Melbourne to King Island - Delightful Autumnal Sailing
by John Curnow on 6 Mar 2010
Jazz Player -Melbourne to King Island John Curnow
It was a fairly benign and thankfully, quite warm start for the Ocean Racing Club of Victoria fleet at 0000hrs on Friday night. At the Queenscliff start line, the winds were under 10knots and from the predicted WNW quadrant. As they stuck their noses out into Bass Strait, they found waves of around just one metre rolling in gently from the SSW.
Somewhat unfortunately, Independent Endeavour did not make the start, so there will be no Swan on the menu here at King Island today. They will be doubly frustrated, as the weather would really suit the heavier boat looking to get back into ocean racing, after a substantial refit.
From the first radio sked at 0635hrs, we find that the 10knot SW they were experiencing once they got outside, has pushed them all along nicely. Here on King Island, we already have a genuine Westerly of 10knots and it is magnificent. What are we doing here with the keyboard in our hands and not the helm?
John Hiscock, the Commodore of the King Island Boat Club, believes the Westerly will help kick them along and expects the leaders in for a late lunch. Just touching on food then, John is the man who made the famous and much-quoted line in these parts, 'The toughest thing about our steak sandwiches are the onions!' Having said all of that, I think that it's time to go and get my first one of the day.
Soon enough it will be all about steak sandwiches for the leading crews too. At least for Magic Carpet, Chikara Outlaw and Jazz Player, all of whom are due in around 1500hrs. They have covered around 84% of the course and have a dozen miles or so to go.
In AMS, Jazz Player leads from Geomatic Joker, with Addiction and Beyond Outrageous with a gangway between them in third. These latter two boats are nearly identical Inglis' and really are that close!!!
In IRC, Magic Carpet leads over Jazz Player and Ninety Seven. Theses leaders must be able to see each other out there, with just a couple of miles separating them. Magic Carpet looks set to claim the next McConaghy Melbourne Offshore Championship flag as they also lead PHS, with Chikara Outlaw and Jazz Player in the equation as well.
At this time, our last boat, Magic, should be home around 2100hrs tonight.
From out on the water, Paul Pascoe aboard, Caledonia, tells us they are '…in 12knots from the West and the crew are loving being in shorts and sunnies!'
One of the things all crews will be keen to remember is that there is a strong Northerly tide that will run a little later in the day. Last year, many crews fared poorly, by not obeying this fact and staying in really close to the beaches and rocks.
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