Wednesday 19th March 2008
Take a step back in time this Easter and be part of a very special re-creation of the days when a Steam Train Trip to Sandgate was considered a “big day out at the seaside” for many folk living in Brisbane and surrounds.
The Sandgate & Districts Chamber of Commerce is proud to announce the inaugural Ipswich to Sandgate Steam Train Trip as one of the highlights in its Bluewater events calendar.
The Steam Train will leave Ipswich on the morning of Wednesday 19th March 2008 and will pick up at Corinda, Roma Street and Northgate along the way, bringing people of all ages from all over Brisbane into
Sandgate – the first suburb settled outside of Brisbane back in the 1850’s. There will be an optional tour of historic landmarks around the Sandgate area being conducted by the Sandgate Historical Society in conjunction with Cross Country Tours.
Locals have the option to travel with Cross Country Tours to Ipswich where they will join the rest of the Steam Train travellers. Phone: 3869 7444 for more details and to reserve your seat. Local businesses have also come on board (excuse the pun) and the ticket price will include a series of vouchers to the total value of $50 to spend at participating shops, cafes and clubs in the Sandgate area. School bands from Sandgate and surrounding districts will entertain in the parkland adjacent to the shopping precinct.
To book for this very special event, contact Sunshine Express Rail Tours on 3252 1759 between 10am and 3pm Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays or call Helena Winter, Bluewater Festival Co-ordinator on 07 3269 8768 or 0408 918 817 9am and 5pm weekdays.
The Brisbane to Gladstone Yacht Race is an Australian sporting icon. As Queensland’s premier blue water classic, its significance was recognised when this race was selected as the feature aquatic sport event for the ‘Centenary of Federation’ celebrations in 2001.
The 308 nautical mile ocean classic will run for the 60th time in 2008 and is one of Australia’s major sporting events over the Easter weekend.
This race offers a blend of old and new. The course and steady trade wind breezes provide great racing for the latest high-tech mono-hull sleds and the super fast offshore catamarans, yet there is a unique history associated with this internationally famed classic.
The inaugural race in 1949 saw a fleet of seven yachts start with only six finishing. Line honours went to Hoana (George Pickers—a familiar name to most Brisbanites). Course time was 47 hours 8 minutes 25 seconds. Overall Race Winner was Sea Prince a 28ft 3 inch gaff rigged sloop skippered by John Bourne with a corrected time of 34 hours 22 minutes 18 seconds form Sea Tang (Doug Drouyn) and Hoana despite being the last yacht to finish over 9 hours behind Hoana.
Since that first race, there has been many historic moments and spectacular records set. Among the most memorable is FASTEST YACHT Skandia – (Grant Wharrington) in 2004 - 20hours, 24minutes 50seconds with an average Speed of 15.09 knots. The SLOWEST EVER on individual elapsed time with an average Speed of 2.12knots wen to Christina (W Bill MacQueen) in 1957. Christina left Sandgate Brisbane at 1100 hrs on Good Friday arrived at Auckland Point Gladstone shortly after 1230hrs the following Thursday—taking an incredible 6days 1hr 30min 18sec to complete the course.
Laurabada holds the records of most races, with 50 consecutive races sailing 43 with her builder Ivan Holm Snr at the helm and the last 6 races with Ivan Holm Jnr as Skipper.
The Golden Anniversary Race in 1998 saw the biggest ever combined fleet of 226 keel and multi-hull yachts, creating one of the most spectacular sights ever seen off the shores of Sandgate and attracting the largest crowd to ever witness a yacht race start in Queensland.