How it all Started
The Queensland Beneteau Owners Group was set up in 2005 by Beneteau owners Dave Waller (Medina ) and Mike Gibson (Curlew) berthed near each other at Raby Bay. They regularly compared notes about all things Beneteau . ‘How do you solve this’? ‘How do you fix that?’ ‘Look how I have done this.’
After a while they thought perhaps there were other Beneteau owners who would like to have a chat and share information, so they decided to form a group with the aim of providing a forum for like minded Beneteau owners to:
Share information Organise events for social and competitive sailing Organise information evenings
Beneteau owners were sought out and social events and cruises were organised. However it soon became apparent that most yacht crews have a competitive streak in them, some more than others, so it was decided that a good way to get other Beneteau together would be to have a Beneteau Regatta, and so the Beneteau Cup was created.
The first Queensland Beneteau Cup was hosted by Cleveland Yacht Club and sponsored by Vicsail, the Australian Beneteau agent at the time.
12 Beneteaus competed from as far away as Southport and Mooloolaba. The first day was two windward and return races and the second was a passage race, a format which was kept for the next four years. Vicsail hosted presentation and cocktail parties on the Saturday and Sunday night. Ocean Blue was the first Beneteau Cup winner.
The 2007 Beneteau Cup was again hosted by Cleveland Yacht Club, but in 2008 a Regatta Committee was formed and the decision was made to move to Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron, where we would have ample berthing for visiting yachts and on site social and catering facilities.
The original Regatta Committee was Founders Dave Waller and Mike Gibson, Doug McLeod, Mark Hipgrave, Stuart Markwell and Jane Virtue who took on the role of Regatta Co-ordinator. The next year Trish and Peter Brooks replaced Doug and Michael. This team worked together diligently for the next four years. As the fleet grew two divisions were introduced – Spinnaker and Non Spinnaker, trophies were presented for both divisions.
In 2009 Ensign Yachts became the Queensland Beneteau Dealer and agreed to be the principal sponsor. Our entry numbers grew to 20 in that year.
In 2010, the committee, with some prompting for others, thought that as everyone enjoyed the reasonably low key racing and the great social atmosphere, that it would be good to share it with other French Yachts . After much discussion an invitation was issued to other French Yachts to compete in a French Yacht Challenge on the Saturday of the Beneteau Cup. This way the regatta would be expanded on the Saturday, while keeping the French flavour and the Sunday racing would be purely for Beneteaus, thus maintaining our Beneteau identity. The passage race was switched to Saturday to allow a more leisurely race for the French Challenge.
The inaugural 2010 Ensign yachts French Yacht challenge, had 34 entries, 24 of whom were Beneteaus. Flight Deck, a Jenneau 32, Michael and Leanne Schmidt, won the first French yacht Challenge and at the Beneteau Cup presentation the following day the Beneteau Cup went to new comer to the Beneteau scene, Barry McCarthy’s Brilliant Pearl from Mooloolaba.
The social side started with a French type registration breakfast and included the ‘must have’ Croissants , French music and Competitors pretending to be direct from Paris and Ensign Yachts representative, Florian, speaking French at every opportunity. Thus the scene was set for a very successful weekend and a format that was repeated in 2011.
The regatta format has changed over the years. In 2021 there were Performance, Cruising Spinnaker, Rally and Double Handed divisions. In 2022 the French Yacht Challenge was sailed over both the Saturday and the Sunday to align with the Beneteau Cup. The current sponsor of the Beneteau Cup is Spririt Marine.
In 2021 The Queensland Beneteau Owners Group was replaced by the incorporated association the Queensland French Yacht Owners Association Inc.
In 2022, to recognize the contribution of Jane Virtue to the Beneteau Group and to Sailing in general, the Beneteau Cup was renamed in her honour. In 2024 the inaugral Jeanneau Cup will be held and is being sposored by Mooloolaba Yacht Brokers.
After a while they thought perhaps there were other Beneteau owners who would like to have a chat and share information, so they decided to form a group with the aim of providing a forum for like minded Beneteau owners to:
Share information Organise events for social and competitive sailing Organise information evenings
Beneteau owners were sought out and social events and cruises were organised. However it soon became apparent that most yacht crews have a competitive streak in them, some more than others, so it was decided that a good way to get other Beneteau together would be to have a Beneteau Regatta, and so the Beneteau Cup was created.
The first Queensland Beneteau Cup was hosted by Cleveland Yacht Club and sponsored by Vicsail, the Australian Beneteau agent at the time.
12 Beneteaus competed from as far away as Southport and Mooloolaba. The first day was two windward and return races and the second was a passage race, a format which was kept for the next four years. Vicsail hosted presentation and cocktail parties on the Saturday and Sunday night. Ocean Blue was the first Beneteau Cup winner.
The 2007 Beneteau Cup was again hosted by Cleveland Yacht Club, but in 2008 a Regatta Committee was formed and the decision was made to move to Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron, where we would have ample berthing for visiting yachts and on site social and catering facilities.
The original Regatta Committee was Founders Dave Waller and Mike Gibson, Doug McLeod, Mark Hipgrave, Stuart Markwell and Jane Virtue who took on the role of Regatta Co-ordinator. The next year Trish and Peter Brooks replaced Doug and Michael. This team worked together diligently for the next four years. As the fleet grew two divisions were introduced – Spinnaker and Non Spinnaker, trophies were presented for both divisions.
In 2009 Ensign Yachts became the Queensland Beneteau Dealer and agreed to be the principal sponsor. Our entry numbers grew to 20 in that year.
In 2010, the committee, with some prompting for others, thought that as everyone enjoyed the reasonably low key racing and the great social atmosphere, that it would be good to share it with other French Yachts . After much discussion an invitation was issued to other French Yachts to compete in a French Yacht Challenge on the Saturday of the Beneteau Cup. This way the regatta would be expanded on the Saturday, while keeping the French flavour and the Sunday racing would be purely for Beneteaus, thus maintaining our Beneteau identity. The passage race was switched to Saturday to allow a more leisurely race for the French Challenge.
The inaugural 2010 Ensign yachts French Yacht challenge, had 34 entries, 24 of whom were Beneteaus. Flight Deck, a Jenneau 32, Michael and Leanne Schmidt, won the first French yacht Challenge and at the Beneteau Cup presentation the following day the Beneteau Cup went to new comer to the Beneteau scene, Barry McCarthy’s Brilliant Pearl from Mooloolaba.
The social side started with a French type registration breakfast and included the ‘must have’ Croissants , French music and Competitors pretending to be direct from Paris and Ensign Yachts representative, Florian, speaking French at every opportunity. Thus the scene was set for a very successful weekend and a format that was repeated in 2011.
The regatta format has changed over the years. In 2021 there were Performance, Cruising Spinnaker, Rally and Double Handed divisions. In 2022 the French Yacht Challenge was sailed over both the Saturday and the Sunday to align with the Beneteau Cup. The current sponsor of the Beneteau Cup is Spririt Marine.
In 2021 The Queensland Beneteau Owners Group was replaced by the incorporated association the Queensland French Yacht Owners Association Inc.
In 2022, to recognize the contribution of Jane Virtue to the Beneteau Group and to Sailing in general, the Beneteau Cup was renamed in her honour. In 2024 the inaugral Jeanneau Cup will be held and is being sposored by Mooloolaba Yacht Brokers.