14 March 2022
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The rival ocean racing maxis will go head-to-head in Gladstone Port Corporation’s 74th annual Brisbane to Gladstone Yacht Race, which will set sail on 15 April from Moreton Bay to Gladstone.
Black Jack and Ichi Ban were both victorious in the recent Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race in December. Black Jack was the first Queensland boat to take line honours in the Sydney to Hobart.
The current Black Jack 100 is a 30-metre Reichel Pugh supermaxi and has held the race record since 2018 of 16 hours, 53 minutes and 57 seconds. Before Black Jack entered, Stefan Hair had been the hottest line honours contender and largest yacht to enter.
“We face real competition for line honours in the Brisbane to Gladstone Yacht Race this year against Stefan Hair, so the onus will be on our crew to sail extremely well,” says Black Jack owner, Peter Harburg.
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“Our goal is to always cross the line first, but it would be particularly momentous to take line honours in the Brisbane to Gladstone Yacht Race on the back of winning line honours in the Sydney to Hobart – a double line honours header in Australia’s two flagship bluewater races is definitely our goal,” says Harburg.
Ian Gidlow, Commodore of the race’s host Queensland Cruising Yacht Club (QCYC), says with the right conditions, the race record is now under threat.
“The Brisbane to Gladstone Yacht Race looks set for a very fast finale with boats such as Black Jack 100, Stefan Hair and Maritimo 11 now all entered and leading the charge for Gladstone,” says Gidlow.
“To have both line honours and handicap winners of the Sydney to Hobart entered in the 74th Brisbane to Gladstone Yacht Race is incredibly exciting,” he adds.
The Courier-Mail Cup will be the prize every sailor is chasing.
QCYC expects entries to double in the lead up to the race, with 31 yachts already entered. The race start will be live-streamed, with an interactive Race Tracker available too.
Spectators can watch the race start in vessels near the start line or on land at either Sandgate Bluewater Festival or Redcliffe Festival of Sails.
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