The Southport Yacht Club on the Gold Coast is alive with activity, following the finish of the 40th Noakes Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race yesterday.

Last night’s welcome party stirred FOMO for another last-minute entry, Mistral, who joins 8 other boats racing back-to-back to Mackay from Sydney and increases the 2026 fleet to 25.

The Race to Mackay is quickly establishing itself as a fast, fun and spectacular way to continue the migration of yachts north for winter into the northern sailing regattas at Airlie Beach, Hamilton Island and Magnetic Island.

Offering 520 nautical miles of spectacular coastal offshore racing from the iconic skyline of Australia’s Gold Coast, the course sends the fleet around the outside of K’gari Fraser Island before weaving through the tropical Great Barrier Reef. The 2025 Overall PHS winner, Wayne Seaward’s Cyan Moon from Melbourne is back to defend their title, as is monohull Line Honours winner Grant Wharrington’s supermaxi Wild Thing 100, eyeing their own race record.

 2nd GCCM Gold Coast Mackay Yacht Race 2025 © Salty Dingo

Wild Oats X has joined the fleet for the first time, as well as several TP52’s which should see stiff competition in the 52-foot class between Sydney based Koa, Gusto and New Zealand’s V5, alongside Making Waves Lyons 54 and Hutchies Yeah Baby’s Welbourne 50. In the strong 40+ foot class, strategy is likely to play a key role in determining placements, particularly with the choice of navigable routes through the Great Barrier Reef.

The GCCM GOLD COAST MACKAY YACHT RACE 2026 is set to start 11am 30th July, with an epic start line off the beachfront, straight in front of Cavill Avenue, Surfers Paradise. A forecast sunny morning and south to south easterly breeze of around 15 knots should once again present the perfect spinnaker start. The start will be livestreamed here: goldcoastmackay.com/livetracker

by Southport Yacht Club