brisbane to gladstone yacht race entries

Welcome to the MYCQ Brisbane to Gladstone Multihull Yacht Race

Notice of race, sailing instructions, race tracker, race history, 2024 brisbane to gladstone flyer, offshore multihull rating (omr) system.

The MYCQ Administers the Offshore Multihull Rating (OMR) System, which is used to handicap all Multihull Yachts. It is similar to the IRC system used for monohulls but is tailored to be applied to all Multihull Designs. This website provides:

Specification - includes an introduction and guidelines on how to prepare your boat and how to measure your sails
Measurement Form - This form is used when measuring your yacht
Inventory Form - This form is used to record everything onboard your boat at the time of measuring
Excel Version of the above forms
Information on the 2016 review and update.

The MYCQ regularly reviews the OMR formulas by looking at race results and analysing trends and new technologies to ensure the OMR system is current and as accurate as possible.

As with most handicapping systems, it is not perfect and rather than criticizing the system and the people that administer it we encourage you to become involved in the club and contribute to developing the system.

Our Brisbane to Gladstone Race Sponsors

B2G Yacht Race

76th brisbane to gladstone yacht race.

Gladstone Ports Corporation became the naming right to one of Queensland’s most iconic ocean races in 2021.

The Gladstone Ports Corporation Brisbane to Gladstone Yacht Race sets sail every Easter with events in the Port City, attracting visitors to the region to celebrate.

For more information about the race, visit the QCYC website

Berth booking for B2G

75th Brisbane to Gladstone Yacht Race

A fleet of 47 offshore racing yachts will line up to make sailing history when they contest Australia’s second oldest blue water yacht race – the Gladstone Ports Corporation 75th Brisbane to Gladstone Yacht Race (B2G) which sets sail on Good Friday (7th April 2023).

Entries closed on Monday, 20th March with the milestone running of Queensland’s blue water classic attracting some of Australia’s best known ocean racing yachts along with a recently imported European yacht, the first ever electric yacht entry, one yacht competing in their 30th B2G.

Sailors and yachts which competed in past milestones such as the 50th, 60th and 70th anniversaries of the race are returning to the start line this year for the 75th edition.

The Brisbane to Gladstone Yacht Race (or B2G as it is affectionately known) is proudly presented and organised annually by Queensland Cruising Yacht Club (QCYC). The 2023 fleet will see 397 sailors race 308 nautical miles to Gladstone, with crews ranging in size from four two handed entrants through to the largest with 30 crew on board.

Yachts entered in the 75th B2G will head to the Brisbane start line in Moreton Bay from as far afield as the Netherlands, Sydney, Townsville, Whitsundays, Gladstone, the Sunshine Coast and the Gold Coast.

QCYC Commodore, Ian Gidlow says the 75th edition of the Brisbane to Gladstone Yacht Race is likely to see some tightly fought tactical battles in this demanding coastal passage race.

“The 2023 fleet has attracted a broad mix of yacht entries and it is anyone’s guess who will take the ultimate prize of winning overall and putting their name on The Courier-Mail Cup,” Mr Gidlow said.

“Skippers and crews will be hoping for Easter trade wind conditions and a spinnaker start as we saw in 2022. However, as always, the B2G will test even the best sailors and the uncertain nature of yacht racing will play out where carefully crafted tactics and sailing can be brought undone in a split second by yacht or rigging failure or sail damage,” he said.

“Also up for grabs, the overall winner of the PHRF (Performance Handicap Racing Fleet) Division will take home the Peter Holm Cup and a cash prize of $10,000 – believed to be the biggest cash prize for PHRF in Australian sailing.

brisbane to gladstone yacht race entries

“We are incredibly proud of the unique history of the Brisbane to Gladstone Yacht Race and for the 75th edition, we can guarantee Brisbane’s Moreton Bay will be ablaze with sails, adrenalin and action on Good Friday when the 47 strong fleet powers over the start line at 11am.”

2022 Rolex Sydney to Hobart winner, Celestial – owned and skippered by Dr Sam Haynes – is the early race favourite. Celestial set a race record in the 2022 B2G for a conventionally ballasted yacht completing the 308 nautical mile race in 19 hours, 24 minutes and 52 seconds.

Maritimo 11, owned by boat building icon Bill Barry-Cotter, will be skippered by legendary Australian sailor, Michael Spies, who skippered the boat to line honours in the 2021 B2G.

Well known and loved Australian yacht Azzurro, now owned and skipped by Queenslander Jack Kliner, will also be a handicap contender in the race.

There are seven female skippers amongst the race fleet including Stephanie Kerin (Active Again), Kerry Noyes (Aramex), Saskia Groen-In’t-Woud (Celeste), Niamh Larkin (Jenesis), Annika Thomson (Ocean Crusaders J-Bird III), Taylor Rose (Puppet) and Sharon Boyle (The Muse).

