2025 RACE INFORMATION
RACE SCHEDULE
FRIDAY 31 JANUARY 2025
FRIDAY 7 FEBRUARY 2025
SATURDAY 8 FEBRUARY 2025
- 1700 – Race entry closes.
FRIDAY 7 FEBRUARY 2025
- 1830 – Welcome, Race and Weather Briefing.
- To be held at Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club, Keanes Point Peppermint Grove.
SATURDAY 8 FEBRUARY 2025
- 0900 Boat Start off Port Beach in North Fremantle.
- Blue Water Race, one start for all divisions.
- Spectator boats welcome
- Follow the race online with YB Races. All yachts will carry tracking devices.
- On a smartphone or tablet, download the app ‘YB Races’ and seach for Bunbury and Return 2025. It’s free to watch
OFFICIAL NOTICE BOARD
All notices to competitors will be published here.
- Supplementary Sailing Instructions will be posted one week prior to the race commencement.
- Tracking units will be distributed at the race briefing.
- Tracker Instructions
PRELIMINARY NOTICE
Preliminary notice for the 2025 race coming soon.
NOTICE OF RACE AND SAILING INSTRUCTIONS
Notice of Race and Sailing Instructions will be available to view here on publication of the Ocean Racing WA Handbook for the 2024-25 Season.
SUPPLEMENTARY SAILING INSTRUCTIONS
Supplementary Sailing Instructions will be issued to all competitors and available to view here one week prior to the race.
RACE ENTRY
Coming Soon
ENTRY LIST
A link to the race entries will be published here once entry opens.
RACE TRACKING
The 2025 race will feature live tracking via a Yellow Brick race track viewer.
Prior to the race, on a smartphone or tablet, download the 'YB Races app' from your store and search for Bunbury and Return 2025.
Direct link to the race viewer will be provided here when available.
Prior to the race, on a smartphone or tablet, download the 'YB Races app' from your store and search for Bunbury and Return 2025.
Direct link to the race viewer will be provided here when available.
RESULTS
All results for the 2025 event will be available here on completion of the race.
RACE HISTORY
| RESULTS | YELLOW BRICK TRACING RACE REPLAY | |
| 2024 | Race Replay | |
| 2023 | 2023 Race Replay | |
| 2022 | 2022 Race Replay | |
| 2021 | 2021 Race Replay | |
| 2020 | 2020 Race Replay | |
| 2019 | 2019 Race Replay | |
| 2018 | 2018 Race Replay not available | |
| 2017 | 2017 Race Replay | |
| 2016 | 2016 Race Replay | |
| 2015 | 2015 Race Replay | |
| 2014 | 2014 Race Replay |
OCEAN RACING WA SEASON HANDBOOK
A link to the Ocean Racing WA (ORWA) "Yellow Book" will be available here once published.
FURTHER INFORMATION
For further information, email [email protected]
or phone 9286 8200
or phone 9286 8200
BUNBURY AND RETURN OCEAN RACE - SINCE 1948
The 77th Bunbury and Return Ocean Race is scheduled to start at 9am off Port Beach in North Fremantle on Saturday 8 February 2025. The race will take the fleet out to sea before heading south to Bunbury and return.
Passage race – 170 nautical miles of blue water racing from Fremantle to Bunbury and Return.
In partner with Koombana Bay Sailing Club, Bunbury.
The race is part of the Farrawa Cup Series, Ocean Racing WA Blue Water Series and Ocean Racing WA Siska Series.
The Bunbury and Return Ocean Race is not the longest race in Western Australia but it is the oldest and holds a special place on the ocean racing calendar in the State.
It began in 1948 with a bold venture to sail for 100 ocean miles, overnight down a featureless unlit coast.
An idea by Keith Stevenson, owner of the beautiful Sunset Class yacht Maid Marion, spurred on by the enthusiasm of Cyril Sampson (then Commodore) and Roland Smith who were both motivated by the 1945 inauguration of the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race, the Club resolved that an ocean race to Bunbury be organised. An open invitation to all Clubs was sent.
Fifteen yachts entered in the inaugural race which began on 24 February 1948. The start line was inside Fremantle Harbour, opposite ‘B’ Shed on Victoria Quay with the race to begin anytime after sunset when officials decided weather conditions were favourable (that is when the land based easterly had begun). Well wishes cheered as the race started at 1am on the 25th. The course was to Bell and Fairway Buoys, around Rottnest Island to Port, lit by its two lighthouses, then south to Bunbury. Maid Marion was the first to arrive in 23 hrs, 29 mins. From 1949 onwards it became the Bunbury and Return Ocean Race.
The 2016 record which was held by Indian (C.Carter) – 17h 42m 09s was broken in the 2023 race by David Davenport's Crush who completed the race in 16h 26m 21s.
Passage race – 170 nautical miles of blue water racing from Fremantle to Bunbury and Return.
In partner with Koombana Bay Sailing Club, Bunbury.
The race is part of the Farrawa Cup Series, Ocean Racing WA Blue Water Series and Ocean Racing WA Siska Series.
The Bunbury and Return Ocean Race is not the longest race in Western Australia but it is the oldest and holds a special place on the ocean racing calendar in the State.
It began in 1948 with a bold venture to sail for 100 ocean miles, overnight down a featureless unlit coast.
An idea by Keith Stevenson, owner of the beautiful Sunset Class yacht Maid Marion, spurred on by the enthusiasm of Cyril Sampson (then Commodore) and Roland Smith who were both motivated by the 1945 inauguration of the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race, the Club resolved that an ocean race to Bunbury be organised. An open invitation to all Clubs was sent.
Fifteen yachts entered in the inaugural race which began on 24 February 1948. The start line was inside Fremantle Harbour, opposite ‘B’ Shed on Victoria Quay with the race to begin anytime after sunset when officials decided weather conditions were favourable (that is when the land based easterly had begun). Well wishes cheered as the race started at 1am on the 25th. The course was to Bell and Fairway Buoys, around Rottnest Island to Port, lit by its two lighthouses, then south to Bunbury. Maid Marion was the first to arrive in 23 hrs, 29 mins. From 1949 onwards it became the Bunbury and Return Ocean Race.
The 2016 record which was held by Indian (C.Carter) – 17h 42m 09s was broken in the 2023 race by David Davenport's Crush who completed the race in 16h 26m 21s.
