Wedgetail Wins Overall Honours in Brisbane to Gladstone Race

Bill Wild's Reichel Pugh 55 Wedgetail has taken out handicap honours and the Courier Mail Cup in the Brisbane to Gladstone Race. Victory was sweet after Wild and his crew fought a close battle with Black Jack and Immigrant.

Photo: Rolex/Daniel Forster

Wild is a previous winner having tasted success in 2010 on his previous boat, a Welbourn 42, also named Wedgetail.

For most of the race, the smaller boats like Wistari were favoured to take out the overall honours but the fading breeze on saturday night saw their chances slip away. In the end it was the quicker yachts who were left to fight it out.

Wild's secret weapon among his crew was champion yachtsman and sail maker Neil Pryde who no doubt contributed to getting the maximum puff out of the sails when the wind turned light and fluky.

Lulu Roseman