Saskia Groen-In’t-Woud, who will be sailing her 8th B2G, has brought her yacht, Celeste all the way from The Netherlands especially for the 75th B2G. Celeste, who is nearly 50 years old and the same age as Saskia, is a Nautor Swan – considered in Europe to be the ‘Rolls Royce’ of sailing yachts and is the only Nautor Swan of her size in Australia.

Ocean Crusaders J-Bird III is one of two TP52s in the race and the first ever yacht to compete in the B2G with an electric auxiliary engine powered entirely off renewable energy. Ocean Crusaders J-Bird III also took out line honours in the double handed division of the 2022 Sydney to Hobart with skipper, Annika Thomson also achieving the accolade for being the first female skipper home.

The 75th B2G is featuring several youth sailors including some who have been granted dispensation from the usual minimum age requirement of 16 years due to their demonstrated talent and experience.

At 14 years of age, Addison Newlan will be the youngest sailor in the fleet, sailing aboard Maritimo 11 as part of her continuing involvement with Maritimo Racing to further her sailing career, with the 2032 Olympics one of her goals.

Other youth sailors include Maddie Wendt – 15 years old (Momentum), Saxon Dyke Groen-In’t-Woud – 16 years (Celeste), Bill McCart – 16 years and Jack Scharf – 15 years (both sailing on Night Nurse).

Bruce Farr designed boats have dominated the entries with eight of the popular ocean racing yachts entered including Crankster, Amaya II, Aramex, Blizzard, Son of a Son, Night Nurse, Puppet and Italian Job.

The smallest yachts in the fleet are the Farr 30s, Italian Job – a two handed entrant owned by Michael (Tom) Johnston, and sister ship Puppet, another two-handed entrant skippered by Taylor Rose. Taylor’s father David will also be skippering his Welbourne designed yacht Wedgetail to Gladstone.

The 75th B2G will mark the 30th time Restless has contested the race under three separate owners since 1992. Restless is currently owned and skippered by John Ibell from Gladstone, who is celebrating a decade of ownership of the Cape 35 yacht which won The Courier Mail Cup in 1996.

Fidelis – a 1964 model Classic Knud Reimers yacht and one of the largest entrants in the fleet, was last seen on the B2G start line in 1998 for the 50th anniversary race with the same owner/skipper, Nigel Stoke.

As a special on-water tribute and send off to the 75th B2G race fleet, a flotilla of Classic Moreton Bay Cruisers is headed to the start line via an official 9am sail past foreshore spectators on the Shorncliffe Pier and Bluewater Festival. The Classic flotilla of timber beauties will be led by the 75th B2G official start boats, Mohokoi and Norlyn.

Steeped in tradition and stature and proudly presented and organised annually by Queensland Cruising Yacht Club (QCYC) since 1949, the iconic 308 nautical mile B2G is one of the oldest and most fiercely fought blue water yacht races on the Australian sailing calendar and one of the highest profile Easter sporting events.

The B2G was first held over 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 to relay their positions.

Where to watch the 75th B2G race start (11am) on Good Friday

On water: Boat owners and commercial charter operators are encouraged to join the colour, excitement and spectacle of the race start on the water. The start line is positioned offshore to the east of Shorncliffe Pier in Brisbane’s Moreton Bay. Spectator craft are reminded there is a strict exclusion zone which on the water will be marked by yellow exclusion buoys and exclusion zone mark boats carrying official orange flags. A map of the race start exclusion zone is available on the B2G website.
On land: The foreshores between Shorncliffe and Redcliffe offer land vantage viewing spots for spectators. Key spots include Shorncliffe Pier/Bluewater Festival, Shorncliffe headland, Sandgate foreshores, Decker Park (Brighton), Ted Smout Bridge Fishing Platform (Houghton Highway Bridge), Woody Point Jetty, Scotts Point and Margate Beach. The race fleet turns around a buoy off Suttons Beach and Redcliffe Point.
Live stream broadcast: There will be a two-hour live stream broadcast of the Gladstone Ports Corporation 75th Brisbane to Gladstone Yacht Race start, commencing at 10am on Good Friday, one hour before the start of the race. Proudly presented by Gladstone Regional Council, the live stream can be viewed live and free on Kayo Sports – Australia’s premier on-demand sports streaming platform or viewed on the B2G Facebook and website.

