Bass Strait Cup Launches as Three Iconic Ocean Races Set Sail
by Cyrus Allen / ORCV Media 2 Jul 22:34 PDT
Three Hummock Island Race © Port Dalrymple Yacht Club
The coming offshore season presents Victorian sailors with a rare opportunity: three iconic Category 2 ocean races, a brand-new interstate trophy, and the chance to finish the year on one of Australia's most respected offshore courses.
The Ocean Racing Club of Victoria (ORCV) and Port Dalrymple Yacht Club (PDYC) have joined forces to launch the Bass Strait Cup, a new annual award recognising performance across two of Bass Strait's most compelling offshore races: the Melbourne to Devonport (Rudder Cup) Race and Tasmania's Three Hummock Island Race.
Together, these events create a unique offshore campaign that will see competitors cross Bass Strait, explore northern Tasmania, race around one of Australia's most remote offshore islands and compete for a new interstate trophy.
Then, as the year draws to a close, sailors can turn their attention to the ultimate challenge: the Melbourne to Hobart Westcoaster.
A New Interstate Trophy
The Bass Strait Cup will be awarded annually to the yacht achieving the best aggregate result across the Melbourne to Devonport Race and the Three Hummock Island Race.
Using a low-score points system across both events based on the ORCc rating system, the Bass Strait Cup recognises consistency, seamanship and performance across two distinctly different offshore challenges.
The initiative represents a new partnership between ORCV and PDYC and aims to encourage greater participation between Victorian and Tasmanian fleets while celebrating a shared passion for offshore sailing in Bass Strait.
Stage One: Melbourne to Devonport
The journey begins on 30 October with the Melbourne to Devonport (Rudder Cup) Race. A longstanding fixture on the Victorian offshore calendar, the race delivers a true Bass Strait crossing before finishing on Tasmania's north coast, with competitors enjoying the hospitality of Mersey Yacht Club.
For many competitors, however, Devonport is only the beginning.
Following the race, boats will make the short passage east to the Tamar River, where visiting competitors will receive complimentary berthing for up to a week ahead of the Three Hummock Island Race.
Stage Two: Three Hummock Island
Hosted by Port Dalrymple Yacht Club, the Three Hummock Island Race has quickly established itself as one of Tasmania's most distinctive offshore events.
The course takes competitors around remote Three Hummock Island off Tasmania's rugged north-west coast before returning to the Tamar River. This race is a "navigator's choice" event, with boats choosing to round the island in either a clockwise, or anti-clockwise direction. This is where local knowledge will be particularly important.
PDYC will also host a series of social and hospitality events designed to welcome Victorian crews and showcase northern Tasmania's renowned sailing culture, food, wine and waterfront lifestyle.
The result is more than a race. It is a complete offshore adventure combining competitive sailing, interstate camaraderie and exploration of one of Australia's premier cruising and racing destinations.
The Pinnacle: Melbourne to Hobart Westcoaster
While the Bass Strait Cup concludes in Tasmania, the offshore season reaches its ultimate climax on 27 December with the start of the Melbourne to Hobart Westcoaster.
For many Victorian sailors, the Westcoaster remains the defining challenge of an ocean racing career.
The race takes competitors south across Bass Strait and along Tasmania's beautiful west coast before rounding the Maatsuyker Island on the island's south-west corner and turning east toward Hobart. Demanding preparation, resilience and offshore skill, the Westcoaster has earned a reputation as one of Australia's great blue-water races.
The reward is equally memorable. After entering the River Derwent, competitors into Hobart's bustling waterfront and past the famous Taste of Summer precinct before securing berths at Elizabeth Street Pier in the heart of the city.
One Season. Three Great Challenges.
For owners and crews seeking meaningful offshore racing, the next six months offer an exceptional pathway. The Melbourne to Devonport Race. The Three Hummocks Island Race. The Melbourne to Hobart Westcoaster.
Three iconic Category 2 races. Two states. One Bass Strait crossing after another. And an opportunity to be part of one of the most exciting offshore seasons in recent memory.
Entries for all races are now open through the Ocean Racing Club of Victoria and Port Dalrymple Yacht Club.