2013 Melbourne to Osaka (from 17/3/13)

Loving that!

The Question and Answer session for all interested 2013 Melbourne to Osaka aspirants is on for tomorrow evening, Tuesday, December 6, 2011 at 1900hrs Australian Eastern Daylight Savings Time (GMT +11hrs).

The Race Committee will be keen to present information and answer your questions in relation to the 5500nm Cat1 odyssey, so if your keen on this race, then this would be a good time to get the intel from those making it happen. If you are in Melbourne, please make your way to Sandy's Olympic Room, as pictured above.

Now if you are not in Melbourne, or unable to attend in person, you can still attend "virtually" via teleconfernce.  Please call the ORCV office +61 3 9689 1622 or email the ORCV This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by 1700hrs 6/12/11 AEDT (GMT+11) to get the teleconference details/codes.  Please also note that this teleconference will be just the cost of a local call to you, no matter where in the world you are located. 

Go HERE to download the 2013 M2O Preliminary NoR

Go HERE to register your interest in this sensational race.

Go HERE to see who has already expressed their desire to participate.

ORCV Land also extends on to the ORCV Facebook page, so make sure you go and "Like" the page, now. 273 Souls already have and thank you to each and every one of you.

© John Curnow, ORCV Media

Please contact me for re-issue rights.

2013 Melbourne to Osaka (from 17/3/13)

Love in.

There will be a Question and Answer session for all interested 2013 Melbourne to Osaka aspirants on Tuesday, December 6, 2011 at 1900hrs Australian Eastern Daylight Savings Time (GMT +11hrs).

The Race Committee wil be keen to present information and answer your questions in relation to the 5500nm Cat1 odyssey, so if your keen on this race, then this would be a good time to get the intel from those making it happen.

Sandringham Yacht Club's Olympic Room (pictured below) will be the venue. Interstate and Overseas parties will be able to engage via the webinar, details will be posted here, shortly.

Go HERE to download the 2013 M2O Preliminary NoR

Go HERE to register your interest in this sensational race.

Go HERE to see who has already expressed their desire to participate.

ORCV Land also extends on to the ORCV Facebook page, so make sure you go and "Like" the page, now. 264 Souls already have and thank you to each and every one of you.

© John Curnow, ORCV Media

Please contact me for re-issue rights.

2013 Melbourne to Osaka (from 17/3/13)

THE Truth.

Delightedly, The Truth can be said.

The first Expression of Interest from a USA based competitor has been received and most graciously, they've also allowed us to see a bit behind the scenes, as to who they are they and what they're bringing, which is a very well-pedigreed Open 50.

Truth is the name of the vessel and she sails under the number, USA 101. Alex Mehran, Jr. is her Skipper and he sails with Merf Owen. Alex had this to say about their desire to be a part of the M2O. "We are planning on participating in this epic race in 2013 and are very excited to have the chance to challenge ourselves and the boat on the long and interesting course. Merf is the boat’s designer (Owen Clarke Design) and he will be my partner in the race, sailing on a boat that he designed almost ten years ago. Neither the boat, nor either of us has participated in this race before. We know the boat provides the perfect platform and we hope we can follow suit with our performance!"

Truth heads out to Catalina Island after the start of the 2011 Transpac - pic © Sharon Green

Truth is on its third life after two very notable ones. Alex explains, "She started her existence as Artforms, commissioned in 2003 and sailed by Kip Stone. Kip had many notable performances, including a TJV win with the boat. Merf was sailing with Kip for this. She was sold to Philippe Kahn of Pegasus Racing in 2007 and went through many modifications, which optimised her for the Transpac racecourse and provided a significant turbocharging package generally. The Pegasus team had numerous successes with the boat, including both the Doublehanded Transpac and Doublehanded Pacific Cup records and a 24-hour run record. Kahn donated the boat to California Maritime in March of 2011 and I chartered it shortly thereafter."

Left - Truth finishing the 2011 Transpac in the Molokai Channel - pics © Sharon Green. Centre right  is Merf and Alex on board Cutlass in the Runup to the Bermuda 1-2, June 2009 - pic by Billy Black. On the right, it is Alex at the finish of the Bermuda 1-2 Single Handed Leg off Mills Breaker Buoy, Bermuda.

