OCEAN RACE STARTS

The ORCV always starts ocean races just before slack water at Port Phillip Heads in order to reduce the risks for the boats when transiting the Heads. Needless to say, other boats entering or leaving Port Phillip also choose this desirable time to transit the Heads so our fleets will often encounter other, sometimes much larger, boats around race start times.

About an hour before a race starts, the Race Director contacts the Port of Melbourne VTS (vessel traffic services) to ascertain ship movements in the vicinity of the race start time. Depending on ship movements, the race start may go ahead, be delayed or whatever other arrangement is made between VTS and the Race Director. For example, it might be possible to start a race providing all boats stay well clear of the main channel, preferably well to the west in the Four Fingers Channel area. The Race Director will always provide any such guidance in the Pre-Race Shipping advice communication to the fleet on VHF 12 fifteen minutes prior to the scheduled start time.

In any event, given their limited manoeuvrability in the limited waters of the Heads, the larger ships have right of way and yachts must do everything possible to stay well clear of them until well out to sea.