Cutting themselves some Latitude

by John Curnow on 20 Nov 2009
You may remember the call from the Ocean Racing Club of Victoria to go and cut yourself some Latitude, right here on Sail-World, we published here on 6th November 2009.

Well done to Rodney and Sandy Watson on 'Emma-Kate' and Kathryn De Garis on 'Allegresse', because that is precisely what they are going to do, at relatively tolerable and light, 06:30hrs on Saturday, 21/11/09.

Our three 'newby' Skippers going out to stick their noses in Bass Strait, for their very first time and that is exactly what the Melbourne Latitude Series is all about. Educating new comers to the wonders of blue water sailing.

There are 11 other boats going out there with some of their crew also getting their first experiences of departing the Port Phillip’s Heads at slack water (the zeniths of the change of tides). One of those boats is Joanne Harpur's 'Spirit of Freya', a Sunfast 36. She did the very last Melbourne Latitude Series as Skipper on Nick McGuigan's 'Magazan 53' and now has her own boat. If that's not a full Victor Kyam moment right there, then I'm going to hang up my keyboard!!!

The Farr38 'Escapade' is going out, as too is 'Schuss' from Royal Brighton Yacht Club, who've already taken care of their MOB drill for real, which was captured for posterity by Scott Nunn for us. There's also the little S&S30, 'Harmony' from Hobson’s Bay Yacht Club in there, Laurie 'Lozza' Ford from 'Spirit of Downunder' and our Boss, ORCV Commodore George Shaw, aboard his J44 'The Secretary'. We look forward to seeing how these and all of the fleet go.
[Sorry, this content could not be displayed]
I'm glad it looks fairly benign out there for the Bass Strait component of the weekend for the sake of our newest arrivals. No one wants to have to face a super cold and blustery one, but then the last one earlier on this year kind of qualified for that...

No matter, Race Director, Simon Dryden indicated that there was likely to be SE to NE at 5 to 10kn, with a change arriving overnight on Saturday, in time for Sunday’s Pursuit Race from Blairgowrie Yacht Squadron on the Mornington Peninsula to Sandringham Yacht Club in suburban Melbourne.

So if it isn't, then one of us has put the hex on it. The change is believed to be some 15 to 20kn out of the South. Anyway, that's the prediction - let's see what actually happens!

Come back soon to see how our 'newbie’s' have gone with going and sticking their noses in it.