2013 Notice of Race Released, Entries Now Open

The Notice of Race for the 7th Club Marine Brisbane to Keppel has been released. Entries are now open for this exciting event that slides perfectly into the calendar for those going north for Queensland’s Season of Sailing Cup.
For further information on this event contact Meghan Andrew (RQYS Sailing Office Manager) via email sailing@rqys.com.au or on 0427 765 258

Wild Oats XI takes Line Honours for 2012

Wild Oats XI has just finished the 2012 Club Marine Brisane to Keppel Tropical Yacht Race at 21:18:26 on Saturday night. Competing the race this year in 33 hours, 18 minutes and 26 seconds! Well done guys!

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.

2012 Club Marine Brisbane to Keppel Tropical Yacht Race- Sailing Instructions

Sailing Instructions for this years race are now avaliable online! With 1 week until race start things are gettin exciting as we are looking forward to seeing all the boats out on the water!

Sailing Instructions can be found here: http://www.brisbanetokeppel.com/documents/

8 Days to go to Race Start!

Only 8 Days to go to race start! With the start at 1200 Friday 3rd August, we are in the final stages for the 6th Club Marine Brisbane to Keppel Tropical Yacht Race.

Important Dates
Sunday 29th July Category 2 Safety Audits (See attached schedule. Note there have been a couple time changes)
Monday 30th July Category 2 Safety Audits (See attached schedule. Note there have been a couple time changes)
Thursday 2nd August Competitors Briefing Flags Function Room, RQYS Clubhouse 1830hours (Compulsory for all boats to have two crew members attend)
Friday 3rd August RACE START! 1200hours

Category 2 Safety Audits
For those who are undergoing a safety audit, please see below for information on this process:
Presentation of a Boat for Inspection process.
• Necessary equipment should be laid out ready for inspection.
• The skipper and knowledgeable crew member should be on board during the inspection.
• The owner’s YA number and vessel registration details shall be made available to the Auditor or the Equipment Compliance form cannot be completed.
Equipment Layout for Inspection
All items required for safety inspection should be laid out prior to the Auditor coming on board.
• Storm boards ready to be put in place.
• Sea cocks and plugs exposed, not hidden by equipment.
• Know the water and fuel capacity of your tanks
• Fire extinguishers taken from brackets so date tags can be sighted.
• First Aid kits open and items with use by dates on the top so that expiry date can be checked.
• Publications and charts on chart table.
• Emergency navigation lights with batteries fitted.
• PFD’s, harnesses, tethers and flares laid out.
• Radio installation inspection certificate.
• Life Raft Certificate
• Jackstays rigged.
• Lifelines tightened.
After the Inspection
It is the owners responsibility to ensure that the boat continues to comply in every respect with the category the boat is competing in. Owners should remain familiar with the YA Special regulations and ensure that all equipment remains on the boat, is kept in good working order and that equipment is replaced or repaired as necessary.
The onus is NOT on the race organisers, the Club or the Equipment Auditors to perform ongoing checks or to confirm compliance. The responsibility remains with the boat owner – the audit only verifies that the equipment is on board at the time of the inspection.
Gear Truck
Get your gear to Keppel!
Packing Times:
Thursday 2 August » 1100 to 1800 hours
Friday 3 August » 0600 to 1000 hours
Pricing can be found here
Sailing Instructions
These are being finalised as this email gets sent out! We will have a copy emailed to you by 0900 Friday 27th July 2012. Your official copy along with competitor bag will be available from the sailing office from 0900 tomorrow!

Yacht: Mayfair

Less that One Month to go!

Things are getting exciting and with less than a month to go until the 6th Club Marine Brisbane to Keppel Tropical Yacht Race, organisation is in full swing! We are excited to welcome the volunteers from the Keppel Bay Sailing Club and Capricornia Cruising Yacht Club, joining forces this year to welcome the boats into the wonderful Keppel Bay.

The 50 foot fleet is looking good with Robert Dates’ TP 52 Scarlett Runner, joining RQYS member Tam Farrager with his brand new Ker40 Kerumba being launched just before the race!

Entry documents are making their way to the Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron as more boats come out of the woodwork and make their way onto the official entry list.

There is still time to enter! The Brisbane to Keppel race is the best way to get your boat north for both Airlie Beach and Hamilton Island Race Weeks.

Click here to view the race documents.

14 Entries in for the 2012 Brisbane to Keppel

As of Sunday 3rd June we already have 14 entries into the 6th Club Marine Brisbane to Keppel yacht race. This is looking to be a big fleet this year, with entries coming in daily, and lots of people talking about the race. Wild Oats and Wild thing are set to enter so the battle is on!

All done and dusted for another year

The fifth annual Club Marine Brisbane to Keppel Tropical Yacht Race is done and dusted for another year. The crews have ventured off to their next port which is either home or onto Airlie Beach or Hamilton Island for race weeks.