Further information about the Gladstone Ports Corporation 75th Brisbane to Gladstone Yacht Race is available by visiting www.brisbanetogladstone.com or following the race on Facebook at www.facebook.com/brisbanetogladstone and Instagram at @brisbane2gladstoneyachtrace

The race is celebrated throughout the Easter weekend thanks the Gladstone Regional Council’s ‘Easter in Gladstone’ www.gladstone.qld.gov.au/easter

The Gladstone Ports Corporation 75th Brisbane to Gladstone Yacht Race is supported by the Queensland Government through Tourism and Events Queensland and features on the It’s Live! in Queensland events calendar.

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Celestial sets sights on Brisbane to Gladstone Yacht Race win

QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA: Dr Sam Haynes, owner and skipper of Rolex Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race 2022 winning Celestial has his sights set on making sailing history and putting his name on The Courier-Mail Cup when Australia’s second oldest yacht race, the Gladstone Ports Corporation Brisbane to Gladstone Yacht Race sets sail for its 75th milestone edition on Good Friday (7th April 2023).

Celestial is one of 28 yachts entered to date in the iconic Queensland blue water classic organised and presented annually by Queensland Cruising Yacht Club (QCYC) with a month left before entries close on 20th March 2023.

Celestial set a new race record in the 2022 Brisbane to Gladstone Yacht Race (B2G) for a conventionally ballasted yacht completing the 308 nautical mile race in 19 hours, 24 minutes and 52 seconds. Celestial’s 2022 race record broke a record that had been held by Bobsled (Robert Bird/Kerry Spencer) since 1993 for their course time of 21 hours, 59 minutes, and 43 seconds.

“We were delighted to set a new record for the fastest conventionally ballasted yacht last year. The conditions were ideal downwind with big following seas. We held on for what was both challenging and exhilarating sailing. Fast and hectic conditions until we got into flatter water around Lady Elliot Island,” Sam said.

“The crew – our helmsmen, trimmers, grinders, the whole team had to work hard to sail on the edge and flat out for the entire course to achieve that record,” he said.

Sam’s hoping for Easter trade wind conditions like last year’s B2G with Celestial’s spinnaker up all the way to Gladstone.

“Fingers crossed for a similar forecast this year. In addition, experience we had with the yacht in those conditions were valuable for the 2022 Rolex Sydney to Hobart, particularly Celestial’s downwind performance in 25 knots (and stronger) conditions.

“We learnt a hard lesson not taking our reaching strut last year for the B2G. That was a contributing factor to not performing optimally after turning the corner at Break Sea. As such, we’re preparing our strut and learning our sail combinations with it in preparation for the B2G with a training block organised to get the team prepared.”

For Sam, it will be his 2nd Brisbane to Gladstone Yacht Race and says he is thrilled to be competing again as he knows full well the race’s epic history so joining for the 75th edition is very special.

“Last year I saw how the B2G is arguably the most fun race in Australia with regular fast downwind conditions, warm weather, a full moon (being Easter) and great scenery. The race gives us another opportunity to push the boat in its favourite mode with plenty of water over the deck and action through the night. Gladstone puts on a great show at the finish so it’s a festive weekend there,” he said.

With Sam at the helm, Celestial will be crewed with mostly the same crew assembled as for their recent 2022 Rolex Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race win lead by Rob Greenhalgh (sailing master and tactician), Jack Macartney, David Chapman, Callum Cecil, Mal Parker, Troy Grafton, Lewis Brake, Lindsay Stead, Wulf Wilkens, Frank O’Leary and Richard Bott.

Alice Taranawski will be on board as navigator along with Alex Gough and Josh Porebski who sailed with Celestial in last year’s 74th Brisbane to Gladstone Yacht Race.

Celestial is one of two TP52s entered so far including along with the electric converted renewable energy yacht, Ocean Crusaders J Bird III (Annika Thomson) who are out to prove that there is no need for diesel engines to go sailing.

Maritimo has entered their Schumacher 54 but rumour has it they are working around the clock to prepare their newly acquired TP52, Maritimo 11, in time to contest the 75th B2G at Easter.

Celeste – a 1974 model Nautor Swan 28 – recently imported to Australia from the Netherlands by owner/skipper, Saskia Groen-In’t-Woud, will be making her offshore racing debut in Australia in the 75th B2G. Saskia spent a number of years as a core crew member aboard Wistari, the much loved and famous Gladstone yacht with the record for the most starts in the B2G, retiring after 52 starts in 2022.

Saskia is among six female skippers to enter thus far along with Kerry Noyes (Aramex), Annika Thomson (Ocean Crusaders J Bird III), Ellie Leister (Son of a Son), Niamh Larkin (Jenesis), and Sonia Mary Roberts (Sunshine Sailing Australia Gintastic).

Italian Job (Tom Johnston and Lincoln Dews) and Jenesis (Niamh Larkin and Michael Andrews) are the early entries in the two-handed category, an increasingly popular race division.