"I renamed the boat Truth and entered her in some local short distance races, before sailing the 2011 Doublehanded Transpac with Jesse Rowse, earlier on in July. I plan on sailing the Solo Tranpac in June of 2012, on the way to Australia. Prior to the Open 50, I gained my first ocean racing experience in 2009 and 2010 with the Class 40, Cutlass, which we sailed in the Pineapple Cup, RORC 600, Bermuda 1-2, Ida Lewis Distance Race, Marblehead Halifax, Bermuda Race along with other races", Alex said.

"We are very excited at the prospect of competing in the race and meeting new friends in the Southern Hemisphere."

Right. So there's The Truth and we are very delighted to welcome you and excited to see you on these shores, soon enough. Thanks Alex for the information and may you have a great and safe journey to get here for the epic!

Above is the vessel as she was in the Artforms days and below, as Pegasus Racing...

PS. If you're one of the 45 EOIs already held for the 2013 Melbourne to Osaka race, or perhaps just one of the many silent parties, and feel like getting a little love from the site, please send us some information to post. We'd be delighted!

Go HERE to download the 2013 M2O Preliminary NoR

Go HERE to register your interest in this sensational race.

Go HERE to see who has already expressed their desire to participate.

Follow it all here and via the ORCV Facebook page, so make sure you go and "Like" the page, now. 182 Souls already have and thank you to all of them.

© John Curnow, ORCV Media

Please contact me for re-issue rights.

2013 Melbourne to Osaka (from 17/3/13)

Sweeeeeeeet!

Yep. Sweet.

The lovely vessel you're looking at here is a Farr 37 from 1983, called Pippin. Originally commissioned by Bill Sweetapple, who owned her until 1995, she is indeed named for a certain sweet apple, much lauded in certain parts of the UK. From 1995 to 2006, David Taylor was the Skipper and then he sold her to her current owner, Roger Sayers. "I bought the boat in 2006, specifically for the 2007 M2O, but unfortunately, electrical problems forced me out of that race", said Roger.

In her time on the seas, and in addition to her Osaka run, Pippin has amassed 17 Hobarts, a Three Peaks race and countless local races. Roger told us, "Just before the start of the 2008 Hobart, I managed to get both Bill and David onboard to celebrate Pippin’s 17th jaunt down South!"

Now Roger also did the 1999 Melbourne to Osaka aboard his previous vessel, Brindabella II, and won their division with an elapsed time of 40 days.

So, if you're one of the 44 EOIs already held for the 2013 Melbourne to Osaka race, or perhaps just one of the many silent parties, and feel like getting a little love from the site, please send us some information to post. We'd be delighted!

Go HERE to download the 2013 M2O Preliminary NoR

Go HERE to register your interest in this sensational race.

Go HERE to see who has already expressed their desire to participate.

Follow it all here and via the ORCV Facebook page, so make sure you go and "Like" the page, now. 150 Souls already have and thank you to all of them.

© John Curnow, ORCV Media

Please contact me for re-issue rights.

2013 Melbourne to Osaka (from 17/3/13)

FREE measurement and AMS2 certificate.

The Australian Measurement System has just been upgraded to AMS2. As part of the launch of the updated and ever-growing measurement system, the AMS Technical Committee is offering free AMS2 certificates for all Interstate and Overseas vessels coming to Melbourne to race in the 2013 Melbourne to Osaka, Double Handed, 5500nm classic. All measuring is included and the organising committee is rapidly developing a plan for weighing, so you do not have to worry about that cost, either. This fantastic offer also extends to being able to do any IRC or ORCi measuring or re-measuring you may need, but you will be responsible for paying any fees due to those respective governing bodies for new certificates.

As it is most likely that the major trophy for the Melbourne to Osaka race will be in the AMS2 category, this significant offering is going to be able to ensure all competing vessels will be in the most popular category and at no direct cost to themselves. "When the ORCV asked us to be the official measurer for the event, Lowa Paszko and I agreed without hesitation. We are both AMS and IRC measurers and I also do ORCi inclinations for proof of stability", said Peter Coleman.

In certain parts of Australia, AMS needs no introduction. With such a large interstate and overseas contingent already interested in the 5500nm classic, a little information about the system, its origins and methodology is certainly warranted. In 1997, when the original Australian Measurement System was created, most racing keelboats were being designed to the IMS rule, which was rapidly declining throughout the world and particularly in Australia.

