A group of 81 Jet Ski riders from around Australia have helped raise $194,000 for sick and disadvantaged kids as part of the annual Yamaha Variety Jet Trek ocean ride for charity.
The 2021 event returned to the Queensland coastline after covering both NSW and Queensland the previous year.
The 2021 Yamaha Variety Jet Trek – a week-long, 600km ocean ride – started in Caloundra just north of Brisbane on 22 March 2021 and finished in Gladstone on 27 March 2021, and included a detour and rest day on Fraser Island half way through the event.
Although the event has been sponsored by Yamaha Australia for 16 consecutive years – since 2006 – all three brands are welcome and represented: Yamaha, Sea-Doo and Kawasaki.
As 81 Jet Skis and personal watercraft hit the water each morning, more than 100 support crew follow the journey by road, driving ahead with empty trailers in tow, meeting up with riders at lunch stops and at the end of each day.
The first day – a 100km run from Caloundra to Mooloolaba – was held in wet weather under dark clouds, with one to two-metre ocean swells, although conditions were not bad enough for officials to cancel the leg.
Day two – a 133km run from Mooloolaba to Rainbow Beach – was cancelled and had to be completed by road after organisers declared on-water conditions too dangerous, a requirement of the event permit issued by Queensland safety authorities during severe weather. The forecast: four- to five-metre swells and high winds.
There was some relief from the bad weather on day three for the 100km run from Rainbow Beach to Hervey Bay, the mainland port near Fraser Island. The swell was in the two-metre range and the weather was clear to patchy.
One ski fell victim within the first half hour of day three, even though conditions were deemed calm enough to allow participants to take passengers.
The sinking ski was quickly spotted by the sweep rider of the group, and the father and daughter on board were picked up by fellow riders.
No-one was injured and the rider and passenger made it safely back to the boat ramp.
Due to a large hole in the hull, the craft was towed back to the start of that day’s leg, initially by another Jet Ski and then by an event support vessel.
The rider involved continued the rest of Jet Trek on another participant’s spare Jet Ski.
The next day brought a change of scenery and a change of pace, with a stopover on the magnificent Fraser Island for a rest day.
Fraser Island is the largest sand island in the world – 123 kilometres (76 miles) long, and 22 kilometres (14 miles) wide.
It was listed as a World Heritage site in 1992 and welcomes thousands of tourists each year, many of whom come to fish, relax, or inspect one of the old ship wrecks.
The SS Maheno, which served as a hospital ship in World War I, was used for bombing practice by the Australian Air Force in World War II.
It washed ashore in 1935 while being towed to Japan to be broken up for scrap. The tow chain snapped in the middle of a cyclone and the rudderless ship ended up on Fraser Island where it has been ever since.
Day five was the biggest leg of the journey, two 100km runs back-to-back – one before lunch, and another in the afternoon – on the way to the remote coastal town of Seventeen Seventy, near Agnes Water.
Seventeen Seventy is so named because it is the site of the second landing in Australia by British explorer James Cook, who arrived there in May 1770, a month after discovering and naming Botany Bay near what is known today as Sydney Airport.
Fortunately, the bad weather from earlier in the week had cleared for the final two days. The ocean was glassed out, delivering among the most magical conditions the event has ever enjoyed.
The final leg on day six was a 100km run from Agnes Water to the finish line in Gladstone – and also delivered near-perfect riding conditions.
The 81 riders and more than 100 road crew – split into seven teams to ease congestion on the water and at boat ramps – helped raise in excess of $194,000.
While the fundraising tally was lower than previous years, it was higher than expected given the travel restrictions and limited entries due to the coronavirus crisis.
As always, every dollar counts and goes to a good cause.
The 2021 event was the 23rd annual running of the charity ocean ride. Yamaha Australia has been the primary sponsor of Jet Trek since 2006.
“We’re super excited to make sure that we’re helping out unfortunate kids, as well as the families,” said Marty Kypr, the national product manager for Yamaha WaveRunners in Australia.
“It’s something we dearly love to be a part of. It’s so good for the community and it’s dear to us as a brand. It’s something we will continue to be a part of in the future,” said the Yamaha Australia executive.
Over more than two decades, the Yamaha Variety Jet Trek ocean ride for charity has raised more than $2 million to buy special equipment for kids and families in need.
Yamaha Variety Jet Trek timeline
2022 Mackay QLD to Port Douglas QLD, March 2022, click here for more information
2021 Caloundra QLD to Gladstone QLD, 81 entrants, $194,000 raised
2020 Coffs Harbour NSW to Sunshine Coast QLD, 90 entrants, $312,000 raised
2019 Bundaberg QLD to Hamilton QLD, 95 entrants, $404,708 raised (passed $2 million total)
2018 Sydney NSW to Yamba NSW, 115 entrants, $380,000 raised (20th anniversary)
2017 Mission Beach QLD to Whitsundays QLD, 92 entrants, $270,000 raised
2016 Portland VIC to Phillip Island VIC, 58 entrants, $140,000 raised
2015 Yeppoon QLD to Sanctuary Cove QLD (Yamaha 10th year as sponsor)
2014 Port Macquarie NSW to Mooloolaba QLD
2013 Cooktown QLD to Townsville QLD
2012 Grafton NSW to Tin Can Bay QLD
2011 Townsville QLD to Halliday Bay QLD
2010 Bundaberg QLD to Kingscliff NSW
2009 Mission Beach QLD to Airlie Beach QLD
2008 Yeppoon QLD to Gold Coast QLD
2007 Grafton NSW to Noosa QLD
2006 Rainbow Beach QLD to Ballina NSW (Yamaha 1st year as sponsor)
2005 Yeppoon QLD to Caloundra QLD
2004 No event
2003 Raby Bay QLD to Hervey Bay QLD
2002 Townsville QLD to Mackay QLD
2001 Townsville QLD to Port Douglas QLD
2000 Coffs Harbour NSW to Hervey Bay QLD
1999 Yeppoon QLD to Gold Coast QLD
1998 Yeppoon QLD to Gold Coast QLD
MORE: 2020 Yamaha Variety Jet Trek coverage and video
MORE: 2019 Yamaha Variety Jet Trek coverage and video
MORE: 2018 Yamaha Variety Jet Trek coverage
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