The one-year-to-go BBQ was held last Saturday at SYC and was well attended by competitors and supporters alike. Special thanks to our major sponsor Sundance Marine and event sponsors Gill, Sitro Group, Rainbow Meats, Chirping Bird Wines, Lion Nathan, and Baker Boys. Gill has offered some great prizes for this race worth about $450 so it's really worth giving it a go, see their web site for their gear range.

• 1st Deck shoes ($200)
• 2nd Race dry bag ($130)
• 3rd Sun shirt ($80)

There was a lot of interest in the upcoming virtual race. In the M2O virtual race last year we had 320 entrants from about 39 different nations. Of those, 40 boats were AUS flagged and about 15 were NZL thanks to the publicity done by the ORCV. Usually the fleet has more European and USA entrants reflecting their membership numbers and origins of Sailonline. The placegetters of the virtual race in 2016 were Aus, NZL then Italy.

The Melbourne to Osaka virtual race starts at 0800 this coming Sunday the 2^nd April. It is not a game, it is a true simulation using live winds and detailed boat polars. If you haven't done the real race before or participated in last year's virtual race then this is probably your last chance to hone your navigational and tactical skills for the real race. It will be following the real course using live winds, a one design race. This year the virtual boat is going to be an Open 40 similar to Lord Jiminy, two of which are currently entered in the 2018 race.

The virtual event is hosted by Sailonline, a not for profit, community-owned company. Anyone can sign up for free. There are all sorts of tools available. At the extreme, it is possible to hook up your favourite tactical routing system (eg. Expedition, MaxSea, etc) to the SOL data feed.

For more information, see our Virtual race page.

Get your skipper/co-skipper involved and your mentor. Your sailing friends and supporters are also welcome too, it is a great fun learning experience.

One year to go BBQ highlights

Saturday night's Sundance Melbourne to Osaka Cup "One Year to Go" event was a great success.  Following a fantastic meal, George Shaw introduced the Double Handed crews who were attending, sought out past competitors (many of whom are acting as mentors on the upcoming event) and introduced members off the organising committee who will put the 2018 event together.

A big thanks to a number of generous sponsors who contributed the following:

Raffle prizes –

• GILL – OS1 offshore jacket
• Sitro Group – (Phil Simphandorfer) Gas mate BBQ & 3 wet bags
• Chirping Bird wines (Rod Smallman) 1 doz wines
• Sundance Marine – 2 $50 chandlery vouchers

BBQ -

• Rainbow meats
• Chirping Bird Wines
• Lion Nathan – Kirin beer
• Baker Boys - (Paul Mentiplay) sough dough breads & BBQ buns.

With the success of this first event, another one is already in the planning and we hope that we’ll be able to include our interstate competitors and friends in the next one. Keep an eye out for details. In the meantime, here’s a video recap of our first fantastic night.

https://youtu.be/hu6epC1QBd4

One year to go - lets celebrate

We made some errors previously when quoting dates for the BBQ.  It is definitely Saturday 25th March 2017 at 6pm at SYC in the off the beach area.  Sorry for the confusion.

The BBQ catering is covered by some valued sponsors we will recognise in person at the event.  We are also running a raffle, hence the $10 ticket when you register.

There are over $2,000 worth of prizes on offer in the raffle draw including:

    A Gill OS1 jacket – donated by GILL
    Two Gas mate portable BBQs – donated by SITRO Group
    Wet bags – donated by SITRO Group
    1 dozen Chirping Bird wines – donated by Rod Smallman
    Chandlery prizes – donated by Sundance Marine

With hospitality usually only seen at Hokko Yacht Club in Osaka, there will be great food on offer, with meat for the BBQ being provided by Rainbow Meats and the wine and beer from connections with our friends at Chirping Bird Wines.

To confirm your place and/or buy a raffle ticket for a chance to win these prizes, use the Try Booking link below.  You dont need to attend to be able to buy a ticket.

https://www.trybooking.com/269408

We look forward to seeing you there, wear your hat and fly the flag.

Stability Index Test

In all yacht racing a ‘Notice of Race’ is issued inviting entrants who have a qualifying yacht to participate, a document which includes the eligibility requirements. As a Cat1+ event, the NoR for the Melbourne Osaka Cup states as a requirement, that each yacht must have “a Stability Index of not less than 115 degrees as verified through an inclination test”. This must be conducted by a suitably qualified person.

