Tenmangu Shrine

2013 Melbourne to Osaka Double Handed Race -A very special occasion

The Melbourne to Osaka 2013 Award Ceremony held earlier this week at Temmangu Shrine was unforgettable. The three part celebration began in the inner sanctum of the Shrine with a hauntingly beautiful Shinto blessing for the safe arrival of the fleet. The lucky group of 100 invited guests then moved to the nearby tatami room for the Award giving ceremony, then on up to a more contemporary function room where the first party was held.
No more needs to be said. The attached photos, taken by volunteer Ag who is a member of the Osaka Hokko Yacht Club, speak for themselves. Robyn Brooke –Osaka Ground Crew.

Victory Speech from Robert Bradley, Escapade. Overall Winner of the 2013 Osaka Cup.

Unaccustomed as I am to speaking in front of a crowd I will be a bit shy but I'll do my best.
There have been many thank you’s said over the last few days to the organizing committee, volunteers and supporters so I will only add my appreciation and say well done to all. I thank my wife, Felicity, and my family for not just allowing me to do the race but supporting me in doing so. To my fellow competitors thank you also for entering. Without entrants there is no race and while we get the greatest reward we also have a great effort as we see from the 40+ initial expressions of interest to the 13 entrants and the 11 actual starters. Just to make it to the start line requires months of planning and preparation, a deep pocket and a supportive family. Thank you also for entering into the spirit of the pursuit format and the game of fox and hounds that ensued, although at times we felt more like the lure being chased by a bunch of greyhounds. If only we had the same controls they use to keep the lure just in front! I am humbled by the accolades we have received and the achievement is still sinking in as I realise that we join an elite group of seven winners of this great race. And a great race it is, being a shorthanded race it is more challenging than a Volvo or a Clipper and second only to a solo round the world race. To cross 5000 miles of open ocean in what at times felt like a plastic toy boat is no small feat, even those who had to motor to get here should be proud as most of us only carry enough fuel to motor 10 - 15% of the total distance.

However, what I really want to talk about briefly lies in the future. As the overall winner I feel I have a responsibility to do my best to ensure the next race is even more successful than this one has been. I call upon my fellow competitors to do the same, either as entrants or supporters. Those of us from Melbourne will have plenty of opportunity as we become "the old guard" and allow George, Robyn, Rosie, David and company to put their feet up and bask in the glow. Julie, of course, will be back again.
We can begin by going back to our clubs and talking about our experiences, the challenges, the great moments, what we would do differently next time. Hopefully, this will lay the seeds for the up and coming sailors to aspire to add their names to the list of the elite competitors who have made it from Melbourne to Osaka, as I was inspired by Bill Feore and Kim Girdler when they returned to HBYC from the 2003 race. We automatically become ambassadors at large to promote the event. From Newcastle to Perth and Osaka to Scotland, Joey, Yasa, Masu, Trevor, Dan, Ivan, Will, Bruce and John, let’s make this a race for all. As the next race approaches we can promote the information sessions and give thought to lending our experiences both individually and at such sessions. Thank you again and fair winds to all.