Peccadillo set to smash the 2023 Melbourne to Hobart Race Record for Multihulls

It’s been 30 years since a multihull has competed in the Melbourne to Hobart Yacht Race, and there’s every chance this year’s only multihull entrant might smash the existing race record if the weather forecast shared by Race Director David Schuller holds true.

Peccadillo, the Chris White 46 Mk II designed multihull from the Royal Melbourne Yacht Squadron, skippered by past Commodore Charles Meredith, will revel in the 30 to 40-knot westerlies forecast for the 2023 ‘Westcoaster.’

The previous multihull race record was set by Bagatelle in 1988 under skipper Lindsay Cumming in an elapsed time of three days, three hours, 35 minutes and 32 seconds (3d, 3hr, 35 min and 32 sec).

First multiull entery in 30 years, Peccadillo. Photo by Steph McDonald

The fleet will start the race off Portsea Pier in a nice 10 to 15 knot southerly, but as they start to settle into the race, the conditions are forecast to pick up with the wind gusting to over 20 knots and two-metre seas as they close on King Island.

The tacticians are likely to favour a course east of King Island. As they make their way south, the wind is expected to shift slightly westerly, allowing them to ease sheets, and combined with the favourable current, they will make good time down Tasmania’s West Coast.

However, the fleet will need to be on their toes when they approach Maatsuyker Island, with the forecast predicting gale force westerly winds of 30 knots gusting 40 knots. Combined with a sea state of four to five metres, they can expect exhilarating surfing conditions for a super-fast Southern Ocean sleigh ride.

The three double-handed entries, Joker x2, Maverick, and Alex Team Macadie, will have their hands full in these conditions, but with good seamanship, reefed sails, and a whole lot of concentration, they should enjoy the ride.

Alex Toomey, skipper of the Sayer 12, Ryujin, is excited for the race.

“The weather forecast looks a little fruity with the weather models only just starting to line up and we are still a few days out, but for us, a lot will depend upon how cleanly we get out of the [Port Philip] Heads.

“I think, like most of the fleet, we hope to turn the corner before the front gets us.

“Our race plan is to hang onto the leaders in the upwind stuff and then stretch our legs in the lighter airs of Storm Bay and the flatter waters of the [River] Derwent,” said Toomey.

Team Ryujin. Photo Steb Fisher

As is often the case, the winds are predicted to lighten in Storm Bay and the River Derwent, which will test the most seasoned sailors.

Line honours contenders are expected to reach Storm Bay around midday on Friday, with most of the fleet following several hours behind, and this should see the winning boat finishing in the very early hours of Saturday morning.

The monohull race record of 1 day, 17 hours, 28 minutes, and 59 seconds, set by Shortwave in 2008, is not threatened at this stage.

The race offers crews spectacular scenery, incredible bird and marine life, and challenging sailing conditions.

Michael Spies, winner of the 2023 50th anniversary race, considers the Westcoaster one of the world’s greatest ocean races.

The 435 nautical mile Melbourne to Hobart Yacht Race, organised by the ORCV with the cooperation of the Derwent Sailing Squadron, starts off Portsea Pier at 1pm on Wednesday 27 December 2023.

Head to the online tracker to follow all of the race action: https://race.bluewatertracks.com/2023-melbourne-to-hobart-westcoaster

Final Reminders – 2023 Melbourne to Hobart

Skipper’s briefing – December 23rd, 4.30 pm

Will be held at the Sandringham Yacht Club (SYC) Training room. The skipper plus one other must be in attendance. Trackers and race/crew merchandise will be available for pickup. The briefing includes a weather forecast.  As per the NOR, crew changes need to be made by midnight on December 23.  The ORCV Office will close midday on Friday 22nd.

Race day Weather Briefing on December 27th, 7.30 am

As per the NOR, this is a mandatory briefing for skipper and crew members and will be at BYS and online via this Teams link Click here to join the meeting

To qualify you must register with your name and boat name when you join either in-person or via Teams.

Sharing Images - Photo Competition

Help us create great memories of this race for you and encourage others to join the races.

Please join the 2023 Hobart Whatsapp group to share your experiences and photos. 

