| Melbourne-Vanuatu race - a welcome winter relief |
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A first-ever ocean race is to be sailed from Melbourne to Vanuatu’s capital Port Vila in July next year and within a week of announcing the 1,885 nautical mile event, sixteen yachts had already been signed-up, with owners of another fifteen expressing interest. ‘It’s a great acknowledgement of the attraction of Vanuatu as a sunny South Pacific haven during the Australian winter,’ said Marketing Manager for the Vanuatu Tourism Office, John Cvetko. ‘We’re anticipating a lot more yachts will be entered. There’s also interest from New Zealand in a parallel event, with yachts from both countries then competing against each other in a race from Vanuatu to Queensland for the annual Whitsunday winter regattas.’ The Melbourne-Vila race is being organised by the Ocean Racing Club of Victoria, whose Event Manager, George Shaw, said would offer many challenges over an expected two-weeks at sea. ‘Crews will sail out of Port Phillip Bay on July 2 2006 and will face the bone-chilling southerlies of Bass Strait, before heading into the exotically warm reaching conditions of the south east trade winds,’ Shaw said. ‘Crews will be rugged up as they leave, yet in shorts and T-shirts a fortnight later as they sail into the Port Vila harbour.’ The Vanuatu Cruising Yacht Club is host club for the finish of the race. The Club is planning a number of local and inter-island races and competitions between the Australia, New Zealand and the other entries from around the world that will be in Port Vila over winter 2006. For more information on the Melbourne-Vila race contact the Ocean Racing Club of Victoria on (03) 9689 1622 or email orcv@orcv.org.au
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