Steeped in tradition and stature and proudly presented and organised annually by Queensland Cruising Yacht Club (QCYC) since 1949, the iconic 308 nautical mile Brisbane to Gladstone Yacht Race (affectionately known as the B2G) is one of the oldest and most fiercely fought blue water yacht races on the Australian sailing calendar and one of the highest profile Easter sporting events.

Commencing at 10am on Good Friday and presented by Gladstone Regional Council, there will be a two-hour live stream broadcast of the Gladstone Ports Corporation 75th Brisbane to Gladstone Yacht Race start that can be viewed live and free on Kayo Sports – Australia’s premier on-demand sports streaming platform or alternatively viewed on the B2G Facebook and website.

The race is celebrated throughout the Easter weekend thanks the Gladstone Regional Council’s ‘Easter in Gladstone’ https://www.gladstone.qld.gov.au/easter

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75th Brisbane to Gladstone Race

Sailors invited to make Australian offshore sailing history with the 75th Brisbane to Gladstone Race

ENTRIES OPEN: Iconic Easter race promising a fierce contest and bumper prize pool

The Notice of Race is out and sailors now have the opportunity to be a part of Australian sailing history by entering one of the southern hemisphere’s most iconic offshore races – the Gladstone Ports Corporation’s Brisbane to Gladstone Yacht Race which will celebrate 75 years when it sets sail on Good Friday, 7th April 2023 from Moreton Bay to Gladstone over 308 nautical miles.

Considered an Australian icon by many discerning sailors, the Brisbane to Gladstone Yacht Race is one of the oldest and most fiercely fought blue water yacht races on the Australian sailing race calendar.

After a spectacular spinnaker start in south easterly winds on Moreton Bay followed by a thrilling race ranging from 10-15 knots to Gladstone, last year’s 74th annual race saw multiple race records tumble.

Peter Harburg’s super maxi 100 foot Black Jack took line honours eclipsing its previous race record of 16 hours, 53 minutes and 57 seconds which had been held since 2018, setting a new race record of 16 hours, 13 minutes and 56 seconds. Three yachts named Black Jack – all owned by Peter Harburg – have taken line honours eight times since 2008 – Black Jack 66 (2009 and 2010), Black Jack 77 (2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017) and Black Jack 100 (2018 and 2022).

Celestial – owned by Dr Sam Haynes – set a set a new record for a conventionally ballasted yacht, completing the race in 19 hours 24 minutes and 52 seconds.

After a tense protest with Celestial and a result that mirrored the 2021 Rolex Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race, Ichi Ban won the race overall on corrected time in 2022 and took out the coveted, The Courier-Mail Cup.

The Courier-Mail Cup is believed to be one of the oldest perpetual trophies in Australian history to be competed for on a continual basis since 1949.

Ian Gidlow, Commodore of race organising club, Queensland Cruising Yacht Club (QCYC) says the Brisbane to Gladstone Yacht Race is steeped in tradition and proudly remains one of the true blue water ocean classics in the southern hemisphere.

“The race has all the hallmarks of a great passage race – a demanding exit from the bay under pressure from the tide clock, a fast slide up the coast in the dark, a high pressure run into sub-tropical waters and inevitably an intense and often unpredictable finish,” Mr Gidlow says.

“We are incredibly proud of the stature the race holds with sailors who make this a fixture of their annual race calendar and we look forward to welcoming a large and competitive fleet of offshore racing yachts and sailors from around Australia and overseas,” he said.

The Brisbane to Gladstone Yacht Race start is live streamed and combined with Yacht Tracker and the virtual race is followed by an audience of over 100,000 globally.

In 2023, to commemorate the 75th anniversary, sailors will be vying for the biggest array of trophies and prizes in the history of the race.

Thanks to the official timekeeper, ADINA Watches, the skipper and all crew members of the Overall IRC winning yacht will all be presented with a specially designed Brisbane to Gladstone Yacht Race Winners Edition watch – the only blue water race in Australia to offer trophy watches for all winning IRC crew members.

The skipper of the Line Honours winning yacht will also receive one of the exclusive ADINA watches.

Believed to be the largest monetary prize in Australian sailing for the Performance Handicap Rating Factor (PHRF) division, the overall PHRF winner will be awarded the Peter Holm Cup along with a $10,000 cash prize.

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 75th Brisbane to Gladstone Yacht Race is available by visiting www.brisbanetogladstone.com or by telephoning Queensland Cruising Yacht Club Vice Commodore Harley Cowlishaw on 0437 729 642 or emailing [email protected]

The Gladstone Ports Corporation’s 75th Brisbane to Gladstone Yacht Race can also be found on Facebook at www.facebook.com/brisbanetogladstone and Instagram at @brisbane2gladstoneyachtrace