The 2024–25 Queensland Hobie Traveller Series brought together passionate Hobie sailors from across the state (and beyond) for a packed calendar of regattas. From winter glamour sailing at Humpybong to the iconic Bad News Regatta on the Gold Coast, the series showcased everything great about Hobie racing — fun, fierce competition, and a whole lot of camaraderie. Here’s a full recap of the season’s highlights and results.
Winterbash – Humpybong Yacht Club
The series kicked off in July at Humpybong Yacht Club. The few keen sailors were rewarded for braving the cold with some glamour winter sailing on the first day.
Shane & Tom were in good form, winning every race. However, a navigation error during the marathon race meant that they had gone just about a mile in the wrong direction. This ended up giving them the motivation to chase down the Andrews girl.
After a long race, Shane & Tom took the win in good form, while everyone was just happy to get a glamour sail in winter.
All Boats Regatta – Lake Cootharaba Sailing Club
Next up on the traveller series was the All Boats Regatta at Lake Cootharaba Sailing Club. Some teams used the event as a warm-up for the upcoming state titles.
Pelican made a huge mistake by leaving his jib at home, meaning he had to borrow an old pink one donated by Christian & Tracey. Andrew & Maddie put the donated jib to good use with some close racing against Dave & Tess, as well as Christian & Tracey.
The weekend wrapped up with Pelican & Maddie taking the win, making it tight at the top of the traveller series leaderboard.
State Championships – Lake Cootharaba Sailing Club
With sunshine and seabreezes forecast all weekend, Lake Cootharaba didn’t disappoint. The Bates team were in great form, winning every race across the weekend.
The battle for the minor placings was fierce, with Phill & James narrowly edging out Keady & Sophie for second place. Lake Cootharaba hosted another fantastic regatta, complete with stunning photos — check them out on the club’s Facebook page.
Humpybash – Humpybong Yacht Club
Eight teams returned the following weekend for Humpybash, where Patrick Butler flew up from New South Wales to train for the nationals with Sophie Bates.
For most of the fleet, it was their first time racing at Humpybong. With breezy conditions, choppy water, and jellyfish aplenty, only three boats braved the elements.
Andrew & Haylie took the win, followed by the Bates team in second, and the Parbst team rounding out the podium in third.
Cat Challenge – Lake Cootharaba Sailing Club
Next on the series calendar was the classic Cat Challenge at Lake Cootharaba. While a few teams couldn’t make it, four crews lined up to enjoy a fun weekend of flat water racing and tricky lake conditions.
Dan & Sam notched their first win of the series, putting in a great performance on yardstick against the Arrows and Nacras. As usual, the LCSC media team were out in force — check out their website for photos from the event.
Sail Brisbane – Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron
The final regatta of the 2024 leg of the traveller series was Sail Brisbane. The usual suspects from RQYS were joined by the Parbst team and Bella & Helen.
The first day featured shifty south breezes reminiscent of the 2023–24 nationals, with big gains and losses available. The Bates team dominated again, winning every race of the day.
Day two brought a light nor’easter, making it a drag race off the line. The Parbst team had a standout second race. While the Bates team won the first two races, Andrew & Maddie claimed victory in the final heat.
Final results: Bates team in first, Andrew & Maddie in second, and Bella & Helen in third.
Cat Regatta – Southport Yacht Club
The 2025 leg kicked off with the Southport Cat Regatta, featuring the Parbst team, Dave & Tess, and Dan & Sam — all regulars in the series.
The trio navigated the Broadwater and tidal flow across two days of tight racing. Dan & Sam emerged as the strongest team in the tide, claiming their second win of the series.
Peel Island Marathon Race – Cleveland Yacht Club
The second-last event was the Peel Island Marathon, where six boats lined up under sunny skies and a light southwesterly.
The start was a reaching leg, with faster cats pulling ahead and the Hobie pack settling into a tight downwind tussle. Andrew & Haylie took the lead around the eastern side of the island.
As the breeze dropped and swung 180 degrees, Dan & Sam capitalised and opened up a huge lead. They maintained it despite briefly struggling to find the finish line, eventually holding off Andrew & Haylie by just 10 seconds after nearly four hours of racing.
The battle for third was even closer, with near-identical times for the Parbst team and Dave & Tess.
Bad News Regatta – Gold Coast Catamaran Club
The final event of the series was the iconic Bad News Regatta, hosted by Gold Coast Catamaran Club. It drew a great turnout of Hobie 14s and 16s, including several interstate crews.
Cam & Suzie from WA were unbeatable despite gear issues, but Shane & Tom pushed them hard, finishing just one point behind. Phil & James narrowly secured third place over Andrew & Maddie.
In the 14s, the racing was incredibly tight. Macca, Bloody Leon & Paddy Butler all traded wins, with just five points separating the top three. In the end, Macca took the win and claimed the coveted Bad News trophy.
The Queensland Traveller Series wrapped up with Christian & Tracey rightfully crowned series champions, attending every event and winning the overall prize — a new jib. In second was Andrew, with his rotating crew of Haylie, Hannah & Maddie. Rounding out the podium was Dave & Tess — proving once and for all that Dave really should get his own Hobie.
A huge thank you to all the South East Queensland clubs that hosted regattas, along with their hard-working volunteers. Also, massive thanks to our sponsors: Sunstate Watersports, Concept Systems, Switch Sails & Cat Covers — your support made this series a success.
And finally, to all the sailors who turned up, travelled far, and promoted Hobie sailing — thank you! That’s a wrap on the 2024–25 Queensland Hobie Traveller Series. We’ll see you on the start line for 2025–26!
