The Gold Coast Marina & Shipyard are a Gold Coast staple with a long reputation for excellence in boating repairs, maintenance, our beautiful marina and our love of getting out on the water promoting a boatie lifestyle in boats of all shapes and sizes, including sailboats.
Andrew Chapman, Chief Operating Offer of GCCM, explains:
‘The Team at GCCM is very passionate about boating and many people start their boating with dinghy sailing. Many Australian Schools and Yacht Clubs have great programs for juniors that start in dinghy’s and progress to the larger keel vessels. This obviously is the incubator for boat ownership, so we believe we are putting back into growing boating by strategically sponsoring different sailing vessels.’
The GCCM Team are currently involved with different segments of the sailing sport, being proud sponsors of four very different sailing yachts that all have a distinct focus. If you’d like to learn more about these boats – keep reading below!
Bumblebee 4
‘Bumblebee 4 is a true Ocean going yacht that is focussed on passage racing and longer campaigns offshore and some of the more exciting regatta weeks’, Andrew Chapman.
The 24.11m/79’1″ sail yacht (ex. Ragamuffin) was built by Kelly & Hough in 1979 for the 1979 Sydney to Hobart in which she attained line honours. Bumblebee 4 is built with an aluminium hull and aluminium superstructure with aluminium decks.
She has since competed in subsequent Sydney to Hobart races, finishing in 3rd place in 1985. As Ragamuffin she also spent time competing in the Maxi Worlds at St Tropez and at Hamilton Island Race week.
In 2017 the boat was bought by a local QLD syndicate where she went through a substantial refit and changed her name back to Bumblebee 4 to prepare the boat for the 2018 Brisbane to Gladstone yacht race. She has been racing locally in the Sail Paradise/Southport, Hamilton Island and Airlie Beach race weeks ever since.
Bumblebee 4 is also sponsored by Bradford marine, JOTUN Paints, Propglide, AME and Pacific Trim. Well done to all of the incredible GCCM onsite partners who contribute to the longevity and success of this incredible yacht.
GCCM Arctic Blonde
Arctic Blonde is a Hick 39 performance sailing yacht designed and built by Hick Marine in Melbourne who participates in the same races as Bumblebee 4 and recently the Brisbane womenskeelboatcup2023. Andrew Chapman notes that she is a ‘a versatile vessel that participates in the inshore twilights series on the Broadwater at Southport as well as some passage racing and the Festival regattas like Hamilton Island Race Week’.
Proudly sponsored by Australian Boating Supplies, D’Aprix Marine Services, Harbourforce Marine, International Yacht Paint Asia Pacific, Lumark, Pacific Trim, Wise Boatbuilding, Wrap It Marine as well as GCCM.
Wild One
‘Wild One is a rebuild project that will hit the water later this year that has an end goal of Sydney to Hobart success in the 2 handed division’, Andrew Chapman. She is an Inglis 47 and is a former Sydney to Hobart record holder. She is being refitted with recycled components and a lot of shipbuilding skills here at GCCM.
Listen to owner Con discuss about this new initiative from Sweep Marine Racing that fits completely with our Closing The Loop on Waste project at the marina. Long life to Sweep Marine Racing! https://fb.watch/jnt9CyzTex/
The Little Aussie Lap – Extreme Sports Sailing
Manned by Gold Coast Local Xavier Doerr in his 21-foot Mini Transat, The Little Aussie Lap is just that – a lap around Australia, and once Xavier Doerr’s adventure is over, he will be the fastest, youngest sailor to complete the journey on the smallest boat. The journey is set to break the below records:
- Smallest sail boat to circumnavigate Australia (monohull, solo) – (new record)
- Youngest person to circumnavigate Australia by sail boat (monohull, solo) – (new record), and being the
- Fastest solo and non-stop circumnavigation of Australia in a monohull sailing vessel – (breaking the current record held)
Andrew Chapman comments that this voyage ‘ticks so many boxes for everyone at GCCM. Xavier Doerr is a 21 year old Ocean going sailor who has 2 Sydney to Hobart’s under his belt already. He is a young man who has big ambitions and we are helping him achieve those ambitions. He will depart Southport in late April 2023 and sail non stop unassisted anti-clockwise around Australia. We are so proud to be assisting him to fulfill his ambitions and set those records. Here at GCCM we like to get involved with cutting edge new projects and that’s what extreme sailing demands’.
Xavier Doerr’s voyage is also sponsored by SWEEP Marine, Mass Products, B&G, Aramex, Southern Seas Marine, Waterline Dive Cleaning, Deepwater Collective, Australian Framing Solutions, Rawcorp and Zhik.
‘Sailing is a great Team sport that does not see age or gender as a barrier and we are the springboard here at GCCM to get people from their car onto the water to enjoy time with their family and friends whilst enjoying the benefits of being out on the water’, Andrew Chapman.
