Every year, off-the-beach catamaran sailors flock from as far as north Queensland and northern New South Wales to compete at the Gold Coast’s Fastway Couriers Cat Weekend, hosted at Southport Yacht Club’s Hollywell Sailing Squadron.
This year the event will be held from Friday 2-4February, when competitors will gather for three days of high intensity off the beach sailing.
Proudly sponsored by Fastway Couriers since the inaugural series in 2006, event sponsor and SYC Commodore Kerry Noyes competed to finish first on her Nacra 5.8 Wayfast, crewing alongside 2017 Nationals champion, Warren Guinea. The Commodore gained a three-point lead on son Chris, sailing his Nacra F18 Fastway Couriers.
“Last year’s event hosted outstanding competition, with some trying times throughout the regatta, and this year looks no different, Commodore Noyes said.
“I’m ready to defend my title in 2018 and hoping for back-to-back title wins. This is an event I always look forward to – it’s the highlight of my sailing calendar. The comradery between crews both on and off the water is always second to none,” she ended.
Perfect conditions are forecast for the event which includes a wide range of long passage races and short windward-leeward courses, set to suit the taste and abilities of competitors. The entertainment and presentation on Sunday afternoon will ensure that the social side of sailing will not be neglected either.
Racing will be conducted on the Gold Coast Broadwater, incorporating the ‘Deep Hole’ and around Crab Island. Spectators can watch all the action from the 2018 Fastway Couriers Cat Weekend along the Gold Coast Broadwater foreshore from Hollywell to Labrador.