The need for a single figure time correction rating became paramount, in order to maintain racing on a measurement system and to overcome the problems experienced with the complex IMS rule. It was in this environment that AMS was established. Over the years since then, the fleet has changed dramatically and most designs are now optimised to a single figure time correction rating system. Designers have experimented with new designs and have found ways to optimise the designs to fit these systems. This has placed older or less optimised designs at a disadvantage. After 15 years it is necessary to update the AMS system in order to keep pace with the changes in designs and to meet the objectives of the system, namely to provide a fair rating for all boats in the fleet irrespective of their age or design. This update is called AMS2.

So AMS2 is the result of changes in the mathematics used in the AMS database over the last 18 months. These alterations and updates better reflect the type and design of the boats in the current fleet using the AMS ratings. An additional measurement (M) for new certificates has been added to measure the distance from the top of the boom to the base of the turning block at the top of the mast and the requirement to measure the headsail upper width (HUW) has been removed.

This system update has not changed the rating algorithm. However many of the computer generated precursors that are used to rate the many measurements used in the system, including hull, keel, rigging and the sail areas of the largest sails of each type have changed, as these are obviously determined by the measurement characteristics of the fleet.

These changes have resulted in some alteration to nearly all of the ratings of the 798 boats in the database. AMS has never used hull or rig factors and all ratings are based on the measurements taken by the Measurer. However, the system determines how to use these measurements to best obtain the fairest overall balance of ratings for the whole fleet and thereby minimises the disadvantage to any individual design.

Boats with a current certificate, should in general, find the changes to be more consistent with the composition of the current fleet and fairer for all. The rating for every boat has been analysed against its measurement data and in some cases against published velocity prediction program (VPP) information, in order to confirm that the rating is consistent with the data. As a general rule, every well-campaigned boat should have the opportunity to win and conversely, there is no point in winning, if the rating does not adequately reflect the performance of the boat.

Moving forward, it is planned to update the system on a four year cycle in future and this will be coordinated with the changes to the racing rules and safety regulations. Ratings will not change between these updates unless an error is discovered in the measured data or in the processing of the information.

JAMHU2 racing on Melbourne's Port Phillip. Pic courtesy of and © to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Whilst talking about AMS and the Melbourne to Osaka race, Just A Minor Hick Up2 was custom built for it and has also been in the 1885nm Melbourne to Vanuatu race, as well as countless Bass Strait forays and many a local race on Melbourne's Port Phillip. She is presently for sale and you can read all about her significant credentials, HERE.

If you're one of the 44 EOIs already held for the 2013 Melbourne to Osaka race, or perhaps just one of the many silent parties, then this wonderful offer from the AMS Technical Team is simply fantastic news. You will be racing in another division, completely free of charge, which is really handy if you're on a budget.

Many thanks to AMS Board for their gracious and generous offer.

Go HERE to download the 2013 M2O Preliminary NoR

Go HERE to register your interest in this sensational race.

Go HERE to see who has already expressed their desire to participate.

Follow it all here and via the ORCV Facebook page, so make sure you go and "Like" the page, now. 149 Souls already have and thank you to all of them.

© John Curnow, ORCV Media

Please contact me for re-issue rights.

Melbourne to Osaka (and Marketplace)

Ready to roll, too.

Following on from Ready to Roll (Pt.I) and Chikara4Sale, where we looked at some of the vessels around to do the 2013 Melbourne to Osaka race in, we find that there is a very well credentialled vessel available for you, that currently lives in Melbourne. If you're on a bit of a budget, then this good, tough boat may have your name written all over it, just like it has its own!!!

Turbo, off Cheviot Beach, just outside Port Phillip Heads, at the start of the 2010 M2V

Turbo, is an Adams 11.9, which has already been to Osaka in 2003, was the overall winner of the 1885nm 2010 Melbourne to Vanuatu race and won Line Honours in the 2008 iteration of Australia's oldest ocean race, that dash across The Paddock, more commonly known as Melbourne to Launceston. Yes indeedy, that's a great pedigree for this nugget of a vessel. Being an Adams, you know she will get along once the sheets have been eased or the Bag's up. Turbo even has a newish Graham Radford keel installed.

To get a look, talk the talk or secure this vessel, email or call her owner, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (0415 522 255).

