Nelson / Marek 43 – “Quest”
Monohull
Overview
MOTIVATED SELLER!!! MAKE AN OFFER!
Performance Legend “Quest” – Nelson/Marek 43
After a successful two-year campaign to compete in the prestigious 2025 Melbourne to Osaka Yacht Race, Quest – a renowned Nelson Marek 43 – is now proudly offered for sale.
Fresh off her performance in the Osaka Cup where she placed 3rd on handicap and 3rd on line honours, Quest has proven again that she is a true ocean racing contender. She h is now available for inspection at our home waters – the Gold Coast!
Price Reduced for quick sale – all offers invited! 🔥 The sellers want her sold, so make an offer. Seriously, throw your best at us — honest, reasonable offers will be considered.
🏁 Race-Ready and Recent Refit
Over the past two years, Quest underwent an extensive, methodical overhaul to prepare her for 11,000 miles of non-stop, two-handed offshore racing – to Japan and back. Every system was examined, upgraded, or replaced with Category 1 ocean racing standards in mind. She was fitted out with spares for every conceivable failure point and completed the race campaign without a single failure or breakage.
Set up for short-handed sailing, she is remarkably easy to sail for a boat of her size and power. Her race-ready setup makes her a perfect platform for two-handed bluewater racing, but she also doubles as a highly competitive club racer.
A purpose-built hard dodger, invaluable during the Osaka campaign, offers superb protection at sea and can be removed in under an hour to return her to her sleek, original lines.
⛵ Proven Recent Performance (2023–2025)
In the lead-up to the 2025 Osaka Cup, Quest entered all major Victorian offshore races, finishing on the podium in most conditions:
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2025 Osaka Cup – 3rd on handicap & 3rd line honours (two-handed division)
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2024 Melbourne to Hobart – 1st two-handed line honours, 3rd overall line honours, 3rd handicap
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Westcoaster Race – flawless Southern Ocean performance, top speed of 25.2 knots in 40 knots of wind
🌊 Proven Race History (1995–2022)
Beyond her recent achievements, Quest boasts an outstanding offshore racing legacy:
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2nd – 1995 Sydney to Hobart
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Winner – 1995 Hamilton Island Race Week & Telstra Cup
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Winner – 1996 Sydney to Mooloolaba & Kenwood Cup
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4th – 1998 Sydney to Hobart (infamous year)
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Multiple podiums and consistent performance over three decades
Built in 1995 by Nelson Marek Yachts in Rhode Island, USA, Quest is a distinguished 43-foot racer-cruiser designed for performance, endurance, and safety. She remains one of the most competitive and respected yachts in her class.
💡 Summary
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Meticulously prepared for 11,000nm offshore campaign
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Fully compliant with Category 1 and 2 safety standards
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Designed for short-handed sailing, but equally capable fully crewed
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Recently upgraded systems and spares throughout too long to list here (ask Helen for a copy)
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Fast, beautiful, and ready to sail today – just restock and go
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Re-rigged in 2020, invoices available!
📞 Enquiries & Inspections
Owner is negotiable on price and delivery location.
Make an offer and step aboard a proven offshore performer.
Contact Helen James
📞 0480 634 685
Oceania Marine has prepared this information in good faith from details supplied by the vessel’s owner and other sources believed to be reliable. While every reasonable effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information provided, Oceania Marine makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, as to its accuracy, completeness or correctness. Interested parties should make their own enquiries and satisfy themselves as to all aspects of the vessel, including its condition, inventory, specifications and suitability for their intended use. Oceania Marine strongly recommends that all prospective purchasers undertake their own inspection and obtain an independent pre-purchase survey and mechanical inspection where appropriate. Unless otherwise agreed in writing, all vessels are offered for sale on an “as is, where is” basis.
