Thirty boats have started their entry and we know of another dozen who are intending to so it looks like a strong fleet.

Ichi Ban are in and attempting to get three overall wins in a row; if they do they will be only the second boat ever to achieve the feat. The first was Norseman and that was over sixty years ago.

Black Jack are also in. They will be trying to beat their own fastest elapsed time record set last year. What we need now is for Wild Oats XI, InfoTrack Super Maxi or Comanche to give them a real challenge in the drag race up the coast.

Ichi Ban will be coming from Sydney in good company, Team Hollywood and Sail Exchange are both reported starters. The trio claimed the Federation Cup last year and look to be a formidable team hoping to retain the Club trophy for the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia.

Whilst we are almost on the subject of TP52's, how great would it be to have a TP52 World Series Queensland Coastline Championship. Ok, so the name needs some working on but if the NSW based Celestial, Koa, Team Ragamuffin and other TP52's want to come up and join Envy Scooters then we promise to come up with something better.

Closer to Brisbane and there are a number of new boats coming to the line on Good Friday. This will be the first significant event for Active Again, a Lombard 34, with its new owners. Glateia, a Swarbrick s111, will also be making its debut with a largely Victorian crew on board. Mustang, a Masram 920 is well advanced in getting her entry documents complete and Ceramco, the ex Peter Blake Whitbread Yacht is also racing to make the start.

The notable absence this year is Wistari. Skipper Scott Patrick is out injured and so Laurabada continues to maintain her slender lead in the most Gladstone’s competed with 51 races registered, one more than Wistari. 

And so, we ask again, who else is coming?

Entries close on the 31st March; the full list of current entrants is on the race website www.brisbanetogladstone.com

Words: Nigel Statham

Photos: Shoebox Images