Recently a test was carried to out to establish a Stability Index for one of our race entrants Meltimi, co-skippered by couple Ian Howath and Lynn Boulton. Their initial instructions were to lighten the boat in readiness and to have a couple of spinnaker poles available, set up on either side of the boat. We went along to have a look at exactly how such a measurement is carried out.

Click here for video

One of our earlier video clips looked at the process of weighing boats, another requirement for race eligibility. If you haven’t seen it, you can take a look at it here.

There is only one year to go until the first boats depart for Osaka and to celebrate your progress so far, we’ve organised a BBQ on Saturday March 25th. If you’re in Melbourne or can make it down here, you’ll enjoy great food, drink and hospitality like nowhere else but Hokko Yacht Club! We’ll gather at the SYC Off the Beach Centre and there’ll be a display of many of the Melbourne entries who’ll be moored nearby. 

Some very generous sponsors have provided everything we need for the night including some amazing prizes that will be drawn in a raffle. All we ask is that each person attending buy at least one raffle ticket but of course for a better chance at winning one of the great prizes, you can buy as many as you like. Make sure you don’t miss out on this great event.

Please RSVP to Kate Mitchell - 0417 128 963

Principal Event Sponsor announced for the

2018 Sundance Marine Melbourne to Osaka yacht race.

Sundance Marine has been confirmed as the Principle Event and Naming Rights sponsor for the 2018 Sundance Marine Melbourne to Osaka Yacht Race.

It is fantastic news for the race, which through partnerships such as the one with Sundance, continues to go from strength to strength.  

Press release - Major sponsor announcement

For more about Sundance Marine http://sundancemarine.com.au/

The Melbourne to Osaka Double Handed event uses both the AMS & IRC systems in calculating the handicap for it's competitiors. In order to establish an accurate rating for a boat, a number of measurements need to be taken and one of them is to establish the weight of the vessel. Boat weighing days are conducted from time to time by designated auditors and one such day was held in September at SYC in Melbourne. Three of the 2018 entrants took advantage of the day and lined up to be lifted and weighed. We were there to catch the action.

The annual Hamilton Island Race Week draws boats and crew together from all over the country. George and Robyn were there for the last few days of this year’s event and as you may have seen a few weeks ago, came across Ed and Rachael from 2018 M2O entry Rattle N Hum. Amongst a party atmosphere they conduced this short interview.

ハミルトン アイランド レース ウィークには全国各地からヨットとクルーが来ています。ジョージとロビンは最後の数日間 ここに訪れ、2018 M2O にラトル N ハムで参戦する エドとラケルに遭遇しました。パーティーを楽しむ彼らにインタビューするショートビデオを撮りました。

PredictWind the world leader in forecasting believe that more is better, and have taken the bold step of adding government provided forecasts to their award winning forecasting software.

PredictWind has always offered their proprietary PWG and PWC world leading forecasts on their site for comparison. When the forecasts are similar users can have a higher degree of confidence in forecast accuracy.

Other websites commonly only use the GFS forecast model, a free forecast provided by NOAA, and simply repackage it with their own graphics. In the name of forecast accuracy, PredictWind now provide both the common GFS and CMC forecasts for comparison along with their proprietary high resolution PWG and PWC forecasts.

“By comparing the four models you can have a really high level of confidence in the forecast. The benefit is that, now you don't need to check multiple sites to get this confidence.” says PredictWind CEO, Jon Bilger.

Recently on the Melbourne to Osaka pages, we interviewed Mr Jun Kanda, a competitor in the 2003 and 2007 double handed events. Jun is very active in yachting in his home port of Nagasaki where he runs an Ocean Cruising School and publishes a regular and informative blog. He’s brought to our attention a trip currently under way by a friend of his.

Seventy five year old Mr Ikuo Tateo has recently set sail from Japan on a non stop solo voyage to circumnavigate the world via the western route. Ikuo has lived in Osaka for many years and is well known at the Osaka Hokko Yacht Club. He is doing the voyage in a 30 foot Japanese designed sloop called “Eolia” that he purchased second hand over 40 years ago. Because the voyage will take him down to below 40 degrees south as well as under the Capes, some work has been done to strengthen the boat in several areas.