You can also send a message via email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or via Facebook.  Best images received by 5pm on January 2nd will go in the running for some great Ronstan gear worth $250. Don’t forget to also tag us on Facebook @orcv or Instagram @orcv_racing

Trackers – Turn on After the Ronstan Cock of the Bay

Please turn on your trackers on December 26th as you complete the Ronstan Cock of the Bay. It is your responsibility to check they are tracking by  9 am on the 27th.  Call 0418 396 605 if needed.

• Double-check check you see your boat (in its rough location) on the tracker 
• Make sure you follow the installation instructions 
• Please carry a USB charger cable suitable for the tracker and top up the charge before leaving. They have been charged but there’s nothing like a little top up.
• Share the link with your family and friends so they can follow the race. https://race.bluewatertracks.com/2023-melbourne-to-hobart-westcoaster

Will you join the 10+ Westcoaster Club this race?

Will this race be your 10th Westcoaster? Robin Hewitt's trophy awaits your name (if it's not already there). Please drop us a note with the races and dates. Get in contact with us to let us know please This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Berthing at Blairgowrie (after the Cock of the Bay) - December 26th

If you are staying over at BYS after the Cock of the Bay, please ensure you have

• If you have booked for dinner, the buffet will commence at 6 pm.
• Marina passes (at BYS) are with Jeff Sloan 0417306449
• Fly your battleflag for Hobart upon arrival too please and check your tracker is working.
• Please ensure you drop passes back into this box BEFORE departure.
• Departure is 10 am on the 27th.
• Breakfast on the 27th – The BYS canteen will have Egg and Bacon rolls and coffees etc from 7.30 am for you.
• Wifi Password, showers etc and all you need can be found here
• Contact Details BYS Tower – VHF71 Sailing Office – 5925 9620 Marina Office – 5925 9611 BYS Reception – 5925 9600 + 5
• Please DO NOT berth in empty pens as they could be members of BYS and this causes all sorts of issues. For those rafting, please bring fenders and follow directions upon arrival, you may be directed to a different rafting location on the day.
• BYS Marina Map can be found here 

Berthing allocations for those staying over.

• Alex Team Macadie. D61
• Cadibarra  C60
• Faster Forward. C62
• Jaffa. C61
• Lord Jiminy - Public Jetty
• Peccadillo. A/B THead
• Ryujin. C64
• Santana. C65
• Vertigo. B62
• White Spirit. E41

Think Clean Oceans

“If we all do our bit, it’s better than one person doing everything perfect all the time.”

Let’s work together to make this race sustainable in all we do.

Before, During and Post race, we ask all crews and supporters to consider what you take on board, how you can reduce disposable plastics and other consumables, and use items that can be recycled and reused.

• Tips for what crew can do onboard - click here
• What can be recycled when in Hobart, be surprised and check this out
• Sail / Rope Recycling Post Race – Let us Upcycle them, drop off at the ORCV Van.

If you have sails or rope that are no longer of use, leave them at the ORCV Van for upcycling. We are diverting materials from landfill by sending sails are to Recolab – local Tasmanian creator of unique bags, and rope is going to Castaway Textiles – an artist who creates homewares and art from rope pollution found on beaches and discards from other activities.

Look for these signs at ORCV van:

Share and Win - Share what steps you’ve taken to be more sustainable and the swaps you’ve made in this race. Include some pictures and a short amount of words of these changes. Send photos and words to the whatsapp media (above), make sure you include your boat and crew name.

Winners will be announced on January 2nd in the afternoon and win one of the 2 fabulous prizes (Duffel or Tote bag) from Recolab made from the Jib from Stefan Racing in the 2022 Sydney to Hobart.

1st Prize Jetstream Gear bag perfect for airline carry on and day gear valued at $165

2nd prize Seabreeze Shopper tote valued at $90

Hobart Berthing

Please come prepared with fenders for some rafting. We ask that you follow exactly the directions given with where you will be berthed. It’s a well-thought-through plan and we need to fit in a lot of boats.

