybreaker jacket and salopettes
Lightweight sustainable warmth and clean layering for offshore and coastal crews in cold conditions Lightweight sustainable warmth and clean layering for offshore and coastal crews in cold conditions. Posted on 1 Oct
Henri-Lloyd Dynamic RangePredictWind - Routing 728x90 BOTTOMMcDYachts_Pyewacket-for-Sale_1456x180 BOTTOM