Gold Coast to Mackay Yacht Race
The Gold Coast to Mackay is a premier Queensland offshore race — a long passage north from Southport through open sea and coastal waters to tropical Mackay, run by the Southport Yacht Club.
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The Gold Coast to Mackay Yacht Race is a premier Queensland offshore challenge — a long passage north from Southport through open sea and coastal waters to tropical Mackay, run by the Southport Yacht Club. It is one of the longer coastal races on the Queensland calendar, a genuine blue-water delivery into the warmth of Central Queensland.
What it is
The race is a point-to-point offshore passage up the Queensland coast, from Southport on the Gold Coast to Mackay. The course runs through both open sea and more sheltered coastal waters, testing the fleet over a substantial distance and demanding offshore safety preparation and experienced crews — the discipline set out in our guide to offshore versus inshore racing. The run north, often on the prevailing south-easterly trade winds, is a rewarding one into tropical waters.
The Southport Yacht Club
The race is run by the Southport Yacht Club, the Gold Coast's premier sailing club, which also stages the Sail Paradise regatta and receives the finish of the Sydney to Gold Coast Yacht Race. The Gold Coast to Mackay is the club's flagship long-distance offshore event, and part of the wider Gold Coast scene described in our guide to sailing on the Gold Coast.
How to enter and follow
Entries and the Notice of Race are published by the Southport Yacht Club. Crews should confirm the offshore safety requirements and enter before the deadline. The first boat to Mackay takes line honours, with the overall winner decided on corrected time under handicap — see line honours versus handicap. The sailing terms glossary covers the language of the racing.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the Gold Coast to Mackay Yacht Race?
- It is a premier Queensland offshore yacht race, run by the Southport Yacht Club, taking the fleet from Southport on the Gold Coast north through open sea and coastal waters to tropical Mackay in Central Queensland. It is one of the longer coastal races on the Queensland calendar.
- Who organises the Gold Coast to Mackay race?
- It is organised by the Southport Yacht Club, the Gold Coast's premier sailing club, which also runs the Sail Paradise regatta and receives the finish of the Sydney to Gold Coast Yacht Race. The Gold Coast to Mackay is the club's flagship long-distance offshore challenge.
- Where does the Gold Coast to Mackay race finish?
- It finishes at Mackay, a port city in tropical Central Queensland, after a long passage north up the coast from Southport. The course runs through both open sea and more sheltered coastal waters, testing the fleet over a substantial offshore distance.
- What kind of race is the Gold Coast to Mackay?
- It is a long point-to-point offshore passage race, requiring offshore safety preparation and experienced crews. The run north into the tropics, often on the prevailing south-easterly breeze, makes it a genuine blue-water challenge and a rewarding delivery into warmer waters.
More regattas
Sail Paradise
Sail Paradise is Southport Yacht Club's signature offshore regatta on the Gold Coast, with windward-leeward and passage racing across multiple divisions over a long weekend.
Read the guideSydney to Gold Coast Yacht Race
The Sydney to Gold Coast Yacht Race is a 384-nautical-mile offshore passage from Sydney Harbour to the Gold Coast, run by the CYCA each winter and known as The Great Winter Escape.
Read the guideBrisbane to Keppel Tropical Yacht Race
The Brisbane to Keppel Tropical Yacht Race is the Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron's signature offshore race — around 340 nautical miles north from Moreton Bay to Keppel Bay, much of it in the sheltered water inside the Great Barrier Reef.
Read the guide