Ikuo set sail from Ogasawara Island on July 5^th and his latest reported position was 7 deg 21 south 154 deg 30 east which puts him west of Bouganville Island. So far he’s averaged around 80 mile per day and if this continues, it should have him entering Bass Straight later this month. He is in daily contact with Japan via Ham Radio and has an Iridium phone on board.

Having previously circumnavigated the world via the eastern route, Ikuo is certainly proving himself to be a capable sailor. Now about to head down the east coast, a decision has yet to be made as to whether he will take "Eolia" below Tasmania or travel through Bass Straight as he plots his course for Cape Town. More news as it comes to hand.

最新のM2Oサイトに 2003、2007年と 2度の出場経験者であり 母港長崎でオーシャン クルージング スクールを運営し、情報に富んだブログも運営している神田 純 氏のインタビューを掲載しましたが、その神田氏から、我々にとってたいへん興味深い現在進行中の冒険のニュースが届きました。

写真の男性は立尾征男さん（７５歳）。今、西回り単独無寄港世界一周航海に挑戦中です。

ヨットは４０年前に日本でつくられた３０ｆスループを中古で購入、それに独自の改良を加え南緯４０度帯とホーン岬通過のための強化をした エオリアです。

７月５日に小笠原父島を出航し、今日のポジションは南緯７度２１分、東経１５４度３０分、ブーゲンビル島の西です。今のペースで航海すれば（デイラン８０マイルとして）、バス海峡がある南緯４０度帯附近への到達は今月下旬となります。 ほぼ毎日、アマチュア無線あるいはイリジウムで日本と連絡しています。

M2Oと直接の関係はありませんが、彼は大阪に長く住んでいた人でもあり北港ヨットクラブの人たちの中にも名前を知っている人がいます。それは彼が太平洋往復単独航海と東回り単独無寄港世界一周などをすでに成功させたセイラーだからです。ケープタウンへのコースに変える前、バス海峡を通るか、タスマニアの南を通るのかはまだわかりません。

http://www.jf6yje.com/~salaku/weblog/

In our lead up to the 2018 event and alongside the video interviews we've done, we present our first interview with a past competitor from Japan -  Mr Jun Kanda from Nagasaki.   2003 saw the running of the 6th Melbourne to Osaka double-handed event, with 22 boats registering for the race. Of those entered, three were from Japan, one of them being Jun aboard his boat Salaku.  His co-skipper was Sho Takeda and they competed in the Cruiser Group that year.

私たちは2018イベントへ向けていくつかビデオを作って来ました。ここで初めて日本人のM2O経験者にインタビューします。長崎の神田純さんです。2003年第6回大会には22隻の参加がありました。この時は日本から3隻が参加して、その1隻がサラク号の神田純氏です。クルーには武田しょう氏、クルーザーグループでの参加でした。

Tell us firstly  - why did you decide to enter the race?

This was an Ocean Race and running from Melbourne to Osaka and it crossed the equator. Qualifications for the race were not that difficult to obtain and sponsorship to help us with expenses was available .

このレースに参加しようと決めたきっかけ若しくは理由は何だったのでしょうか？

オーシャンレース、それもメルボルンから大阪という赤道を越える長距離レースだったからです。参加資格が緩く参加しやすかったこと、回航補助金がいただけたという理由もあります。

Tell us about your sailing experience before the race?

Before owning a boat I’d competed in dinghy’s for 3 years, wind surfing for 5 years and surfed for 5 years. Then as an owner/skipper of a 30 foot yacht, I’d competed in local around the buoys races for around 5 years.

2003 M2O 以前のヨット経験及びレース歴を教えてください。

ディンギー３年、ウインドサーフィン５年、サーフィン５年、３０ｆのヨットにオーナー艇長として５年でした。レースはブイ回りローカルレース参加のみでした。

Can you please tell us about Salaku and a little about the preparation that you need to make in order to compete in the race?

To meet race regulations we had to secure equipment for the boat. This is easy to do in Australia but a lot harder to do in Japan. For example HF radio – regulations and installation in Japan is quite complicated and takes time and costs a lot. We had to be innovative when it came to things like this. These days of course with digital technology items like this are not as difficult.

