Peter Harburg’s exciting Reichel Pugh designed custom 66 Black Jack powered to an impressive line honours win in the Brisbane to Gladstone Race earlier today.

The Mark Bradford skippered Black Jack expressed her exceptional two sail reaching and spinnaker sailing speed to complete the 308 nautical mile course with the fifth fastest time ever recorded in the 61 year history of the classic coastal passage race.

"We never had a spinnaker on for any length of time until we rounded Breaksea Spit Light," said Bradford.

At that stage Black Jack held some chance of outpacing her high IRC rating when she completed the first 223 n/ml with the impressive 14.86knot average.

They added further value to their chances when the downwind flyer peaked 22 knots on the approach to Gladstone Harbour.

Black Jack appeared to have saved her time but that was challenged when the crew on the defending champion Quantum Racing completed the course 4 hours 14 minutes later.

Skipper Ray Roberts remained confident this afternoon. "We hung tough and expect to face a long night, but provisionally we are in the box seat," Roberts said.

Late this afternoon the time and weather slowed the yachts at sea while Quantum Racing improved her chance to successfully defend her trophy with the impressive 35 hour 42 minute 46 second corrected course time.

Ray Roberts had taken total advantage of his 308 nautical mile match race with Bill Sykes (Wot Yot) and the Graeme Wood skippered Wot Now to claim a strong chance to be officially presented with the historic 61 year old Courier-Mail Cup tomorrow.

For further information including a list of yachts entered in the 2009 Brisbane to Gladstone Yacht Race, go to the official race site http://www.brisbanetogladstone.com.au

Champion Sydney blue water yacht racing skipper Ray Roberts successfully steered his high performance Cookson 50 class sloop Quantum Racing to an outstanding win in the Brisbane to Gladstone race.

Quantum Racing was a firm favourite after winning last year’s 60th Anniversary classic followed by similar impressive victories in the Audi Sydney to Gold Coast race and the Meridien Marinas Race Week off Airlie Beach.

Skipper Roberts openly admitted he is a self confessed lover of ocean racing in Queensland: "The Gladstone Race is among my favourites."

"By nature all of the 308 nautical miles of the course are challenging but the wind and water is like the hospitality, warm and friendly."

"Quantum Racing will be back on the start line in 2010," added the happy Ray Roberts.

The popular skipper had good reason to be in a relaxed and happy mood adding the 2009 victory to his previous wins with Quantum Racing in 2008 and Millennium in 1995.

His crew including experienced navigator Richard Hudson and master tactician Steve McConaghy combined cleverly to emerge from a course long tactical ‘dog fight’ to finish ahead of the almost identical match racing TP52 class sloops Wot Now (Graeme Wood) and the Bill Sykes skippered Wot Yot.

The Quantum Racing crew built on a tactically smart start to hold the upper hand when they cleared Moreton Bay and then protected the margin to complete the course with a 5.1 second per mile advantage over Wot Yot and third placed Wot Now to claim a well deserved win in Queensland’s premier blue water classic.

For further information including a list of yachts entered in the 2009 Brisbane to Gladstone Yacht Race, go to the official race site http://www.brisbanetogladstone.com.au