The Great Race: Gold Coast to Brisbane

The Great Race is an interesting event where off the beach multihulls, dinghy's and foilers take an inshore course through the Broadwater between the Gold Coast (Southport Yacht Club) and finish at the Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron in Manly.  The current race records were set in 2012 with 2:33:32hrs elapsed time for Multihulls, 3:25:09hrs elapsed time for Monohulls and 2:39:58hrs elapsed time for Foiling boats so the multihulls are just holding on to the record for now.  Big news this year is the introduction of a half course to cater for the boats that dont meet the criteria for the full race.

From the following Sail-World article:

http://www.sail-world.com/Australia/The-Great-Race---Gold-Coast-to-Brisbane-off-the-beach-classic/105500

On Saturday 9th February 2013 Southport Yacht Club will be hosting the Great Race - for the ninth time since its inauguration in 2005. Year after year, the Great Race attracts competitors from all over Australia, looking to test their stamina and willpower in this 70km endurance race from the Gold Coast to Brisbane.

The Great Race is possibly the longest off-the-beach sailing event of its kind to be staged in Australia. Starting just outside the hosting Southport Yacht Club’s Hollywell Sailing Squadron on the Gold Coast, competitors make their way up towards Brisbane. The narrow and twisted waterways between the mainland and the islands will test the competitors’ tacking and boat handling skills before the open vastness of Moreton Bay will provide some challenging wind and waves. Finally, the race will finish just off Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron in Manly.
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