QMYC was formed 50 Years ago in Order to hold an Ocean Race

By Leigh Wynne

QMYC (later name change to MYCQ) was formed in Feb.1965 in order to hold an ocean race to Gladstone. It is a tribute to the original members that a race was organised and sailed in approximately eight weeks. In those days the yachts were few and mostly home built to reputable designs. They were sailed well and so the tradition of a multihull race to Gladstone was established. At that time there were many detractors in the nautical world who thought multihull yachts had no place in ocean racing or ocean cruising for that matter. This despite the fact that multihull yachts had already sailed across the Atlantic several times.

So here we are 50 years later, the yachts are larger much more sophisticated, faster and mostly professionally built to the latest high tech designs and the 24 hour time to Gladstone now reduced by several hours. To celebrate the club's 50 years of Brisbane to Gladstone racing and to acknowledge the cordial relationship we now enjoy with other yacht clubs we held an 'OLD SALTS' day where the early members of the club were invited to join with present members.

We were delighted to have our very first commodore Chas Drew in attendance. He was the driving force which included Brian Willey, Headly Nichol  and others who took up the challenge and formed the club 50 years ago. Thanks go to those originals for what we have today. Looking around the room I could see many life members and past commodores too numerous to mention. There are others who spent many hours on committees, they all contributed to the continued success of the club. After lunch we were given an interesting talk about the 34th America's Cup and the comparative technologies between OTUSA & TNZ .  After this the meeting was thrown open to anybody who wanted to recount their adventures on the high seas and that meant almost everybody, so this looked promising. Notable among them was a past commodore Peter Garden who with his usual Churchillian oratory thrilled us all with passionate stories of misadventure some of which could have had a small grain of truth if you dug down far enough. That's O.K. We like it that way. Then there were THE Frasers. They always travel enmass (I think for safety) seven or eight of them at last count. They were everywhere. Gracious on land but a devil on the water. The club would be colourless without them. Did I mention Harvey Raven? Who came all the way from W.A. better known to his friends and detractors as Harve The Carve' for his ability to cut the wrong rope in a storm.  Did Harvey Raven and Peter Garden ever sail on the same yacht ? I hope not !!!

There were many others too numerous to mention but I really enjoyed their company and all their lies. It all came flooding back to me --------- what a time !!!

Thank you Commodore Bruce and all your team.

It was a great day.