Bill Feore, seen here with ORCV Commodore, Doald Fraser, collecting the prize for third in AMS Div2 at the 2010 Boxing Day Dash. Earlier on in the same year, Turbo won both PHS and IRC in the 2010 M2V.

Preliminary Notice of Race for the 2013 M2O is HERE.

Go HERE to register your interest in this sensational race.

Go HERE to see who has already expressed their desire to participate.

© John Curnow, ORCV Media

Please contact me for re-issue rights.

2013 Melbourne to Osaka (from 17/3/13)

Preliminary Notice Of Race.

The Committees of the Sandringham Yacht Club, Osaka Hokko Yacht Club and ORCV are very pleased to provide the Preliminary Notice of Race for the 2013 Melbourne to Osaka event.

The fleet prepares for departure from Melbourne. Pic courtesy of and © to Teri Dodds.

In addition to a slightly earlier start time window, the other main element is that the race will now be a Category One event. There is also an earlybird discount, which is sure to provide extra inducement for the keen members of the 34 EOIs already held, in addition to the numerous parties who have kept their excitement and interest in this wonderful 5500nm marathon, just a little more subdued.

Go HERE to download the 2013 M2O Preliminary NoR

Go HERE to register your interest in this sensational race.

Go HERE to see who has already expressed their desire to participate.

Great friends of the ORCV, David James and Rosie Colahan aboard their Ingénue, seen here when they crossed over the finish line.
Yep. You'd be justifiably happy at the end of 5500nm. Pic © Tak Yamazaki.

© John Curnow, ORCV Media

Please contact me for re-issue rights.

2013 Melbourne to Osaka

Prior preparation prevents...

Yes, well, anyway, practice makes perfect.

So as the burgeoning EOIs for the 2013 Melbourne to Osaka no doubt prepare for their performances, here's a great lead up event for the crews already established and with a vessel. In February 2012, The Short Handed Sailing Association of New Zealand is running the second Around NZ Two Handed Race. The last one was 21 years ago and there are eight entries for this one already, BTW.

SSANZ

Steve Newcombe from the SSANZ said to us, "The inaugural RNZ race was in 1990 with a fleet of six. Next year’s race, is eagerly anticipated and follows on from the hotly contested 2011 Round North Island Two Handed Yacht Race (RNI), which has been held every three years since 1976."

Start of the 2011 Round North Island race.

"The course begins with a quick sprint North from Auckland to Mangonui, where the fleet will anchor in picturesque Doubtless Bay, Northland. The stopover is perfectly timed to iron out any bugs and enjoy the laid back Northern hospitality and some sun. Fast forward 24 hours and Leg 2 will see the fleet leave for Stewart Island, with the bulk of the fleet not expected inside a week. Some of the challenges waiting to test the sailors endurance on this leg, include sailing the entire length of the West coast (it’s not called the wild West coast for nothing) and the three capes at the tip of the North Island, where the Tasman and Pacific converge", Steve added.

"Over 900 miles later, Puyseger Point, on the Southwest tip of the South Island, guards the entrance to Foveaux Strait. Puyseger Point is notorious for its gale-producing ways on more than 300 days per year. Half Moon Bay at Oban, the main town on Stewart Island, will host the competitors for up to four days, with the South Pacific Hotel being the focal point."

Akatea (not the Cookson 40 in Geelong) wins the 2011 RNI race. Image © luvmyboat.com

"Leg Three is over 600 miles and finishes at Napier, in the sunny Hawkes Bay. It’s a regular RNI port and the locals really know how to make a sailor feel welcome, with wine tours, golf and rum. Two days later we head for home. The final leg takes three to four days to sail, with the entire race taking three weeks to a month in total”, Steve finished with.

So it seems to me that this would be great preparation prior to your M2O performance... (...we have two Kiwis in the M2O fleet, just so you know)

Go HERE to download the NoR and even register your interest in this race.

© John Curnow, ORCV Media

Please contact me for re-issue rights.

ORCV 2011 Melbourne Double Handed

and 2013 Melbourne to Osaka Race

The Bookends.

This story originally appeared back at the beginning of May, 2011. At the time keen observers asked the question, are we seeing two great bluewater sailors start an Osaka campaign? Now that they're the 44th EOI for the 5500nm classic, which they've both done before as part of different pairings, it's a little more official. Enquiries drew this response from them, "A couple more 'Dolls' out there on the water to join the armada of 'Living', 'Bad' and 'Extra Bad'!"