サラク号について教えてください。また、M2Oレースに参加するためには、どのような準備が必要かいくつか教えてください。

レース規定に従って安全備品、無線設備など多数必要となりました。オーストラリアでは簡単に入手できるものでも、日本では規制が厳しく用意するのが大変だったものもあります。特に日本では無線の規制がきびしく、HF帯無線を搭載しようとすると複雑な手続きと時間、費用が膨大にかかります。費用が膨大にかかるので、これをクリアーする にはあるアイディアが必要でした。現在では衛星携帯電話が普及し、こうした問題にわずらわされることもなくなりました。

Your story from 2003 is quite unusual as you delayed your start due to some mechanical issues. Can you tell us a little about this please?

Right up until the start we didn’t have any issues but we had engine trouble as we headed for the start. After a delayed start the engine seemed to work but the problem actually came and went throughout the remainder of the race. We were able to continue as we could charge our batteries via our solar panel. When we got to Osaka we found that seawater had somehow worked its way into the cylinder and so we replaced this engine in Osaka. On our way back home to Nagaski the issue reoccurred and so following that we deduced that actually water had probably been getting in all along via the fuel lines. This issue most likely came with the boat as it was 2^nd hand.

Apart from this early in the race we burnt out the impeller shaft and started leaking oil. We called into Eden to fix this. When it became light we could see a number of other competitors in Eden as well for one reason or another and this made us fell a bit better. A local mechanic from a fishing company told us that it would take too long to get genuine parts and so he manufactured one himself. His work was a fast and inexpensive and we thank this mechanic a lot for his help back then.

メカニカルトラブルでスタートを遅らせたと記録に有りますが、とても珍しいことなので、この事について少しお話しを聞かせてください。

回航からスタート直前までは問題ありませんでした。原因不明のままあちこちいじっていたら動くようになりスタートしましたが、レースの最中に不調になり、ふたたび始動できなくなりました。ソーラーパネルがあったので航海を続けられました。セルモーターを繰り返し回したことによりピストン内に海水が入ってしまって、レース後、大阪でエンジンを換装せざるを得ませんでした。しかし、長崎への回航中にも不調になり、燃料ホースを変えたところすっかり快調になりました。このためすべての原因は、このホース内に燃料の流れを阻害する何かがあったためと思われます。中古ヨットだったのでこのような問題が発生したと思います。

 ほかにもインペラ駆動シャフトが摩耗してオイルが漏れだすトラブルがあり、イーデンに夜間入港しました。

朝になるとすでに数艇のレース参加艇がいろいろなトラブルで接岸していたのに驚き、また仲間がいたと安心しました。

漁船修理工場のメカニックが、ボルボ純正のシャフトを取り寄せていると時間がかかるからとシャフトを作ってくれました。親切にも安い費用ですばやく修理してもらい感謝しています。

Due to some bad weather that delayed part of the fleet early in the race, you managed to catch them after your delayed start. That must have been a great feeling?

Yes it was great. We were lucky and were pleased that we hadn’t given up at the outset.

レースの序盤に悪天候で艦隊が少し遅れました。そのせいかあなたは遅れたスタートにもかかわらず追いつくことが出来ました。それは爽快だったでしょうね？？

もちろんです。ラッキーでした。あきらめなくて良かったです。

What do you remember most about the 2003 race?

We found the Trade Winds up the east coast of Australia and were able to run for about a week. That was a great feeling.

Around Bougainville we had heavy rain and were able to top on a lot of fresh water.

In trying to avoid a typhoon, we went in close to Puluwat in the West Caroline Islands. Another competitor “Louise” had also headed there to shelter and had dropped anchor. We tried to do that as well but due to the coral and little chance of a firm anchorage, we decided against it and kept going. Seeing this, the crew of “Louise” lifted anchor and came after us. Skipper Colin Smith and I became good friends. Its sad he’s no longer with us.

Along the Saipan Coast we caught the current that helped us but and then again near Ogasawara we struck another current working against us. I learnt from this that the sea is not as simple as it may first seem.

Near the Kii Channel close to the Japanese Mainland, the weather changed rapidly and so we prepared the trisail. There were many cargo ships around which made us nervous for this last part of the journey.

