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McConaghy Melbourne Offshore Championship

(M2L as part of the MMOC)

An Experienced Hand -

- is a very good thing to have around, indeed! David Currie has been a part of the whole thing for a long time. Not as many years as the Rudder Cup, for sure, but long enough to have covered some serious miles.

David's latest toy is the Simonis-Voogd designed (and very pretty), IY60 that made it back to Melbourne late last year,

just in time for the Entire Group Cock of the Bay.

David, the big 60foot Cruiser/Racer and her crew from RBYC are going to be at  the Port Melbourne start line again this year for the start of the Cock of the Bay on Boxing Day. However, this year, they are going to carry on and go stick their nose in it on December 27th and thereby have a crack at the M2L record, as set by the Jones' with their 'Cadibarra (VIII)' in 2003. It stands at 19:55:43 or an average of essentially 10knots!

Now at 60 feet, you would have to think they are in the mix for the “Dash for the Cash” across the Paddock, unless it is an absolute drifter, like this year's M2S was. The $1000 prize for setting a new record will not go too far on bar tab for a crew from a 60 footer, so David may well find another deserving place for the funds - then again, nuh. Rum rules.

Change of watch after the roast comes out of the oven! Sure. I'll just get my wet weather gear out of the drying room and get an espresso from the coffee machine. Need any crew BTW???

I had a chat with David last week, as he was bringing 'Belle' down from the Gold Coast to Sydney. They had taken her right up North for the cruising season, which must have been a six-star blast.

So what about all those miles then. Well it's not just the miles, you see. It's the names too! Just take a look at the shortened list below and you will see some serious craft and he's done a lot of races to Devonport (predecessor to Launceston as the destination for the race).

• 1976 - on board 'Winston Churchill' - 2^nd across the line to Devonport behind 'Gretel'.
• 1977 - purchased our first ocean racing yacht, 'Damel', a Farr 1104 - 14^th overall in the Sydney to Hobart of that year.
• 1978 - took Line Honours and Handicap to Devonport and won the Rudder Cup
• 1980 - won M2Devonport again
• 1982 - M2H Westcoaster
• 1983 - M2H Westcoaster
• 1984 purchased 'Once More Dear Friends' and broke the mast in Sydney to Hobart
• 1985 Victorian Southern Cross team, 5^th overall in Sydney to Hobart
• 1986 won Devonport and Rudder Cup, 2^nd over the line
• 1991 - on board 'Cotton Blossom' (owned by Eddy Barron) - line honours and handicap for Melbourne to Devonport
• 2000 - purchased the Swan 60, 'Lady Godiva'
• 2006 - did the inaugural M2V
• 2007 - M2L
• 2007 - purchased 'Belle' and sold 'Lady Godiva'
• 2008 - cruised the Med on 'Belle' before shipping her home
• 2008 - did Cock of the Bay on 'Belle'
• 2009 - took 'Belle' North for the Sydney to Southport and beyond

Will David be showing up for the 2010 M2V or the 2011 Around Australia Ocean Race and Rally? Good questions - let's see what happens. At any rate, great to see you getting into the M2L, David, and we look forward to seeing you and your team out there from Boxing Day.

Bob 'Freight Train' Williams and George Shaw hold up the Melbourne to Sydney trophy that hasn't seen too much daylight since the late 70's and will be back, as part of Bob's 2011 AAORR.

She has a radar mast now, but 'Belle' is still a stunningly pretty vessel. She's also a lot faster than her predecessor, the 25tonne, Swan 60, 'Lady Godiva'.

By John Curnow