Setting sail from Brisbane to … Bribie

The Moreton Bay Region will still see a magnificent fleet of racing yachts this year, going from Brisbane to Bribie – not Gladstone - this weekend.

Queensland Cruising Yacht Club (QCYC) is turning back the clock by expanding this weekend’s Bribie Cup Yacht Race into a two-day event.

It means more than 50 yachts and their crews will sail from the mouth of the Brisbane River to Bribie on Saturday, September 19.

Overnight stop

The yachts will then turn and head to Scarborough, moor overnight at Moreton Bay Boat Club (MBBC) and race back to the Brisbane River on Sunday, September 20.

On both days, the fleet will sail along our region’s foreshore, just as entries in the Brisbane to Gladstone race have done every year since 1949 - except in 2020 due to COVID-19.

The new format for the 69^th Bribie Cup weekend evolved from a mid-winter meeting at Manly to find a more collective approach to inter-club racing.

Working together

“All the clubs were competing for the same boats for their events,” says Harley Cowlishaw, Vice Commodore at QCYC, “so clubs got together to say ‘let’s work with each other’. “Moreton Bay Boat Club came to Queensland Cruising Yacht Club and said how about resurrecting this (two-day Bribie Cup).

“In the past the yachts would have a presentation at Bribie, then pack up and use it as a twilight sail back to their respective port.

“MBBC said if we put on a function on the Saturday night and you encourage the boats to come to MBBC, we’ll start the race for you and run the race back.

Great idea

“We thought why not? It always used to happen, so we’ve resurrected it. Everyone has said ‘what a great idea’, ‘about time’ … that sort of thing.”

Harley will be entering his yacht Hasta La Vista and said more are expected from the Royal Queensland Yacht Club at Manly and possibly from Mooloolaba.

A new trophy will be struck for the new Sunday race from Scarborough to the Brisbane River and it may well become an annual event.

Marina move

With the number of yachts expected for the two-day event, extra berths have been sought in a neighbouring marina.

The Bribie Cup dates back to 1952 where it started with a single mono-hull division. It now has four divisions including multihull and classic. The biggest field was 150 yachts.

Arthur Bloore, who lived at Scarborough, entered the biggest yacht in 1984. The Office was 68 feet long and also did the Sydney to Hobart race. It is still sailing but now under the name of Helsal 3.

The Bribie Cup Race will run from 8am-5pm. Full details are available at www.qcyc.com.au

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