For a lot of the trip we could hear a Japanese radio station which had a constant strong signal. Hearing this certainly boosted our moral on the voyage.

2003年のレースで印象に残っていることを2，3 教えてください。

オーストラリア東沖の貿易風帯では一週間、日中はスピンランを続け爽快でした。

ブーゲンビル近海では、夜中の豪雨でかなりの量の雨水をゲットできました。北方の台風を避けようと西カロリンのプルワット島のリーフに入りました。

すでにルイーズがアンカリングし、さらくもそうしようと思いましたが底質が珊瑚で粗く走錨の危険が高いのですぐに出て来ました。

するとルイーズも遅れたくないので出て来ました。オーナースキッパーのコリン　スミスとはその後親友になりましたが亡くなってしまい残念です。

サイパン近海では北へ流れる海流に乗れましたが、小笠原近海ではアゲインストの海流を受け、海が一様でないことがよくわかりました。紀伊水道沖では天候が悪化し一時はトライスルを用意したほどで、貨物船も多くかなり危険を感じました。無線局のペンタコム？ペンタスタット？は常に強力な電波で、航海を支えてくれ感謝しています。

So you successfully completed the 2003 race and you were back again for the next event in 2007 as co-skipper with Shozi Yoneda aboard Wild Boar. Can you tell us something of your decision to do the race again please?

I actually didn’t want to do the race again however I caved into some persistent requests and became involved again.

そしてあなたは成功裏に2003年のレースを終えて 次の2007年大会にワイルドボアの米田庄次氏のクルーとして再度挑戦したわけですが、あなたにもう一度出場する決意をさせたものは何だったのでしょうか？

本当は同じようなことはしたくなかったのですが、クルーになってほしいと懇願されたためです。

What was a memorable thing for you from this second event ?

In a double hand race it certainly helps for both members to have common goals and actually we didn’t have this on that 2nd trip. Thinking about it, perhaps I should have worked harder on this particular item.

2度目のレースで印象に残っていることを1、2 教えてください。

ダブルハンドでは２人に共通の目的が一つでもあればいいのですが、一つもないと感じたことはつらかったです。

今から考えれば、それを作るように努めることも必要だったとは思います。

 The first event in 1987 had sixty four boats started the race and of those seventeen were Japanese entries. As a contrast, at the last event in 2013 we had only one boat from Japan and so far for 2018 we have one expression of interest from a boat from Osaka. How do think we could encourage more interest in entering the race from Japanese competitors?

Sailing is a lot less popular in Japan than many people think and there’s not many opportunities for Japanese to experience yachting easily. The majority of yacht owners are older and probably retired. There are some exceptions but most boat owners are happy to compete locally. Many boat owners just use their boat for local trips and a lot of skippers just like owning a boat; it's a status symbol for many.

For anyone who has done Ocean Racing – the M2O is easy enough to join as I said earlier and perhaps if this particular point was emphasised then maybe more Japanese would join. Also reorganizing the handicaps in the race would give all type and sizes of yacht a chance to do well and emphasizing this in Japan may attract competitors as well.

1987年の第1回大会では64隻のヨットがスタートラインを切り、そのうち17隻が日本のヨットでした。それとは対照的に前回2013 年には日本から1隻だけの参加でした。そして次回2018年大会には大阪の1隻だけが興味を示しているだけです。どのようなことをすれば、日本の競技者に関心を持ってもらえると思いますか？

オーストラリアで考えられている以上に日本ではセイリングがマイナーです。ヨットを知るチャンスが少ないこともありますが、大部分は文化の違いによるものです。今クルーザーオーナーの主流は退職した人々ではないかと思えるほど高齢化しています。

中には高齢でもディンギーやレース経験者もいてアクティブですが、多くはヨットで温泉巡りをして酒を味わって満足しています。また所有しているだけで満足している人もいて、日本ではステータスシンボルの一つと化しています。一方、少しでも外洋やレースを経験している人にはメル阪はハードルが低く参加しやすいレースだと思いますから、その点を強調してターゲットを絞った広報をされたらいかがでしょうか。

またクラス分けも上手にして、どんなヨットでも上位に入れる可能性があることをアピールされては？

Jun Kanda is still a very active skipper and continues to compete in his boat Salaku. He's also a very keen blogger and his blog can be found here. We thank him for his insights into the Melbourne to Osaka event.