A highlight of this years race was with Wild Oats XI setting a new race record of 24 hours, 20 minutes and 22 seconds.

Peter Millard and John Honan’s super maxi Lahana was the overall winner taking out both IRC Overall and IRC Division 1.

“A huge thank you to everyone for making us welcome into this race and looking after us so well. It’s a lot of work getting 22 guys off a boat, out of the bar and onto a bus to the airport but the team at Keppel Bay Marina managed to just make it happen,” said Millard.

Congratulations go to all the competitors and the following winners:

IRC Overall and Division 1
1st – Lahana – Peter Millard & John Honan
2nd – Wild Oats XI – Robert Oatley
3rd – Ocean Affinity – Stewart Lewis

IRC Division 2
1st – GOA / NOVA – Chris Tyquin
2nd – Trumpcard – Craig Coulsen
3rd – Georgia Express – Andrew Knights

PHS Overall and Division 1
1st – Wot Eva – David Pescud
2nd – Sweethart – Laurence Pidgeon
3rd – Arcadia – Tim McCall

PHS Division 2
1st – Georgia Express – Andrew Knights
2nd – Dream Lover – Rick Morgan
3rd – GOA / NOVA – Chris Tyquin

Farr 30 Line Honours
GOA / NOVA – Chris Tyquin

Cruising Division
1st – Too Impetuous (Rudy Webber)

Navigators Prize
GOA / NOVA – Combined effort of the crew – gave an ETA within 1:37 of their finish time by using a $1.99 app downloaded from the iTunes store.

Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron, hosts of the Club Marine Brisbane to Keppel Tropical Yacht Race has extended their thanks to Keppel Bay Marina, Keppel Bay Sailing Club, Rockhampton Regional Council and the Capricorn region for their continued support and hospitality.

Planning is now underway for the sixth year in 2012.

Race Website – www.brisbanetokeppel.com

The Brisbane to Keppel Tropical Yacht Race is part of Tourism Queensland’s Season of Sailing.

The Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron is pleased to acknowledge the principal sponsors of the 2011 Brisbane to Keppel Tropical Yacht Race; Club Marine, David Bray Yachts, Club Super, Morgan’s Seafood, Angove Family Winemakers, Bundaberg Rum and the Rockhampton Regional Council.

The race is hosted by Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron with the support of Keppel Bay Marina and Keppel Bay Sailing Club.

RQYS Commodore talks about B2K

The newly appointed Commodore of the Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron (RQYS) was on board the Ken Down owned and skippered Farr 40 Bribie Star for the fifth Club Marine Brisbane to Keppel Tropical Yacht Race.

We talked to the Commodore, just a month into his 24 month term.

‘I sailed the last two Gladstone’s on this boat with Ken Down, who is the former Commodore of the Mooloolaba Yacht Club. We first raced against each other, back in the good old half tonner days.

‘We were pretty happy with our result for this Brisbane to Keppel race. We started in breeze and it held all the way out of Moreton Bay. Having the race start three hours earlier at 12 noon meant the fleet was pushed out of the bay before the sun went down. Have to say that getting out of the bay early definitely helps.

‘We had plenty of breeze for most of the night and then when the sun rose she brought with it new challenges that the crew had to keep on top of.

‘I’m lucky to race with such a great bunch of sailors who also consider themselves to be hilarious comedians. I’ve been given a new nickname that may just stick… Apparently I’m now known as the Falcon. Not really sure I can share the story but it just goes to show that even when pressed during a yacht race there is always time for a laugh.

‘This is really the signature yacht race for RQYS. Our aim is to make the race bigger and better every year as we continue to make our stamp on the offshore racing calendar.

‘My vision for the squadron is pretty simple. Provide world class racing and the chance for people to get on the water and enjoy what nature has to offer.

‘We have got a great facility at our Manly, Brisbane location and are spoilt with space and over 500 marina berths.

‘2012 is set to be a very busy year for us hosting the Laser Masters, Radial Mens and Radial Youth World Championship and the relaunch of the Sail Noumea Cat 1 race that we are working on jointing with our Kiwi friends from Royal Akarana Yacht Club.

‘I am a dinghy sailor. I grew up through 470s, Sharpies and 505s so I know the importance of what I call a good rigging and launching area and the Squadron has got that great grassed area and now multiple ramps, that will be really important when the Lasers come.

More to come.

Race Website – www.brisbanetokeppel.com

The Brisbane to Keppel Tropical Yacht Race is part of Tourism Queensland’s Season of Sailing.

The Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron is pleased to acknowledge the principal sponsors of the 2011 Brisbane to Keppel Tropical Yacht Race; Club Marine, David Bray Yachts, Club Super, Morgan’s Seafood, Angove Family Winemakers, Bundaberg Rum and the Rockhampton Regional Council.

The race is hosted by Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron with the support of Keppel Bay Marina and Keppel Bay Sailing Club.