• When you arrive, please be patient. Listen to Radio Frequency – channel VHF 09
• Follow directions and berth where directed please.
• Prepare your declarations, work out if you will keep your trackers, tidy up if you need to wait.
• We will meet each boat with your gear and would like to take photos of your crew.
• We will be passing out your yellow caps in Hobart.
• Put up your battleflags (and the additional Willie Smith one to be supplied upon arrival)
• Quarantine bags – please ensure you place any fresh fruit and vegetables into the bags and seal them and pass them back to your race team. This is your time to also sort your rubbish into recycle or not to assist our ground crew.
• Rubbish Bins – there are rubbish bins on the dock, please ensure you use them and remove your rubbish from the float docks / condock.
• Recycle, Sails, Rope and seperate and check what can be recycled (Link Above)
• Presentation – 5pm on December 31st in the Race Village at Elizabeth Street. All competitors and supporters are welcome. Wear your race gear and yellow caps.
• Have your photos in for the competition by 5pm on 2nd January (see above) for how to submit.
• Berthing Procedure below – is an indicative and is subject to change

From the DSS Team - Procedure for Berthing

Fundamentals:

• We will be mingled together with the Launceston to Hobart fleet on Elizabeth St Pier and the Pilot Dock at this point.
• Mooring allocations will need to be dynamic and evolve based on arrival order. We will have that plan as we understand finishing orders.
• Final positioning is not negotiable and will not be subject to debate.
• If we do not follow our plan, we definitely will not fit everyone
• Process
• Finish Race
• Take your time and pack up
• After finishing DSS1 or the Dockmaster will call you on VHF 09 and confirm mooring area or we will try to meet you and avoid the need for radio comms.
• DSS1 will find you and escort you to your designated area.

If on Elizabeth Pier South

• Positioning is critical – follow dockmasters direction
• Bring plenty of fenders
• Bring a long bow line for European style berthing
• Outside boat of a 3-boat raft will need to provide x2 spring lines to put to the outer moorings in order to control the raft up.

If on the Pilot Dock

• Positioning is critical – follow dockmasters direction
• Bring plenty of fenders
• Outside boat of a 3-boat raft will need to provide x1 line to control the raft up.

Interest and variety the flavour of the 2023 Melbourne to Hobart Yacht Race

Following the widely successful 50^th anniversary race, Melbourne to Hobart Yacht Race skippers and crews are finalising preparations for this year’s event which will once again see several boats in contention for line honours, and the return of the first multihull in 30 years.

While the 15-boat fleet is somewhat smaller than last year's 50^th anniversary race, the competition will be no less intense with a diverse fleet and both new and experienced skippers testing their sailing prowess in this tactical, exhilarating and challenging race.

The race is organised by the Ocean Racing Club of Victoria (ORCV) which has the enviable reputation as the pioneer of short-handed racing in Australia, and this year’s fleet will see some stiff competition across these and the fully crewed divisions.

Early predictions for line honours have focused on Nigel Jones and Cam McKenzie’s J111, Ginan, from the Mornington Yacht Club, who will co-skipper the boat on the journey south to Hobart. Purchased in 2022 for the 50th-anniversary race, this boat has unfinished business after finishing second on AMS last year.

The boat has been campaigned successfully over the last 12 months, winning several ORCV races and took out the ORCV Coastal Championship last season. Ginan boasts a very experienced crew and with favourable conditions, could see the team take line honours and a handicap win.  

Ginan's quest for AMS victory after last year's near miss. Photo by Michael Currie

But pressing Ginan all the way to Hobart will be Alex Toomey’s Sayer 12, Ryujin, from the Royal Melbourne Yacht Squadron. Ryujin will also be fully crewed in the 2023 race and will be seeking another podium finish after winning the double-handed division with co-skipper Andrew Hibbert, in the 50^th anniversary race.

Toomey and his team are also in sharp sailing form, winning the ORCV Offshore Championship for 2022/23. Toomey will be hoping for moderate to stronger breezes to give Ryujin the opportunity to spread her wings in conditions that she relishes and fly to Hobart for a line honours win.

“The 50^th was a flagship event. It’s nice to be part of something that only happens once. This year, with a full crew of experienced sailors, I have got my eye on line honours and think we can do it,” said Toomey. And if things go the way of Ginan, a handicap win is also on the cards.

