The Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron has announced that their signature offshore races, the Club Marine Brisbane to Keppel Tropical Yacht Race and the Brisbane to Hamilton Island Yacht Race, will be going ahead in light of the relaxations surrounding COVID-19 restrictions. The races are scheduled for the original start date of Friday 31 July 2020 in the anticipation of further easing.
Entries are now officially open for both blue-water races, the events will support the following divisions: PHS, IRC, OMR, and Line Honours.
Already, the signature races bolster star-studded line ups. In the Brisbane to Keppel, RQYS Rear Commodore John Warlow’s Beneteau 40.7 Dodgeball. Dodgeball is the current Australian IRC Division 3 Champion and placed 20th overall in last year’ s milestone Sydney Hobart Yacht Race with podium places in IRC Division 6 and ORC Division 5. Dodgeball will face some stiff competition, including Glenn Burrell’s newly acquired Reichel Pugh 42 Black Diamond. Perhaps better known under its previous moniker Black Jack Too, Burrell purchased the boat from Peter Harburg earlier this year with the goal of campaigning her in Coastal Offshore Passage Races as well as locally at her home of Southport Yacht Club.
Not to be outdone, the 2nd ever Brisbane to Hamilton Island Yacht Race will also be one to watch with its high-profile entrants. 2019 Noakes Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race champion and runner-up in the inaugural Brisbane to Hamilton Island event last year, RQYS Commodore Barry Cuneo aboard ENVY Scooters will once again be making the 530 nautical mile journey to the Whitsundays. Also making their second appearance in the Brisbane to Hamilton Island is Ian Edwards’ Dehler 46 Wings. A very comfortable fast cruiser, Wings is no stranger to racing. Ian and Lindy Edwards planning on taking on the Brisbane to Hamilton Island race as a feeder to the Whitsundays where they will stay for the 3 major race weeks.
Early Bird Entry is available now up until 30 June, with Standard Entry following from 01 July to 17 July.
Click here below to find out more and register your interest as crew on MySail.
