WISTARI BREAKS RACE RECORD!
Pronamics sponsors record-breaking yacht
This year will set a record and mark Wistari as the longest racing yacht for the Brisbane to Gladstone with 52 starts.
Wistari won last year’s race—surviving heavy weather that snapped the mast of line honours favourite Blackjack.
This was the boat’s fifth win, and the first in 39 years, though it has come very close many times. And while the boat took some damage, Skipper Scott Patrick has put sponsorship money to good use and worked hard for months repairing Wistari and readying her for this year’s race.
Wistari was the first to register when entries opened last October, and it has been with great excitement we’ve been following the progress of Scott’s race preparations. Whether they win or not, to break the record as the yacht with the most starts is an incredible achievement in itself.
Built in the early 1960’s by Scott’s father Noel, this central Queensland icon has been kept seaworthy for decades, and Pronamics is proud to support a legacy that deserves recognition throughout Queensland and Australia.
The Brisbane to Gladstone’s start line is located seaward of Shorncliffe Pier, some 20 kms north of the Brisbane CBD. Boats will sail past the Redcliffe Peninsula, Moreton Island, Bribie Island and Caloundra before continuing north to pass Double Island Point and Wide Bay.
Venturing east of Fraser Island, around Breaksea Spit and then Lady Elliot Island; Bustard Head is the final point to pass before only the most tenacious racers will enter the harbour at Gladstone at Beacon S2. It is a triumph to finish, whether in first place or not. Sailors will face unpredictable seas and require all their skill to bring their yachts safely home.
You can watch the race start live on April 15 and then follow the race progress using the Live Yacht Tracking 2022.
We wish Wistari and the crew the best for this race!