The Gladstone Ports Corporation Brisbane to Gladstone Yacht Race is considered by the yachting fraternity and general public to be one of Australia’s flagship ocean yacht races. The Race is an officially recognised icon and the highest profile Easter Weekend sporting event, setting sail from Moreton Bay on Good Friday annually.
From the start in Bramble Bay near Sandgate, yachts proceed past Redcliffe and then across the bay towards Tangalooma and into the North-West Channel passing the Sunshine Coast, K’Gari and Lady Elliott Island and on to Gladstone, a distance of approximately 308 nautical miles.
CYCA’s participating boats Celestial and Tempo are entered in the race and are in no doubt aiming for top finishes. With Celestial winning Line Honours in 2023 still holding the record for the fastest elapsed time for a conventionally ballasted yacht, all eyes are on Sam Haynes and his crew. The record was set in the 2022 edition with a time of 19 hours 24 minutes 52 seconds – an average speed of 15.86 knots.
Tempo’s skipper Michael Smith said his crew is excited about their first Gladstone race: “After a successful Summer season racing out of the CYCA, the whole crew is hoping for a fast downwind launch to Gladstone”.
Also entering in the race is Alive, skippered by Duncan Hine (CYCA Member), the winner of the 2023 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race. Alive is in contention for both Line Honours and Overall victory for this race. Joining Alive in the battle is Wild Thing 100. This yacht, owned and skippered by Grant Wharington (CYCA Member), will be the only 100 foot yacht on the starting line this year. Wharro shared that the team loves the Brisbane to Gladstone Yacht Race, having previously broken the course record in 2004 which was subsequently broken by Black Jack. They would love to reclaim that record.
Other CYCA Members skippering entries are James Irvine on the Rogers 46 Mayfair and Michael Spies on the TP52 Maritimo 52.
How to follow the race:
- Yacht Tracker: Visit the Yacht Tracker page, which allows you to track the entire fleet or a particular boat from start to finish. Yacht Tracker uses a specifically designed tool that calculates the predicted results for each and every boat in the fleet, so you can see how each boat is performing.
- Kayo: Follow the start of the race live on Kayo for free, follow the instructions below:
