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Escape the cold – Enter the Noakes Sydney Gold Coast today

Home 2026 Escape the cold – Enter the Noakes Sydney Gold Coast today

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There’s a chill in the morning air in Sydney, a sign the seasons are changing and winter is on its way. Luckily, the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia (CYCA) has the perfect event to escape the cold weather in late July.

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The Noakes Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race, often referred to as ‘the great winter escape’, is officially open for entries for the 38th edition. It is the first of six races in the 2026/27 Audi Centre Sydney Blue Water Pointscore (ACSBWPS). The five other races in the series are Flinders Islet, Tollgate Islands, Bird Island, Cabbage Tree Island and Rolex Sydney Hobart.

Last year, 61 starters took on the 384 nautical mile classic. The CYCA anticipates an equally strong fleet this year when the race gets underway on July 25.

 

Course basics

The course starts in Sydney Harbour and heads north along the NSW coast past some of the country’s most iconic landmarks that include the Stockton sand dunes, rugged terrain at Seal Rocks, Mount Dangar summit in the Goulburn River National Park, and the iconic Byron Bay lighthouse. After two to five days of racing (weather dependent), participants cross the finish line at Main Beach on the Gold Coast. As is customary, post-race celebrations are held at Southport Yacht Club, the race finishing partner.

More reasons to enter

It’s not all about the warmer Queensland weather.

As the second longest race in the ACSBWPS (only the Rolex Sydney Hobart is longer at 628 nautical miles), the Noakes Sydney Gold Coast offers the perfect opportunity for crews to shake off those winter cobwebs and recalibrate to offshore mode. And it gives offshore novices the chance to discover their sea legs. 

The race is also ideal for sailors who plan to continue north for the Queensland Race Weeks (Airlie Beach, Hamilton Island and Magnetic Island). 

 

 

In it to win it

Hot to defend their 2025 Noakes Sydney Gold Coast Overall win is ACSBWPS regular Sebastian Bohm sailing his yacht Smuggler. Bohm and his crew on board the JV TP52 have experienced consistent success in most of their offshore races in the last few years – arguably because of their commitment to the ACSBWPS series. The yacht was crowned Overall winner of the 2024/25 ACSBWPS. It placed second in its division to international entrant Callisto in the 80th edition of the Rolex Sydney Hobart in 2025.

Bohm looks forward to defending Smuggler‘s 2025 win.  

“Smuggler will be back — better, faster and hungrier,” Bohm said. “This race is a favourite on the calendar and kicks off the mighty Blue Water Pointscore Series, the pinnacle of offshore racing in Australia.” 

The Double Handed competitors in this year’s Noakes Sydney Gold Coast aim to build upon the success of the JPK 10.30 Min River (Jiang Lin and Alexis Loison), which won the 2025 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race on Overall corrected time – the first time a Double Handed entry has ever won the race. 

Edward Curry-Hyde’s Sun Fast 3300 Toucan was the first of the Double Handed entries on IRC Overall in the 2025 Sydney Gold Coast. The Sun Fast 3300 placed fourth Overall and first on Double Handed IRC. 

Known for its westerly and reaching conditions, the course delivered exactly that last year, making for some nail-biting racing. 

“There was no telling who had made the best call until the last day,” Curry-Hyde said. “The Sydney Gold Coast seems to always deliver a tussle right to the end. 

“That is what makes it a great race.” 

Beyond the close competition, it’s the warmer weather that gives the race its “magical” factor. 

“You get a real sense of your distance covered as you head north, stripping off the warm layers,” Curry-Hyde said. 

 

How to enter

Don’t miss out on the season opener. Click the link below to enter today. Entries close at 1700 hours on 10 July 2026.

Please don’t hesitate to contact the CYCA Sailing Office for assistance if required.