Celestial's doubled time reveals brutality of 75th B2G race

Celestial crossed the finish line first in the 75th Brisbane to Gladstone Yacht Race over the weekend, but the winning time painted a stark picture of the conditions: 1 day, 19 hours and 30 minutes — nearly doubling the boat's own record-setting pace from the previous year.

The contrast was sobering. Dr Sam Haynes' yacht, which had broken the race record for conventionally ballasted yachts just 12 months earlier with a time of 19 hours and 24 minutes, needed nearly 43 additional hours to reach Gladstone Harbour this year. The slowdown underscored just how punishing the northerly winds and violent storm cells proved for the entire fleet.

"It was like a washing machine out there," Haynes said, describing the chaotic conditions that greeted competitors. Squalls hit repeatedly, with one waterspout spotted near Indian Head. The intensity forced constant sail changes and tactical adjustments that consumed hours and demanded all of the crew's seamanship.

The toll on boats and sailors was widespread. Eight yachts abandoned the race during the first night alone, driven back by damage, crew illness, or strategic decisions in the face of two major storm cells. That number grew to nine as Indigo II retired just before the finish line with a torn mainsail. Lightning strikes added to the drama: one competing yacht, Celeste, lost all electronics after being hit mid-race but pressed on using backup VHF radio and iridium systems.

Even the winner wasn't spared. Celestial's crew member was injured aloft while working on the main halyard, requiring ambulance treatment for suspected shoulder and rib injuries as the boat pulled into dock at dawn.

Despite the severity, several boats demonstrated remarkable resilience. Ocean Crusaders J-Bird III, competing as the fleet's first electric boat and helmed by Annika Thomson, made it across, as did Maritimo 11, which currently leads on corrected time — a hint that the dramatic conditions may yet produce an unexpected overall victor from among the smaller vessels.

Queensland Cruising Yacht Club Commodore Ian Gidlow acknowledged the race's historic nature. "This year's 2023 race fleet will go down in history as having had to overcome everything from the calm to the storm and everything in between," he said.

For Haynes, the victory held particular satisfaction. While he had won the 2022 Rolex Sydney to Hobart outright, this line honours title in such brutal conditions felt different. "I don't think I've ever had a line honours title in a significant race like this," he reflected. "This is really good for us. It is fantastic."

Other finishers — Hutchies Yeah Baby, Mayfair, Wedgetail, Kerumba, Not a Diamond, LCE Old School Racing and Crankster — each brought their own stories of perseverance through the roughest Brisbane to Gladstone race in years.