Brisbane Race Week presented by Porsche Centre Brisbane at Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron - Day 1
by Nic Douglass 1 May 23:08 UTC
1-6 May 2026
Fleet heading around the north-western marker of Green Island on day 1 of Brisbane Race Week 2026 © Nic Douglass for @sailorgirlHQ
Balancing Act Hits the Mark as Division Leaders Emerge
Brisbane Race Week presented by Porsche Centre Brisbane got under way at the Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron yesterday, with a windy and tactical opening day on Moreton Bay setting the tone for the week ahead.
While the regatta opened with the Green Island Lap 'hot lap' format, the division results set the early benchmark across the fleet.
Tool Time (Stephen O'Brien) leads the Monohull Performance division after Day 1, while Ambition (Helen McDouall / Kim Salthouse) sits atop the Monohull Cruising division, both putting together strong opening performances in challenging conditions.
On elapsed time, Kerb set the benchmark in the Performance division, while Dog House was quickest in the Multihull fleet and Recherche led the way in Cruising.
Full results are available here.
A fresh breeze throughout the day created tricky decisions around the track, forcing crews to balance pressure, angles, and timing as they worked to get the most out of the conditions. Some competitors described it as a "hairy hot lap", with winds reaching up to 28 knots on the eastern side of Green Island.
The unique opening format also provided a standout moment, with Balancing Act, skippered by Tony Craner, taking the Green Island estimate honours.
"A look at the distance, a guess of our speed upwind and downwind... I did it on the spot and took a couple of minutes off," said Craner.
"We were 30 seconds off, guessing 51:43."
In contrast to more detailed pre-race calculations across the fleet, the result highlighted the value of instinct and experience in the format.
Race Officer Paul Bolton said the opening day delivered exactly what the event is designed to produce.
"With the conditions we saw, it really came down to decision-making and how well crews understood their own performance," said Bolton.
"I have spoken to every boat," he added. "Everyone had a great day, which is important to me, and that's what makes this regatta so special."
With the opening day complete, attention now turns to Day 2, where the fleet shifts into passage racing, with the off-the-beach divisions joining the action.
Close to 50 boats are expected on the water today as Brisbane Race Week continues to build momentum.
Racing resumes today on Moreton Bay.