Melbourne to Geelong race - All ready

by John Curnow on 10 Sep 2010 Early in the morning of Saturday September 11, 66 boats are going to prepare themselves for the start of the annual Melbourne to Geelong race.

This year 24 vessels are joining their racing cousins in the brand new Cruising Division. 20 will be in the Cruising with Spinnakers Division and four in the non-spinnaker category. This is a wonderful result and one that got Ocean Racing Club of Victoria Vice Commodore, Don Fraser, very enthused, ‘It’s just marvelous to see the way these two categories have been taken up. We have a wonderful assortment of cruising craft, ranging from the lovely Swan 65 ketch, Independent Endeavour to a Holland 25 (Nerius) and an oh-so-new Hanse 375, named Graf Spee.’

Elsewhere in the cruising fleet, Galaxy have been suggesting they are a chance and there is also the Beneteau 50 Biddy Hu II, which may be able to use some waterline length to get up the front. Our hosts from the Royal Geelong Yacht Club have several yachts entered, including Bundaberg, the venerable Adams and Cadence. One boat to look out for will be Vicsail Savoir Faire. The Beneteau 47.7 could run them all over and there is also the Farr 50 Cruiser, Ocean Safari, which will be trying hard. They certainly did so last year in the racing division.

As the ORCV has just announced a new Cruising Division for Australia’s oldest ocean race, the Melbourne to Launceston event, which is 103 years of age, you would think the wonderful attendance for this event would augur well for the Christmas time race.

The racing fleet is set to be very hotly contested, as the Melbourne to Geelong race cannot be dropped from the Melbourne Winter Series total calculations. This is particularly important for the Beneteau First 40 known as Wicked and the Geelong based DK46, Extasea. They will spearhead a magnificent Melbourne versus Geelong tussle in the premier IRC category. Lou Abraham’s Challenge and the Farr52, Goldfinger will duke it out for the final place on the podium and presently, the forecast would favour the latter.

In Division Two of IRC, Rob Sill’s INSX is looking to finish off yet another great season. If they do, they will be the lowest point score of the season and take the Lord Warden Trophy for their efforts, which is exactly what the NSX 38 did last year. Aiming to keep them in check will be Hush, Alibi and Fade 2 Grey.

The Australian Measurement System (AMS) is increasingly popular and that boat, Wicked, should take out Division One. It is in Division Two where the real competition will be occurring. Nutcracker holds a slender lead, with Hush, Alibi and Fade 2 Grey all keen to say something about the final standings.

In the Performance Handicap System, Goldfinger will be aiming to lock out 2009 Melbourne to Hobart Westcoaster winner, Jazz Player. The latter is a Bakewell-White Z39 and over the course of the Summer and then Winter, they have been getting quicker and quicker. Andrew Lawrence and crew are certainly one to keep an eagle eye on, for they often slip in under the radar.

INSX and Nutcracker will be trying to win the Division Two PHS title and third place will come from the small armada made up of Alibi, Fade 2 Grey, Spirit of Freya, Rogue Trader and the ultra happy band aboard the Inglis 39 Beyond Outrageous.

The Sydney 38s have been having their own sub-series as part of the Winter fun, in preparation for their National Championships in Geelong this Summer. Challenge is the clear leader, but you still have to finish this race, as you cannot drop it from you overall total. In other words, it’s not over until you’re tied to the quay. Second and third will be decided in this race. There are three boats for the two places. Presently, Audacious is in front of Clockwork and Chutzpah38, so we shall see how it all washes out on Saturday night. The course is particularly important here, for it is not a straight line, so strategy will play an important role. Vessels have to complete certain sectors in the top of Port Phillip before they can commence the journey West.

Presently the weather models show West Nor’west at 10-15knots, but are inconclusive as to what time it will go soft after that. ORCV Rear Commodore, Simon Dryden, who will be the Race Director, has a quandary on his hands, for if he chooses too short a course, the fleet will arrive too early and if it is too long, too much drinking time will be missed. ‘Yes. I’m certainly weighing all my options this evening, so we can choose the correct options for both the racers and the cruisers.’

Looking at the forecast, boats that could do well on the day are Goldfinger, Gienah, Extasea, Challenge and Wicked. In cruising, the tip would be Vicsail Savoir Faire. Perhaps Caledonia and Pretty Woman, who have been in racing previously, will use their skills and maybe Dionysos will be faster than they think.

Naturally, there is one thing that all will be aiming to do and that is get to the party in a hurry. Our hosts at the RGYC are somewhat legendary for their efforts in this department and the band is set to take to the stage at 7pm. Sounds great.

See orcv.org.au for the full Melbourne Winter Series results, to date.