神田純氏はサラク号でレースと長崎でさらくヨットスクールを続ける現役バリバリのスキッパーです。彼のブログはこちらから。(http://www.jf6yje.com/~salaku/weblog/)    神田氏のM2Oイベントについての貴重な見識に感謝します。

Story preparation by - Jun Kurosaki & Ian MacWilliams

Mark Hipgrave is an entrant in the 2018 event and like a couple of other skippers has settled on a Sunfast to do the race. This one is a Sunfast 3600 called “Mister Lucky” and it’s currently racing  in the UK.  Mark has sent through the following story which we know you’ll all find extremely interesting.

2018年大会に名乗りを上げているマークヒプグレイブと他の2つのチームはサンファストで参戦します。マークのサンファスト3600は "ミスターラッキー"という名で、英国でレースしています。マークはとても興味深い話しをしてくれました。

I don’t think I’ve met anyone who has ever actually done the Melbourne to Osaka Race, but I have met many people who knew someone who knew someone who had done it and who spoke about with reverential awe. I’ve heard stories of happy couples who treated it as the adventure of a lifetime and others about firm friendships that broke down irretrievably, somewhere along the route.

私はM2Oを走破した人に会ったことはなかったけど、私はこれを成し遂げた人のことを畏敬の念を持って語る人たちはたくさん知っています。私は  生涯を賭けた幸せなカップルの冒険や、修復不可能なほどこじれた友情の物語などのチームの話しを聞きました。

In 2014, I completed the Solo Trans Tasman race (from New Plymouth, NZ to Mooloolaba, Qld) and loved the experience and this gave me the confidence to consider the considerably greater challenge of the M2O.  I read all the past race reports available on-line and saw that many father – son combinations had competed.  I started looking around Australia for a suitable boat and told my youngest son to keep the first half of 2018 free. I couldn’t see anything suitable in Australia, so in Sept 2015, went to the Southampton Boat Show in the UK.  

2014年、私はソロトランスタスマンレース (ニュージーランドニュープリマスからクイーンズランドムールーラバ)を完走しました。とても良い経験でした。そしてその経験は私はもっと大きなM2Oレースに向けて、自信をもたらしました。私はオンラインで過去のレースリポートを読みました。そして、たくさんの親子チームが参加したことを知りました。私は適当なヨットをオーストラリア中見て廻りました。そして、息子に2018年の前半空けておくように言いました。オーストラリアで適当なのが見つからずに、2015年の9月にイギリスのサウザンプトンボートショーに行きました。

Short handed and solo sailing is very popular in England and France and a number of manufacturers have boats specifically designed for this market.  They have slightly smaller rigs and more ballast than an equivalent fully crewed boat, with all control lines led back to the cockpit.  Other features include cross sheeting of the jib sheets so a skipper sitting on the weather side can trim the jib from the helming position.  

少人数やソロのヨットはイギリスやフランスでは人気があります。いくつかのメーカーがこの市場向けのヨットを造っています。

これらは華奢で小さな帆装とフルタイプのヨットと同等のバラストが有ります。それらの全てのコントロールラインはコクピットの後ろに集約されています。他の特徴はクロスシーティングのジブです。風上舷に座っているスキッパーが舵取り位置からジブを調整出来ます。

And so after looking at a number of 36’ short handed race boats, I placed an order for a Sun Fast 3600, to be delivered in England in March 2016. The plan is to campaign it in the UK for two northern summers and then bring it back to Australia in late 2017, in time for the 2018 M2O Easter start.  I have aligned myself with the Solo Ocean Racing Club (SORC), a ‘virtual yacht club’ based on The Solent but with no actual clubhouse, run by an enthusiastic group of offshore and inshore yacht racers who love "going solo" on the water, and also enjoy a lively gathering afterwards.

