Historical Facts

Historical Facts

  • Fleet of the 25th Audi Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race Fleet of the 25th Audi Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race
  • Grant Wharington found the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow - Credit Peter Merten Grant Wharington found the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow - Credit Peter Merten
  • A windless Harbour A windless Harbour

Facts and Figures

Start Sydney Harbour - 1300hrs on the last Saturday in July
Finish Off Main Beach, Southport
Conducting club Cruising Yacht Club of Australia
Host club Southport Yacht Club
First held 1986, following opening of Gold Coast Seaway at Southport
Race distance 384 nautical miles
Race record

22 hours 33 minutes 46 seconds set by Wild Oats XI (The Oatley Family) in 2012

Loki (Stephen Ainsworth) holds the conventionally ballasted record  of 26 hours 52 minutes 39 seconds
2023 Overall Winner URM Group, a Reichel Pugh Maxi 72 owned by Anthony Johnston 
2023 Line Honours Winner Andoo Comanche, a VPLP /Verdier Maxi 100ft skippered by John Winning Jr
Multiple Winners
Line Honours
  • Amazon (Peter Walker) 1991, 1992, 1993, 1997
  • Brindabella (George Snow) 1995, 1996, 1999
  • Grundig (Sean Langman) 2001, 2003
  • Wild Thing / Skandia (Grant Wharington) 2000, 2002, 2006, 2013
  • Wild Oats X (Robert Oatley/The Oatley Family/Mark Richards) 2005, 2009, 2019
  • Wild Oats XI (The Oatley Family/Mark Richards) 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2017
  • Andoo Comanche (John Winning Jr) 2022, 2023
Handicap
  • Witchcraft II / Canon Copiers (Bruce Staples) 1989, 1994, 1995 
  • Wild Oats (Bruce Foye & Partners) 1991, 1994 
  • Pemberton II (Richard Hudson) 1988, 1990
  • Brindabella (George Snow) 1991, 1995 
  • Ragamuffin (Syd Fischer) 2000, 2003

  • Wild Joe (Steven David) 2006, 2007
  • Loki (Stephen Ainsworth) 2010, 2012

  • Komatsu Azzurro (Shane Kearns) 2015, 2017
Double Wins - Line Honours/Handicap
  • Apollo (Jack Rooklyn) 1986 (IOR overall)
  • Brindabella (George Snow) 1995 (IMS A)
  • Foxtel Amazon (Peter Walker) 1997 (PHS A)
  • Sydney (Charles Curran) 1998 (IMS A)
  • Wild Thing (Grant Wharington) 1999 (IMS Overall & IMS Division A)
  • Grundig (Sean Langman), 2003 (IRC Overall & IRC Division A)
  • Quantum Racing (Ray Roberts), 2008  (IRC Overall & IRC Division 0)