Boats Sailing

Moreton Bay: Sailing Ahead

Moreton Bay is the home of some sensational Australian and international sailing in 2018. The new year beckons a regatta series unlike any other – the Manly Summer of Sail. Hosted by the Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron (RQYS), and supported by the neighbouring yacht clubs, including Darling Point Sailing Squadron, the Manly Summer of Sail is the most significant collection of regattas that Moreton Bay has ever seen.

It all kicks off on Boxing Day at the RQYS with the Australian 9er Championship, which will see approximately 140 competitors brightening up Moreton Bay with the colourful sails and spinnakers typical of the 9er class. The Summer concludes with the Australian Windsurfing Championships, combining the Raceboard and Formula classes in a spectacular display of what is fast becoming an emerging, exciting manifestation of sailing in Australia.

Sailing is not just contained to Moreton Bay region in 2018, with the RQYS hosting the biannual Brisbane to Noumea Race & Cruise Rally, the Queensland leg of the Cercle Nautique Caledonien’s greater Sail Noumea 2018 event. Offshore monohull and multihull yachts will descend on Moreton Bay on the first and second of June to commence their cruising or competitive, respectively, journey across the Pacific Ocean to Noumea.

Moreton Bay has a sensational record of sending sailors across oceans in some of the most challenging and enjoyable manifestations of the sport. Annual events include the Queensland Cruising Yacht Club’s Brisbane to Gladstone Yacht Race, which will mark its 70^th year in 2018. Starting 30 March, locals are undoubtedly looking forward to spending their Good Friday watching the fierce competition from two of Australia’s super maxis: Wild Oats XI and RQYS’s own Black Jack 100. The race start will again be live streamed, broadcasting this extraordinary sport to the world and bringing more family, friends and sailing enthusiasts closer to the sport than ever before.

As always, there is always an abundance of events to cater to every size, class and calibre of boat on Moreton Bay. The RQYS, in conjunction with the Multihull Yacht Club of Queensland, will be hosting the inaugural Moreton Bay Multihull Regatta from 16 to 19 March 2018. This presents a great opportunity for sailors and cruisers alike to engage with one another, and celebrate everything that the multihull community has to offer: from great racing to enduring comradeship.

Finally, the year rounds out in a big way with the 2018 Etchells World Championships from 18 to 27 October 2018. At this time, the RQYS will be home to approximately 250 of the world’s finest sailors, all vying to take home one of the greatest accolades in the sport.

Moreton Bay continues to be a hub of on-water activity in Brisbane, and a competitive and recreational destination for marine sports enthusiasts around the country and around the globe. It has semi-sheltered waters, providing excellent sailing conditions year-round for a wide variety of classes and constituents, albeit questionably shallow for the larger yachts. As the old saying goes, there are two types of division yacht sailors on Moreton Bay – those who have run aground, and liars.

The Manly Summer of Sail:

DPSS 27 December ’17 – 03 January ’18 Australian Sabot Championships

RQYS 28 December ’17 – 04 January ’18 Oceania & Australian Laser Open Championships

RQYS 03 January ’18 – 10 January ’18 Australian Optimist Championships

RQYS 11 January ’18 – 15 January ’18 Australian Youth Championships

RQYS 15 January ’18 – 20 January ’18 Australian International Finn Championships

RQYS 17 January ’18 – 20 January ’18 Australian Windsurfing Championships

There are increasingly new, innovative and sustainable ways for people of all ages and experience to get involved in marine sports on Moreton Bay, be it learning to sail, competitive racing, competition spectating, volunteering, or cruising with the family. The yacht clubs that preside over the bay are always more than happy to support you on your sailing journey, and there is absolutely something for everyone in this area.

By Natasha Hoppner