74th Brisbane to Gladstone Yacht race launched during function at Gladstone Yacht Club

The Brisbane to Gladstone Yacht Race has been described as a binding force between two Queensland powerhouses. Find out how you can get involved in the 74th edition here:

Organisers of a prestigious Queensland yacht race set to be streamed around the world have made an early call for nominations to maximise race involvement.

The 74th annual Gladstone Ports Corporation Brisbane to Gladstone Yacht Race was launched during a function at the Gladstone Yacht Club on Thursday.

Several national yacht racing identities took the stand to welcome back the highly-anticipated event which was cruelly cancelled by the Covid-19 pandemic last year.

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Queensland Cruising Yacht Club (QCYC) Commodore & Management Committee Member Ian Gidlow said the bond between the Club and the Gladstone region had grown stronger over time.

“The race has now grown its own identity after 74 years of competition and we at the QCYC could not be happier at how well received the race is year-on-year,” Mr Gidlow said.

“The reception we get when the race finds its way up here is like nothing else, it is outstanding.

“The personal friendships and camaraderie which grow out of the event is enormous, it’s not just a yacht race but a binding of two communities who have both benefited from it.”

Queensland Cruising Yacht Club (QCYC) Vice-Commodore Harley Cowlishaw and Commodore Ian Gidlow at the Gladstone Yacht Club on Thursday.

QCYC secretary Paul McCowan said the club was getting a head start to entice more teams to the starting line.

“Five months may seem like a while away with Christmas around the corner, but it’s vital we start engaging key players, businesses, and stakeholders. We want to encourage as many competitors as we can to start thinking about entering,” Mr McCowan said.

Mr McCowan said some of the qualifying events took months to prepare for and 2022 could see the return of international competitors and the big interstate boats at the start line.

“We want skippers and crews to start getting their vessels in ship shape condition and start mobilising a competitive fleet,” he said.

“Last year, we were able to host the event during the unpredictable tides of Covid with the help of GPC, and while our race entrants weren’t as high owing to late withdrawals, we were glad to have 35 yachts start on the day.

“Gladstone Ports Corporation’s sponsorship means an enormous amount to the club, during a time when sponsorships were sparse, the port stepped in and threw us a lifeline.”

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Chief operating officer Craig Walker said GPC had always supported the race and was honoured to be playing a major role in such a historically important sporting event.

“As the naming right sponsor, we are excited to welcome locals and visitors to watch the race from the best seats in the port city – our Gladstone Marina, East Shores Parklands or a birds-eye view from Auckland Hill,” Mr Walker said.

“This is such an iconic annual event on the yachting calendar and the finish line continues to grow in popularity as a destination at Easter,” he said.

“Our Marina is situated at the race finish line and it has seen a significant transformation with our team at the port focusing on reviving the facility to attract new customers and put it on the map as one of Queensland’s five-star marinas,”

“As a result of the upgrades, our marina has seen a huge increase in visitation this year with occupancy up by 10 per cent – we can’t wait to see what those numbers will look like next Easter.”

Originally published as 74th Brisbane to Gladstone Yacht race launched during function at Gladstone Yacht Club