Some below-average June temperatures made for chilly early morning Boardwalk briefings and evening finishes for the Nacra 15/17 Winter Regatta and VX One crews but, at day’s end, when beers were traded for rums, the racing was still hot. A reduced fleet of yachts lined up for the start of The Yacht Sales Co. “Go Troppo” Brisbane to Keppel Tropical Yacht Race, with lighter winds making for a quiet start. This year, the added challenge of having to stay further east to minimise the risk of whale strikes had competitors struggling against the tide. Better winds helped take the fleet around the top of K’gari/Fraser, and competitors arrived to the wonderful hospitality of the Keppel Bay Marina — although post-race conversations were still focused on the effectiveness of the exclusion zone. July ushered in the popular Gill Youth Week, four days of thrilling racing for all youth classes. With 111 entries across three courses and great weather, this made for a fantastic regatta. The Squadron hosted the 2024 QILCA Winter ILCA Open Regatta — in lieu of the traditional South Pacific Laser Masters — with almost 50 entries braving the colder waters. The following weekend, the Finn State Championships were true to form: these sailors ‘sail to party’ and the racing was great, but the traditional “Long Lunch” was spectacular. August is usually the quiet sailing month at the Squadron, save for the Etchells Fleet, and our RQ Volunteers turned out once more for the Etchells Waterloo Cup. Opening of the 140th Sailing Season was a perfect day for pomp and ceremony, and the fleet looked spectacular as it paraded up the fairway to salute our Squadron Patron and other dignitaries. September celebrated youth engagement with the annual Australian Sailing Youth Championships in Yeppoon. RQ Members comprised no less than two-thirds of the fleet, underlining not only the dedication of our young sailors and their families but also the many opportunities for personal growth, teamwork and resilience that come with competitive sailing. At the end of the month, the Etchells were back on the water with a weather-affected State Championships and unfortunately the Saturday was washed out. The Squadron was back into the rhythm with Schools racing, Foiling and Club racing almost every October weekend as Members took advantage of the glorious weather. The annual Beneteau Cup and French Yacht challenge had almost 20 entries across two divisions and, as usual, all things French were celebrated, right down to the baguettes! C M Y CM MY CY CMY K Zhik_RQYS_Mag_Advert_A5_Release_v1.pdf 1 21/10/2024 11:03:18 AM Canaipa Cup winner Chris Morgan and V/Cdre Curtis Skinner Sailing Manager’s Report
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy Mzg4Mjk=