Ryujin sets sights on Melbourne to Hobart victory. Photo by Steb Fisher

Other monohulls in contention for line honours include ORCV Sail Captain Paul Roberts’ Sydney 41, Cadibarra, from Sandringham Yacht Club. Roberts is an experienced ‘Westcoaster’ skipper with eight races under his belt including two races in the double-handed division.

Cadibarra will certainly be a threat with Roberts hoping to repeat his 2016 success in the previous Cadibarra 8 which won line honours and all handicap divisions.

Joker x2, a J133 design and the bigger brother of Ginan, is highly fancied to take out line honours in the double-handed division. Co-skippers Grant Chipperfield and Peter Dowdney from the Martha Cove Yacht Squadron purchased the boat this year to prepare and campaign it for the 2025 Melbourne to Osaka and are getting to know her more and more each race.

Dowdney, Australasian Sales Manager for Ronstan, and Chipperfield are great advocates for double-handed sailing, always looking for innovative ways to get the boat moving quicker, and are passionate ambassadors for the Melbourne to Hobart Yacht Race.

“We’ve done the Melbourne to Devonport and Sydney Hobart races two up. Grant and I have done enough miles to work our systems out and throw the boat around in any conditions.”

“We enjoy each other’s company and sail well together, and there’s plenty of Ronstan on the boat for whacky ideas during the race.”

“The other reason we’re doing it is the magnificent and dramatic scenery. It feels like there is no more isolated place in the world,” said Dowdney.

The 2023 race will see only the first multihull to contest the event in the last 30 years. Peccadillo, a Chris White 46 Mk Ii multihull will be skippered by Charles Meredith, past commodore of the Royal Melbourne Yacht Squadron. Meredith, sailing his first Westcoaster, is a very experienced multihull sailor who has been racing with the ORCV for about ten years, completing four Melbourne to Devonport and several Apollo Bay races. Meredith is highly regarded in sailing circles for his work in improving the standards and suitability of catamarans for offshore races.

Meredith’s ocean racing pedigree is well-established with the skipper competing in five Australian Three Peaks Races, winning it once and holding race records for several legs. Meredith and his seasoned crew will be on the hunt to break Lindsay Cumming’s race record set on Bagatelle in 1988 in a time of 3d 03h 35m 32sec. 

Peccadillo, the 1st multihull in 30 years, aims for Westcoaster record. Photo by Steph McDonald

This year’s race welcomes back father and daughter co-skippers, Tim and Clare Olding sailing Vertigo, their Summit 35, while newcomer Tobias Swanson, will be skippering Dark & Stormy, a Murray- Burns-Dovell 37 on the trip to Hobart.

Vertigo will again be in contention for handicap honours with this race missing from the family’s extensive trophy cabinet, while Andrew Neeson’s Runnalls 39, Jaffa, has been refitted with the crew quietly confident for this year’s race.

Justin Brenan and his Lidgard 36, Alien, will also be one to watch with the skipper having notched 14 Westcoaster races on his belt, winning the Heemskirk Trophy for overall winner [on AMS] of the Westcoaster three times and featuring on the race podium in several more races. 

The race leaves Portsea on the outgoing tide on Wednesday at 1300 with the fleet making the dash to Port Philip Heads before taking on the 125 nautical mile Bass Strait crossing. There are lots of gains to be made from the right call around King Island with the tidal flows between the top of King Island and Northwest Tasmania always a challenge for new and top-notch navigators alike.

The fleet will carry trackers enabling race followers to track the action from start to finish. To follow the fleet, go to https://race.bluewatertracks.com/2023-melbourne-to-hobart-westcoaster

The race record of 1 day 17 hours 28 minutes 59 seconds was set by Shortwave in 2008, winning the race with an average speed over the course of 10.49 knots.

The race is run with the cooperation of the Derwent Sailing Squadron.

For Entry, Notice of Race, and List of Entries, please visit: https://www.orcv.org.au/hobart

Jane Austin/ORCV media

Further information: Steph McDonald 0431 286 745 / This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.