Brisbane to Gladstone yacht race

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 finish is hosted by the Port Curtis Sailing Club.

The location of each yacht can be tracked online.

In 2009 as part of the Q150 celebrations, the Brisbane to Gladstone Yacht Race was announced as one of the Q150 Icons of Queensland for its role as an "event and festival".

History
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 race record of 16 hours, 53 minutes and 57 seconds was set by Black Jack in 2018.

The 2020 race was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2023, the race marked its 75th anniversary with a fleet of 47 vessels competing.

Course
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.

Key

 * 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

Consecutive participation
Laurabada raced 51 Brisbane to Gladstone Yacht races, sailing 43 with her builder Ivan Holm Snr at the helm and 8 races with Ivan Holm Jnr as skipper. The majestic ketch contested her 50th race in 2002 and 51st race in 2018. Wistari has now sailed 52 Brisbane to Gladstone Yacht Races as of 2022, sailing 28 with her designer and builder Noel Patrick at the helm and 24 with son Scott Patrick as skipper.

Multiple Courier Mail Cup winners

 * Saltash II (Ian and Bill Wright) 1986, 1992, 1993, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007
 * 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, Scott Patrick) 1971, 1976, 1977, 1982, 2021
 * 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

Multiple winning skippers

 * 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

Fastest time to complete the course
Black Jack 100
 * 2018 course time: 16h 53min 57s
 * Average speed: 18.23 knots