Specifications
Dimensions
| Length Metres | 13.11 |
| Length Feet | 43 |
| Beam | 3.86m |
| Draft | 2.95m |
| Displacement | 6 tonne |
Construction
| Hull Material | Composite Kevlar |
| Designer | Nelson/Marek |
| Builder | Carroll Marine (USA) |
| Build Year | 1994 |
Engines
| Engine Make | Yanmar 3JHH2CE |
| Engine Model | Yanmar 39HP, 3-cylinder engine (2016) |
| Horsepower | 39hp. 75l Fuel tank |
| Engine Hours | Unknown |
| Fuel Type | Diesel |
| Cruise Speed | Approx 6knotts. Propulsion SD 30 sail drive, 2 blade folding propeller |
Registration & Identification
| Survey Details | Survey and all safety, category information and paperwork readily avail at time of inspection |
Accommodation
| Accommodation Description | Racing layout. Main saloon, V berth forward, enclosed head and vanity 2 single berths/settee plus 2 pipe berth main cabin 2 single plus two pipe berths aft Head Jabsco electric fully enclosed with basin Pressure water system to galley and vanity Fusion radio/Bluetooth sound system |
Bathrooms & Plumbing
| Toilets | Electric toilet |
| Water Capacity | Two 100L bladder-style freshwater tanks - New installations. Pressurized cold water system. 1x20, 3x15, 4x10 jerries for water |
Galley
| Galley Description | 1x12 volt Travelmate D2-95 fridge Gasmate stove on gimble bracket Kettle, pots and pans etc 200 litre water bladders (new) |
Electronics & Navigation
| Chartplotter | VHF Icom IC-MA11 HF Icom IC-M802 Stereo radio/Bluetooth – 2 Fusion speakers Quell Cardo Monoxide alarm AIS Send and receive GME x625 hand held UHF with hard wired cradle Emergency HF antenna Emergency VHF antenna with cable Raymarine EV400 sail aiuto pilot system (new 2025) Raymarine auto pilot (good working spare) Raymarine RS 150 GPS system Raymarine Axicom +12 -12inch MFD (new 2025) Raymarine remote card reader A80585 Raymarine P705 auto pilot control 3Raymarine Jumbo displays x 3 Raymarine A67, and A70 muilti functional displays Raymarine linear drive type 2 long Raymarine linear drive type 2 long (new-unused 2025) Iridium Go Exec with date hub and exterior antenna Starlink mini with mounting bracket and power supply Invertor 10 amps Spare Raymarine top of mast complete instruments Spare seatalk cable and connectors Spare electric cable, connectors and fuses 12volt system incorporating, circuit breakers House/start/parallel battery switches 170 amp Balmar alternator & serpentine belt External regulator (programmable) New 2x200 A/H lithium invicta batteries New 1x120 AH start battery sealed AGM New Vitron DC-DC charges ENC charts loaded to plotter Navionics charts loaded to MFD |
Safety Equipment
| Life Raft | Six-man liferaft |
| Safety Certificates | Category 1 safety gear - Offshore compliant (extensive list avail) |
Deck Equipment & Exterior
| Covers / Clears | Removable hard dodger(2023) - Comfort for extended offshore passages, Mainsail boom cover with lazy jacks (2 2022) |
Tender & Toys
| Tender / Dinghy | Small Inflatable |
Sailing Specific
| Rig Type | Masthead sloop. In line fractional alloy mast and boom in good condition. Rig inspection with partial replacement - Completed in 2016. Re-rigged in 2020! Invoice showing full re-rig to boot! New Profurl furler and forestay - Installed 2023. All running and standing rigging in excellent condition |
| Sail Inventory | New Main black double taffeta 3 reef off shore North main 3 reef offshore North main regatta 1 Dacron 3 reef delivery main New furling headsail 1 No4 jib 1 No 5 jib 1 Staysail 1 Jib top reacher – non stretching luff (needs repair) 1 code zero with furler 2 x 1.5oz symmetrical spinnakers 1 x 0.5oz symmetrical spinnaker 2 c 1.5oz asymmetrical spinnaker 3 new snuffers 1 x Trisail 1 x Storm sail |
| Running Rigging | Deck Gear: New Profurl jib furler (2024), 2xLewmar 3 speed 50’s 2 x Lewmar 2 speed 54’s ST 2 x Lewmar 2 speed 44’s ST 2 Harken 2 speed 46’s ST (new) 1 Carbon pole 1 Aluminium whisker pole 2 x spinlock tiller extensions Multiple sheets and braces, spare halyards |
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