The Brisbane to Gladstone yacht race is held annually, starting on Good Friday. The premier blue water classic begins from Shorncliffe in Moreton Bay, Queensland, Australia, and finishes in Gladstone Harbour. Yachts compete for the Courier Mail Cup, one of the oldest perpetual trophies in Australia that has been competed for on a continual basis.
The Queensland Cruising Yacht Club was established in 1948 to organise the Brisbane to Gladstone Yacht Race. The first race was held during Easter 1949. The first race saw seven vessels start, two of which carried radios while Brisbane’s Homing Pigeon Club supplied pigeons to the others for position reporting. Each yacht issued with birds was to release two each day.
The finish is hosted by the Port Curtis Sailing Club.
The course leads the yachts northwards from the start line at the Shorncliffe pier to a turning mark off Redcliffe before joining the main channel out of Moreton Bay. Yachts leave Fraser Island to port before passing Breaksea spit and then leaving Lady Elliot Island to port. The final stage of the race is often the hardest as the yachts make their way up Gladstone Harbour to the finish line just outside Auckland Creek.
Skandia's race record of 20 hours, 24 minutes, 50 seconds
Most Line Honors wins – Apollo
Most Courier Mail Cup wins – Saltash II
Most PHRF/THCF Handicap wins - Norseman
Most IRC Handicap wins - Saltash II
Most IOR Handicap wins - Saltash II
Most IMS Handicap wins - Saltash II
Most Arbitrary Handicap wins - Helena/Enid Tie
Most Cruising Handicap wins – Fortitude
Laurabada raced 50 consecutive Brisbane to Gladstone Yacht races sailing 43 with her builder Ivan Holm Snr at the helm and the last 7 races with Ivan Holm Jnr as skipper. The majestic ketch contested her 50th race in 2002.
Saltash II (Ian and Bill Wright) 1986, 1992, 1993, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2005
Fastest corrected time, 1993: 21 hours 15 minutes 54 seconds (race record)
Average handicap rated speed: 14.48 knots
Norseman (A Wilson) 1951, 1952, 1954, 1955, 1956 (Handicap)
Fastest corrected time 1955: 29 h 5 min 06 s
Wistari (Noel Patrick) 1971, 1976, 1977, 1982
Fastest corrected time 1976: 26 h 01 min 24 s
Scampi A (Ross Perrins, Colin Loel) 1984, 1988, 2000
Fastest corrected time 1988: 28 h 42 min 07 s
Solo (Vic Meyer) 1958, 1959 (Line Honours and Handicap winner)
Fastest corrected time 1958: 27 h 48 min 37 s
Leroy Brown (Warren Wieckmann) 1989, 1991
Fastest corrected time 1991: 40 h 07 min 24 s
Mouse Of Malham (Bill Dayan-Smith, Norman R Wright Jnr) 1960, 1963
Fastest corrected time 1963: 29 h 31 min 24 s
Quantum Racing (Ray Roberts) 2008, 2009
Fastest corrected time 2008: 35 h 08 min 44 s
Wedgetail (Bill Wild) 2010, 2013
Fastest corrected time 2010: 34 h 44 min 45 s
Black Jack no.77 (Peter Harburg) 2015, 2016 Fastest corrected time 2015: 50 h 55 min 11 s
Jack Rooklyn (Apollo) 1973, 1974, 1978, 1979 (Ballyhoo) 1975 (Maxi Apollo) 1982, 1983, 1984
Fastest elapsed time 1982, Maxi Apollo: 29 hours 46 minutes 56 seconds
Fred Markwell (Alvis) 1952, 1953, 1954, 1956,1957
Fastest elapsed time 1956: 48 h 29 min 29 s
Vic Meyer (Solo)1958, 1959, 1960, 1962, 1963
Fastest elapsed time 1958: 34 h 52 min 50 s
Arthur Bloore (The Office) 1985, (Hammer Of Queensland) 1988, 1991, 1996, 1998
Fastest elapsed time 1988: 29 h 53 min 47 s
Sean Langman (Grundig Xena, Grundig, AAPT - all the same boat) 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005
Fastest elapsed time 2004: 20 h 36 min 48 s
Kerry Spencer (Bobsled) 1992, 1993, 1995
Fastest elapsed time 1993: 21 h 59 min 43 seconds
Mark Bradford (Black Jack – two different boats with the same name) 2012, 2015, 2016
Fastest correct time 2012: 36 h 15 min 56 s
Rupert Murdoch (Ilina) 1964, 1965
Fastest elapsed time 1964: 33 h 23 min 54 s
Robert Bird (Bobsled) co-skipper 1993, 1995
Fastest elapsed time 1993: 21 h 59 min 43 s
Bill Wild (Wedgetail) 2010, 2013
Fastest correct time 2010: 34 h 44 min 45 s
Skandia
2004 course time: 20 h 24 min 50 s
Average speed: 15.09 knots
