Noakes Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race 2024

News
2023
Noakes Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race 2023 opens

Noakes Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race 2023 opens

NEWS
29 May, 2023 12:16:00 PM

SAILING - 2022 Noakes Sydney to Gold Coast 30/07/2022 photo Andrea Francolini FLEET ©Andrea Francolini

Noakes Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race 2023 opens

Entries are now open for the 2023 Noakes Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race. The race will start at 1300h (AEDT) on Saturday 29 July at the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia. Competitors can now register for this exhilarating off-shore race, in its 37th edition.

Now in its 37th year, entries have just opened for the 2023 Noakes Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race. Competitors will start this exhilarating race at 1300h (AEST) on Saturday 29 July from the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia.

Early entrants include Victorian sailor Daniel Edwards representing Sandringham Yacht Club in White Noise, Shane Connelly's J99 Rum Rebellion and Geoffrey Hill's Santa Cruz designed 72 Antipodes.

Since it first launched in the heady days of 80s, the Noakes Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race has grown in prestige. It’s become an important test bed for the CYCA’s changes to the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race and a pivotal part of the annual off-shore race calendar.

The hotly contested race, which last year attracted 70, will start at the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia on Sydney Harbour, New South Wales, and finish off Main Beach, at the Southport Yacht Club, Queensland. In 2022 Sean Langman’s Reichel/Pugh 69 Moneypenny was the overall winner. Moneypenny finished 24 minutes ahead of Matt Donald and Chris Townsend's TP52 Gweilo (skippered by Peter Merrington) on corrected time, while Gordon Ketelbey's TP52 Zen was a further two minutes back in third place.

In the interests of creating a level playing field and consistency on handicap the CYCA is moving to a single rating with this change set to take effect from the upcoming Noakes and apply to all races in the 2023/24 Audi Centre Sydney Blue Water Pointscore.

Last year 13 two-handed boats competed, with even more expected in 2023. In terms of larger boats, in 2022 the start of Noakes Sydney GoldCoast Yacht Race saw three 100-foot maxis lead the charge for Line Honours. They included the John Winning Jr skippered Andoo Comanche (formerly Comanche) along with Peter Harburg’s Reichel/Pugh 100 Black Jack and Hamilton Island Wild Oats (formerly Wild Oats XI) with Mark Richards at the helm.

Matt Allen’s Botin 52 Ichi Ban, was one of 10 52-footers who took part in the fleet last year and adding to the vibrant list of 2022 contenders were TP52s including; Celestial, Frantic, Gweilo, Highly Sprung, KOA, Patrice, Quest, Smuggler and Zen.

Started by Peter Rysdyk in 1987, this wonderful passage north offers participants from all over Australia the chance to try and beat the record set by Wild Oats XI back in 2012 when the Oatley owned boat finished in 22 hours 33 minutes 46 seconds.

To take part in this beautiful race starting 29 July, crews need skills, particularly in the hard running conditions often experienced at this time of the year.

Competitors will need first class sail handling and good tactical navigation decisions on board. Apart from variable winds, in direction and strength, the East Australian Current plays a significant role in decision making as the yachts sail up the NSW North Coast and reach the Gold Coast of Southern Queensland.

It’s an attractive race for sailors hailing from the cooler southern states, who are going up to Queensland for any of the regattas in Hamilton Island, Airlie Beach and Keppel Island and will show us a good representation of the fleet who will take part in the Rolex Sydney Hobart in December.