From different libraries and different shelves they came, but what a pedigree they brought together. Double handed racing to places like Hobart, Osaka and Vanuatu, along with countless cruising and delivery miles, amount to an absolute treasure trove of experience, tales, anecdotes and stories, too.

The Bookends comprise of two halves of two very famous and very experienced double handed racing teams. Robyn Brooke from By Order Of The Secretary (BOOTS)/The Secretary and Rosie Colahan from Ingénue. For the 2011 Melbourne Double Handed, they "borrowed" George Shaw's, The Secretary, to go and have some fun whilst the other two halves of their crews, George and David James, respectively, leant a hand to entertaining the Japanese delegation from Osaka Hokko Yacht Club, who were in town for a formal visit.

George Shaw waved off the girls (and got the iPhone out for this snap), as they departed with his boat... "I was helping with the Japanese visitors On Sunday, so Robyn and Rosie (whom I'm calling the bookends) took out Da Sec for the 2011 Melbourne Double Handed race. The Hokko visitors are still here and we've been with them and Melbourne City Council on Monday. The spit roast in the afternoon had us all very inspired", said Geo.

Seems like the bookends had a great time. Robyn, who has kept us so informed during their recent adventures, in between cooking, navigating, steering, being the radio relay vessel and attending to Geo who had broken ribs, said this of the short course. "To be honest I didn't see much - head down, tail up all day, but we had a great time and it was lovely weather."  Ever aware of an opportunity for a smile, Rob said that "...maybe we should have called the boat 'Tough Titties' for the day. I do recall being drowned in spinnaker at one stage, however. We had all three spinnakers up at different times and when I finally surfaced from under all that nylon, I found Rosie grinning about our mark rounding. 'A great windward drop Rob and I didn't give them an inch to get inside us and the mark! Unfortunately the light flyers got away from us during the lull. It would have been good to have one more triangle, as the wind came in just after we finished, helping the smaller boats home."

 "It was a good first time out for the two of us. There's lots to improve on, but we enjoyed the day and we had our shark hats and Hawaiian shirts on. Just forgot the palm tree to hang off the stern", said Robyn.

 Robyn's cohort, the bubbly Rosie Colahan was in complete agreement. "We had a great day on Sunday. As our first double hander together, it was a blast! George and Robyn are usually our rivals when racing double handed in the ocean, so it was great fun to team up with Robyn aboard The Secretary, while George and David lunched with the Japanese."

 "The Secretary is a somewhat larger and more complex beast than Ingénue, with a rather long runway from front to back. At 12 tonnes, we were definitely in the 'heavyweight' class on the day which was challenging in the very light and variable conditions. Our most closely matched competitor was probably the Sayer 44, Slice of Heaven, with whom we had a good battle in the first few legs of the race, but then cleared out from them and then they retired. Coming from Ingénue to The Secretary is a giant leap up There is a plethora of winches, of every imaginable size, scattered around the boat from the mast to the cockpit, which after Ingenue’s four standard winches, is amazing and we had most of them working a lot of the time, with the flying of the symmetrical and asymm kites and also a brief run with the code zero/ drifter. We were constantly busy all day."

"The good news is that we did not break anything, we did not hit anyone and we were doing perfect gybes with the assy by the end of the day!!!! We went through the shortened finish line, executed a perfect gybe and then took off in the direction of R2 at our best speed of the day. The wind had finally settled in, but the race was over", said Rosie. "Thank you to George for generously allowing the girls to race unsupervised on his boat!"

So then, to put a bookend at the bottom of this story, we have some pics of the delegation from the Japanese host of the 2013 Melbourne to Osaka race - Osaka Hokko Yacht Club. Many thanks to Alex McKinnon for getting these to us.

The full OHYC delegation headed by Vice Commodore Tsutomu Kondo, who is standing next to SYC Commodore Steve Richards and Bayside City Council Mayor, Councillor Alex Del Porto. During formalities, tribute also paid to the nation of Japan, after her losses at the hands of the recent earthquakes and resultant issues.

Keen and ready to roll.

This crew obviously had winning on their minds...

Yep. I'd say they had a good time.

Happy, happy, joy, joy.

Suspended from a cherrypicker after the SYC Centennary Regatta on the Saturday, Alex grabbed this shot of all the gang present on the Northern side of the deck at the Taj.

