Melbourne to Apollo Bay - Light Weather Specialists

by John Curnow on 14 May 2010 Melbourne to Apollo Bay. Light Weather Specialists are going to love the 2010 Melbourne to Apollo Bay race from 0100 on Saturday 15/05/10.

Having said all of that, I am very quickly reminding myself of the recent Melbourne Two Handed race and the fact that the weather will do precisely what it wants, when it wants... Note to self - plenty of thermals – it's going to be cold and damp. Note to catering officer - HOT DRINKS - and lots thereof.

Apollo Bay sits on Victoria's Surfcoast near Cape Otway, which holds the title of the State's highest average annual rainfall, at 2500mm. The wind models show the race starting with winds from the Nor' west at around 5knots and by Saturday evening, when the fleet should be returning back through the Heads, it has clocked all the way through the Southern quadrants to the Nor' east and is around 10-15knots. There is a 1m sea on top of a 2-3m Sou' westerly swell predicted for the area, too. You would want to correlate all that with your Tidetech information, as the clever Naviguessers will have the boat in the right spot at the right time for the Trimmers to get a bit of poke out of the sails and run away from the opposition. Remember that there is a strong current that runs along the beach here and even extends out to sea a little. Some may even be able to get the light asymmetricals up and working, so we will be very keen to get the onboard Intel from the likes of our Happiest Crew on the Water holders, Audacious, along with ORCV Commodore George Shaw and Robyn Brooke going two-handed on The Secretary. Also, we have ‘Mystery Man' on whatever boat he's making the journey on, who'll provide some information too.

This anticipated light weather will suit the more modern and lighter craft in the 27-boat fleet and so Extasea, Beyond Outrageous and Audacious should no doubt all be up front. Wicked (2nd overall in the 2009 Rolex Sydney Hobart) will be the one to watch, as she is light and has an experienced crew onboard. Remedy has also got be looked at, as she will represent the smaller boats and if there is the anticipated seabreezes, then she could bring home the handicap bacon. Chikara Outlaw is another boat that will be keen to receive anything, as long as it includes sprung sheets or kites. Of course the Beneteau 45's have a great rating, so if the crew on Schuss get the boat to sail to rating, then they'll have to be a feature on the scoreboard.

One of the factors worth mentioning here is the fog. If it get's burnt early, then there'll be an earlier and stronger seabreeze for the afternoon. Where the boats are, relative to the fog clearing, will determine finishing order, just as it did in last year's Melbourne to Stanley race.

The answer to all of this is a whole heap of fun and games. There is a lot of interest in this race, as it is the last event of the 2009/10 Ocean Racing Club of Victoria's offshore season and there are places and trophies/prizes in many categories up for grabs. The first to get two of the much-prized McConaghy Melbourne Offshore Championship flags will get the wheel. Lord knows how it will be if one of the previous winners from the likes of Pretty Woman, Caledonia or Chikara Outlaw doesn't get another...

In the Australian Measurement System category, Alien leads The Secretary with Extasea or Beyond Outrageous to get onto the podium, depending on their results. IRC has Alien in front, by more of a margin, then Extasea and The Secretary. Jazz Player and Slinky Malinky look too far out to strike, but there you have those famous last words again... In the Performance Handicap class, Beyond Outrageous leads, just, from Yoko and Slinky Malinky, with Alien and The Secretary well and truly in a position to strike.

[Sorry, this content could not be displayed]
It would seem Peter Blake's old record from 1999 with Kaos, looks set to last yet another year. Joanne Harpur is heading back out for the second time with Spirit of Freya and another former Melbourne Latitude Series competitor, now fully-fledged skipper, is Kathryn de Garis, who'll be bringing Allegresse out for a spin for the first time since completing the ORCV's introduction to ocean racing series.

The Dark Horse would have to be the Welsh's with their Beneteau First 40, Wicked. 70's champions the Cole 43, Full Circle and the Petersen 44 known as Bacardi (and the Bus to even more sailors), will certainly get the sentimental vote. With so much riding on the results in so many categories and some very tricky weather to overcome, this is bound to be one interesting race.

[Sorry, this content could not be displayed]
[Sorry, this content could not be displayed]