They’re off and sailing!

It was an exciting start to the race at noon today. Many spectator boats turned out to farewell the fleet and enjoy the colourful pageant. The twenty-seven scheduled yachts successfully started although the light breeze of only about 5 or 6 knots made it challenging to find a place on the line with most boats crowded around the pin end at the start.

Nothing was stopping Wild Oats XI from quickly and effortlessly taking the lead, however, and Black Jack was close behind.

Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron Commodore Greg Clarke, is a trimmer this year on Bribie Star. Greg said, ‘This is our sixth race to Keppel. It is really our premier event and it’s getting more and more exciting every year. The conditions might be a bit lighter this year so it could take a bit longer for some of the boats to get there but it’s always a lovely time of year to be heading north into a warmer climate. We see great sunsets and sunrises and we often see whales up close. As always we sincerely thank our volunteers for their invaluable contribution and of course the sponsors who make this event possible.’

You can track the progress of the yachts live online at brisbanetokeppel.com/yacht-tracker.