Well done to all.

Go HERE to see all the 2011 ORCV Melbourne Double Handed results.

Go HERE to register your interest in the sensational 2013 M2O race.

Go HERE to see who has already expressed their desire to participate in the 2013 M2O.

Yes. We'll find something to wax on about....

© John Curnow, ORCV Media

Please contact me for re-issue rights.

	Could be a very, very interesting little field, this one.  If you're around on Sunday May First, you should get out there for the scope.

Melbourne to Osaka (M2O from 05/04/13)

Dozen.

There are now a dozen EOIs for the 2013 M2O, which is just great. No entry got me interested, as Runaway, however, because it was when Andrew McCole and James Ryssenbeek saw that He of the Countdown Timer and Greg Rayner had put theirs in, that they decided they must go and get an EOI in themselves - and quickly at that!!!

Now these guys know a little about short-handed racing. You see, they did the 2006 M2V, as above in the © Andrea Francolini pic and then the 2007 M2O in the © Teri Doods pic below.

Aerial image from the start of the 2007 M2O.

"Look! It's the new keel."

Runaway is a Sayer 11M, was the eleventh EOI and she is a carbon fibre and water ballasted, purpose-built M2O boat, which was third over the line in the 2003 M2O and is still the Open Racer Class C record holder for the event. The boys purchased the boat in 2005 and mounted a two year campaign for the 2007 M2O race. During that campaign, they finished fifth in the 2005 M2HW and fifth in the inaugural 2006 M2O, in which they were second in the two-handed division.

During the 2007 M2O they were in third place on day eight when they suffered a critical keel failure. Andrew says, "After a 40-hour survival mission, where we motored 230nm ashore to Bundaberg in Queensland, we were forced to retire from the race. The survival story is an achievement against the odds and is a testament to both the seaworthiness and stability of the boat." No doubt a fair old dollop of seamanship was part of that too. Since then, the boat has had a new keel and rudder built and a full re-paint of the hull. "With the 2013 M2O now up and running, we are set to finish what we wanted to achieve in 2005", said Andrew.

Runaway is moored at RBYC in Melbourne and is currently on the market. James and Andrew are looking to upsize for the 2013 event, but are planning on racing Runaway if she doesn’t sell. This boat would be perfect for any competitor looking to achieve great results in a fast, lightweight and extremely stable yacht. She is in great condition, is Category Zero compliant and is ready to race. Ring Andrew on 0403 578 764 to put your purchase order in.

So back to EOIs then and number 10 was TBA 4 - Geoff Tomlins from RQYS, whereas 11 and 12 are a bit closer to the starting point. Number 12 is Tony Fowler from RGYC with the new Ocean Skins, which is a Sydney 39CR..

Tony Fowler and crew of the Rodgers46 Ocean Skins that won the 2009 M2HE - seen here sliding up the Derwent wonderfully.

You betcha - more to come.

Go HERE to register your interest in this sensational race.

Go HERE to see who has already expressed their desire to participate.

© John Curnow, ORCV Media

Please contact me for re-issue rights.

Melbourne to Osaka (M2O from 05/04/13)

Sage.

Yes. The following is some very sage advice, from a man who has completed the M2O twice before. Robin Hewitt's other pair of mitts for both times he did this magnificent two handed event, was the ORCV's Vice Commodore, Simon Dryden. Robin has been kind enough to develop the following material for potential entrants in the great race.

Robin has taken the Miller and Whitworth penned, Yoko, to Osaka twice - with thanks to Steb Fisher for this image of her, taken during the 2010 M2G.

Herewith is his three-step plan for you, to help you manage the process of entering and more importantly, preparing for, the Melbourne to Osaka two handed race.

ONE

The yacht must comply, in all respects, to the safety aspects of Category Zero for the regulations of the year specified, which will probably be 2010 or 2011. The Notice of Race will most likely have some amendments, as Cat0 is modelled for very cold water, like the Atlantic, whereas the M2O operates primarily in warmer areas.

The safety auditors are volunteers and must follow to the letter, all of the regulations, as also must the Race Committee. Don’t leave the interpretation of the regulations to chance - eg. If the mid-lifeline height must be not be more than 380 mm above deck, 381mm will not be accepted, so do something about before the audit. Stability, builder's and designer's certificates have all brought entries undone because they cannot be obtained at short notice, like a lot of crucial paperwork, so get these solved early. Conversely, incorrect flare dates can be rectified at the last minute - just sign the cheque or wave the card!

