Melbourne Osaka Cup Update: A game of strategy as conditions shift
by Melbourne to Osaka Media 20 Mar 23:59 PDT
21 March 2025
Melbourne Osaka Cup: Sailor Moon in calmer waters © John Dynan
What a difference a day makes in the race to Osaka. As the fleet continues its journey north, boats are making strategic choices to adapt to changing winds and sea conditions as Curious Roo and Zero make their 17 degree South safety declarations.
At the front of the pack, Curious Roo the S&S34 who started on March 2nd is holding steady with an approximate 320-nautical-mile lead over the starters from March 9th with Escapade making gains, now just 200nm behind Zero.
For the first two starter groups, the winds have softened, while the doldrums further north continue to indicate pleasing conditions.
Meanwhile, down south, the main fleet (starting March 17th) whilst tracking toward the Victorian border were met with 25-knot headwinds, 2-3m cross seas, and a 2.5-knot current—tough conditions that tested both boats and crews.
Roaring Forty the Lutra Boc Open 40 skipper Kevin Le Poidevin "ventured offshore to assess the conditions, sailing with a double-reefed mainsail and J2.5 headsail before deciding to tack back inshore where the sea state and winds were more manageable." Use this coastal boundary to navigate up toward Gabo Island.
With weather models in hand, Le Poidevin on Roaring Forty "took a bold dig east in search of more favourable wind and current. They tucked in a third reef, furled the J2.5, and hoisted their J4 Heavy Weather Jib to make conditions a little more comfortable."
Other crews also made key tactical moves. Quest, relying on their experience, stayed inshore to avoid the stronger offshore winds, taking the scenic coastal route. Sailor Moon, dealing with a lost jib halyard, opted for a conservative approach—hoisting the storm jib, putting in a third reef, and bunkering down for the day while heading further offshore in an easterly direction.
Just before nightfall, Joker X2 made the tough call to head back towards shore for flatter water and lighter winds. They investigated a water ingress issue, whereas Lord Jiminy headed to Eden for emergency repairs on their jib.
With a southerly change of 10-20 knots expected to arrive sometime during the day, the main fleet is waiting for yet another shift in conditions. The ever-changing nature of this race continues to challenge sailors at every turn as they look towards the change and take on the East Australian Current to project them in the forward direction.
With Alive, the Reichel Pugh 66, to start on March 30th, 27 days after the first boat Curious Roo, will they gain favourable conditions to catch the fleet and be able to break the race record?
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Follow the fleet as they race towards Osaka via the race tracker.
See who started when on the staggered starts: melbourneosakacup.com/en/2025-race-start-times
Learn about the Competitors and boats: melbourneosakacup.com/en/2025-competitors
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