The Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron has announced that the inaugural Brisbane to Hamilton Island Yacht Race for Super-Maxi, Multihull, Shorthanded, and Cruising Division fleets will be set sail from Moreton Bay on Friday, August 2, 2019.
Entries are now open to all competitors in this exciting new race on the Australian yacht-racing calendar, which will head to Hamilton Island just in time to participate in the popular Whitsunday Race Weeks.
The warm tropical waters off the Queensland coast of Australia are perfect for ocean racing and the Brisbane to Hamilton Island Yacht Race will take full advantage of this. As one of the longest tropical Category 2 offshore yacht races in Australia, it will take competitors 580nm up the Queensland coast to Hamilton Island on the edge of the Great Barrier Reef. Crews will glide over the sparkling pristine waters of the Pacific Ocean and enjoy close up views of the world’s largest living structure before experiencing all Hamilton Island has to offer.
The Whitsunday Race Weeks are a firm favourite with yachting enthusiasts worldwide but often the logistics and expense of delivering boats and crews to the location is challenging. However, race organisers point out that “this event offers the first direct racing opportunity north to the Whitsunday Race Weeks, which may eliminate many of the challenges associated with facilitating boat deliveries”.
Building on their 134-year history in the Queensland and Australian yachting community, the Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron expects the race to become a firm favourite on the Australian and international ocean yacht-racing calendar. Organisers further anticipate that its similar distance and tactical difficulty to Australia’s other premier long-distance offshore yacht race will be viewed as “a good opportunity to qualify for the Sydney Hobart Yacht Race later in the year”.
