Gladstone Ports Corporation’s Brisbane to Gladstone Yacht Race

Gladstone Ports Corporation’s Brisbane to Gladstone Yacht Race is considered by the yachting fraternity and the general public to be one of Australia’s flagship ocean yacht races. Recognised as a Queensland icon, this distinguished event takes the spotlight as the most prestigious sporting spectacle of the Easter Weekend, embarking on its annual journey from Moreton Bay on Good Friday.

Fondly referred to as the B2G, The Brisbane to Gladstone Yacht Race boasts a rich legacy as the second oldest ocean yacht race in Australia, commencing just a few years after the famed Sydney to Hobart race.

Drawing participants from Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, and beyond, the competition unfolds in pursuit of the coveted Courier Mail Cup—a perpetual trophy steeped in history and continuously contested since its inception. Navigating the waters, yachts chart a course from the starting point through the North West Channel, traversing the scenic route from Redcliffe Point to Caloundra and onward to Gladstone, covering an impressive distance of approximately 308 nautical miles.

The Race is steeped in history and tradition, with the first ever Brisbane to Gladstone Yacht Race held during Easter 1949. This race saw seven vessels start, two of which carried radios while Brisbane’s Homing Pigeon Club supplied pigeons to the others for position reporting. Each yacht issued with birds was to release two each day. The race transformed drastically over the years, into the prestigious race we see before us today.