Cruising Yacht Club of Australia the nation’s premier ocean yacht racing club added further trophies to their impressive mantelpiece over the Easter weekend.

Senior Flag Officer Commodore Matt Allen steered the super fast Volvo 70 Ichi Ban to another line honours win in the 60^th Brisbane to Gladstone race winning the Gladstone Pacific Nickel trophy with an elapsed course time of 23 hours 34 minutes 10 seconds.

This was another quality performance by the Ichi Ban crew who completed the course with a surprisingly fast 13.07 knot average despite a slow 42 n/ml passage out of Moreton Bay.

Ichi Ban picked up the pace on the 250 n/ml open ocean leg between Caloundra and Gladstone Harbour reaching a peak speed of 17 knots during the brief and breezy local squalls to claim successive line honours trophies.

She set the IRC race clock ticking by posting the 37 hour 44 minute 5 second time factor for the fleet to beat.

That time was set at another level when Ray Roberts and his Quantum Racing crew intent on improving their 2007 performance blew Ichi Ban away when they reset the time factor at 35-08-44.

Skipper Ray Roberts displayed and element of confidence when he enjoyed the post race debrief with tactician Steve McConaghy, Richard Hudson and Gary Adshead.

 His modesty was rewarded with the Farr/Cookson canting keel 50 setting the IRC handicap rated pace which her major rivals including the 8 time race winner Saltash II failed to match.

Quantum Racing which averaged an impressive 11.76 knots was simply sailed to fast and smart which allowed her proud owner to have his name engraved on the historical 60yr Courier Mail Cup for the second time.

His last win in 1995 with Millenium still remains a cherished memory and is one of the reasons why the Ray Roberts racing team support the iconic Queensland blue water classic.

Quantum Racing beat an impressive fleet including Bill Wild’s Hugh Welbourne designed 42 Wedgetail and the Graeme Wood skippered TP52 Wot Yot.

This result combined with the line honours trophy defence by Ichi Ban allowed the CYCA team of Quantum Racing Wot Yot and Ichi Ban to win the Federation Cup teams trophy by a wide margin.