Sharon Ferris-Choat finished the Solo Trans-Tasman Yacht Challenge eight weeks ago. Now she's back after just crossing the start line with a full crew aboard, skippering New Zealand-flagged Vixen Racing in the 2026 GCCM Gold Coast Mackay Yacht Race, which starts today at 11am Queensland time from Surfers Paradise.
Ferris-Choat who skippers the Verdier 40, took monohull line honours in this year's Solo Trans-Tasman; she was the first woman to finish that race since 2014, and now the first woman to take division line honours. The Vixen Racing team came 15th overall, 1st home in the Class40’s, in the 2026 Noakes Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race which they completed only 3 days ago.
Guy Chester was also on the Gold Coast Mackay start line. The Australian sailor, racing out of Townsville Sailing Club, took overall line honours in that same Solo Trans-Tasman race aboard his Crowther 40 trimaran, along with multihull honours. Both Chester and his tri, Ocean's Tribute, had spent the summer in New Zealand competing in its local races and regattas.
New Zealand has a second boat in the 25 strong fleet. Brian Petersen’s TP52 V5, comes into the race after finishing fifth in the 2026 Noakes Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race. The crew described a close battle with the other TP52s throughout that race. Andy Kearnan’s Koa comes into this event after finishing second across the line in the 2026 Noakes Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race, followed by Lee Hawksley’s recently acquired Gusto and V5. A similar contest awaits on the passage to Mackay, with Koa and Gusto among the opposition. “V5 is ready to go, and with a glamour downwind forecast on offer, we’re expecting a fantastic battle with fellow TP52s” the team posted before the start. “It’s shaping up to be a fast and exciting race, and we can’t wait to get underway.”
Grant Wharington’s Wild Thing 100 heads the race for line honours, with Phil Harmer’s Wild Oats X another major contender.
The fleet ranges from the 100 foot Wild Thing 100 to Annie Stevenson’s 30 foot Dehler 30 OD, Employment Hero Alliance. They face the same course and forecast, but are likely to sail very different races. Wild Thing 100 could finish before the strongest conditions arrive. Employment Hero Alliance may still be racing when winds north of Yeppoon approach the forecast 25 to 30 knots.
Other entries include Geoffrey Hill’s Santa Cruz 72 Antipodes and Glenn Burrell’s Reichel Pugh 42 Black Diamond. Andrew Lloyd has the Sydney 38 Clockwork, while Wayne Seaward brings the Oceanis 473 Cyan Moon.
The Bureau of Meteorology briefing ahead of the start had sailors expecting 15 to 20 knots offshore near the start, with the south to south-easterly wind building further through Thursday and Friday as a high pressure ridge firms up along the coast. Forecasters flagged the chance of a strong wind warning north of Yeppoon for Saturday, before conditions ease into Sunday and Monday for the later boats.
Seas will build the same way, from fairly flat at the start out to two and a half to three metres offshore by the weekend, with boats further inshore near the reef likely to see less than those out in open water.
Southport Yacht Club's livestream of the start is available on YouTube.
