Dream to contest her 19th Brisbane to Gladstone Yacht Race

IAN Gleeson and Craig Salter are two men united by one Dream – to win a Brisbane to Gladstone Yacht Race – and they reckon the yacht that brought them together is fast enough to be in the hunt.

IAN Gleeson and Craig Salter are two men united by one Dream – to win a Brisbane to Gladstone Yacht Race – and they reckon the 11.6m yacht that brought them together is fast enough to be in the hunt.

This will be Dream’s 19th Brisbane to Gladstone campaign, and Ian is proud she will be part of the race’s 70th anniversary celebrations, given she was also there for its 50th anniversary.

The Newport resident spent eight years building the 3.5 tonne Inglis yacht in his rumpus room and garage, putting in four cedar planks a night.

Ian says, at one point, he needed 34 people to help lift her out so she could be turned over and he could work on the other side.

Ian Gleeson's partially-built yacht dream is carried out of the house and turned.

The yacht was originally named Terror but Ian changed the name within 24 hours of the September 11 terror attacks in New York.

He says the new name just sprang to mind and it had “always been a dream to have a boat like that”.

Ian sailed her in 15 Brisbane to Gladstone races and has been involved in 30 campaigns overall. His best finish was third over the line and first on handicap in Division 1

He says he enjoyed the camaraderie.

“It’s a challenge to finish it. It’s always been a highlight of my year,” Ian says.

Craig, of Caboolture, has raced the Brisbane to Gladstone three times in Dream and five times overall. “She’s quick. It’s lively. She keeps you on your toes ... there’s no rest – you have to keep working it all the time,” he says.

Craig’s best finish is second on handicap and eighth across the line and he wants to do even better this year.

Ian Gleeson and Craig Salter look over old photos of the yacht Dream which will contest the 70th anniversary Brisbane to Gladstone Yacht Race.

Both men say while they make sure their crew rests, it is impossible for the skipper to sleep, with worries about the yacht enough to keep them awake until the finish.

Craig has been out there for more than 40 hours, but also finished it in 32 hours. Ian finished the race in 27 hours in 2000.

The record for the 308 nautical miles race is just over 20 hours and 24 minutes.

Ian, 76, sticks to recreational sailing these days and while he will be watching from the shore as the race starts and the yachts pass the Peninsula, he will be following it online all the way to Gladstone.