そして36フィートのレースヨットを見て回った後に、サンファスト3600を買って2016年3月にイングランドに運びました。計画はイギリスで北半球の夏を2回過ごし、2018年3月のスタートに間に合う様に2017年の後半にオーストラリアに運びます。私は自分でソロオーシャンレーシングクラブを作りました。この"バーチャルヨットクラブ"はソレント川が本拠地でした。クラブハウスも無く、ソロが好きで沿岸や外洋のレースに熱狂的な仲間が走っていました。

One of the key milestones for me was to compete in the solo race around Fastnet Rock, organised by SORC in July 2016.  This race has just been run and the race reports can be found at http://solofastnet.co.uk/news  

私にとって鍵となる重要な事はファストネットロックのソロレースです。SORC によって2016年7月に催されました。このレースは行なわれたばかりです。レース リポートはここで見れます。

They note that … “The entry list encompassed a huge range of talent, including some of the most successful Corinthian short-handed sailors on both sides of the English Channel”.  Among them were winners of both the OSTAR and TransQuadra trans-Atlantic races, as well as the double-handed division in the Royal Ocean Racing Club’s Rolex Fastnet Race.’  Competing in and completing this race has given me huge confidence in the boat I have bought and a small boost in my understanding of my own abilities. There are still many bridges to cross between now and Easter 2018 but I’m looking forward to being at the start line in Melbourne, with my son, for the next M2O race.

 リポートによれば、イギリス地域の最も成功したショートハンドレーサーを含む上級者が多数エントリーしていました。中にはOSTARとトランスクォドラトランスアトランティックレースの勝者とロイヤルオーシャンレーシングクラブのロレックスファストネットレースの勝者がいます。このレースに出たことで、私が買ったヨットに大きな信頼を持てましたし、自分の能力を知ることが出来ました。今現在と2018年3月の間には山が幾つも有りますが、メルボルンで息子と一緒に次のM2Oのスタートラインに立つ事を楽しみにしています。

The Hokko Osaka Yacht Club are of course the host club for the finish of the Melbourne to Osaka double handed race. As part of the promotion for the 2018 event, they’ve recently produced a Flyer outlining details of the race and how to enter and have featured it on their Club Home Page.

北港ヨットクラブはメル阪レースのゴール側主催クラブです。クラブのウエブサイトではレースの概要や参加方法そして、最新情報などを見ることが出来ます。

Download the Flyer here

 Some skippers in the Melbourne to Osaka Race double handed race, enter on a boat they already own. Others buy one especially for the event. Either way, there’s still a lot of preparation needed. Then there’s another but rare group, who have an even harder task – building their boat. And we’ll meet one of them today.

多くのM2Oスキッパーたちは既に手持ちのヨットで参戦します。中にはこのために新しく購入するスキッパーもいます。いずれにしてもまだまだ多くの準備が必要なのです。そんな中、もう一つの方法を選んだ数少ない人たちがいます。それはさらに多くの課題をみずから背負いこんだ人たち… 新しくヨットを造ろうとしている人たちです。今日その中の一人に会いました。

It’s about seven years since Rod Smallman began the leisurely task of building his dream boat in a big shed on his vineyard.  Then a few months ago, he realised that in order to be ready for the Osaka double-hander in 2018, he had to move much quicker. There’s still a lot of work ahead of him, so we’re checking on his progress.

 これはロッド スモールマンが彼のワイナリーの大きな納屋で7年前からゆっくりと造り続けている夢のヨットの物語です。数ヶ月前、彼は今こそが2018 M2O に出る時だと決意し、今彼はピッチを上げてヨットを造り続けているのです。まだまだやらなければならない事がいっぱい有ります。では、その進行具合を見てみましょう。

Two of the entries are from Perth and in our latest interview, we talk with Todd Giraudo and David “Dubbo” White, the co-skppers of the larger of the two boats, a Sun Fast 3600 called Kraken. 

In a chat with George Shaw, we find out about their sailing experience and the reasons why they decided to enter the event aboard this brand new boat.

2チームともパースからのエントリーで、このインタビューは前回に続いて2チームめのインタビューです。私たちは トッド ジロー 氏 と デヴィッド "ダボ" ホワイト 氏 にお話しをうかがいました。彼らは大きめのサンファスト3600 クラーケンの共同スキッパーです。

インタビュアーはジョージ ショウ。彼らにこれ迄のヨット歴となぜこの新しいヨットで参戦を決めたのか、その理由を聞きました。