Remember, everything to comply with the NOR takes long-term preparation and needs be started very, very early.

TWO

Being able to enter and then be accepted is your No. 1 mission. Being competitive or able to sail at your absolute best is No. 2. Planning and financing the sailing is of no use if you cannot pass Step One, above. The qualifying voyage is not necessarily an early requirement, but it and others can teach you lots! Your co-skipper needs to be very compatible and have a mature, tolerant outlook.

In a fully crewed yacht, decisions are acted upon by consensus of the majority. In the two handed situation, there can only be agreement or a difference of opinion, which may degenerate into an ego contest. It requires having a firm objective for the race and what is required to be achieved. Consider differences in terms of ‘your watch = your way AND my watch = my way’.

Remember long distance sailing is just not about ability, it is also endurance! A big effort today will probably mean a very poor effort tomorrow! Do you push the yacht to high-risk limits early in the race? Will you then have only damaged sails and gear for the rest of the race? Or maybe have to retire. Consider tactical and strategic aspects of the voyage, the boat, expected weather and equipment that suits. What is your food plan and preparation facilities? Do you have suitable communications, not just for the regulations, but also socially, for looking after those back home. Loneliness can be a factor for some. You will also need to develop a return trip arrangement or plan.

THREE

This is the wish list and it may well be desirable, but it is certainly not essential! It may also be possible, if there's enough funds, which there won’t be, but you may be able to tick some of your desires off.

CONCLUSION

Make your three lists with all the required regulations and then tick each item off, as it is covered or prepared. This means you will be running the sailing and equipment lists/steps concurrently. For sure you'll want to tick them off, but also remember to review both lists frequently. Ultimately, get to the wish list last and not get blinded by it.

Sponsorship can make a very big difference, but there has to be a balance between the time spent obtaining it, then servicing it and getting on with the business of ticking off the all important lists.

Go HERE to register your interest in this sensational race.

Go HERE to see who has already expressed their desire to participate.

By Robin Hewitt with John Curnow

© ORCV Media

Please contact me for re-issue rights.

Melbourne to Osaka (M2O from 05/04/13)

Ian 'Molly' Meldrum.

Hosted a very popoular show that ran for ages - Countdown. Our champ of the countdown, Jeremy Walton, has joined the burgeoning EOI list for the 2013 M2O. His cohort as the Number Eight EOI, is long-time friend, Greg Rayner. While they sort out an appropriate craft, they are known as TBA3...

Jeremy tells us "... we have 893 days to solve the vessel issue." (As of Monday 25/10/10).

He of the Countdown Timer - new ORCV Committee Member, Jeremy Walton.

And this is that Oh-So-Famous Steb Fisher pic of the boat they have spent a lot of time on, Rogue Trader.

Go HERE to register your interest in this sensational race.

Go HERE to see who has already expressed their desire to participate.

© John Curnow, ORCV Media

Please contact me for re-issue rights.

Melbourne to Osaka (M2O from 05/04/13)

Golf.

As in Caddy. You see Cadibarra 8 was up until recently known as Cadi. The title also works because of the fact that she was #4 (as in the warning cry you make on the fairway) in the 2013 M2O EOI programme.

The rudder post is visible just behind the liferaft and I can still see Nigel Jones with the tiller that used to be attached to it, darting around pre-start on Port Phillip. The guys who sailed with him offshore around that time, said he a had a manoeuver called the NiggleWiggle, which set the boat up beautifully to take on a wave and accelerate wonderfully...

Now the Jones 42, originally known as Cadibarra (VIII), was the also the last of Don Jones' personal vessel line. There is an Optimist known as Cadibarra IX out of Mornington Yacht Club, but if you see her in Bass Strait, I think it will be a case of alert the Authorities... While we're at it at, Cadibarra still holds the record for Melbourne to King Island, the oldest ocean race in the land, Melbourne to Launceston and another one she is likely to keep for a long time, as I cannot see us going back there in a hurry - Melbourne to Hastings. They took about 10 minutes of ours on Helsall II, which we had set only a couple of years ahead of them. Doh, doh, doh, doh....

Anyway, her new owner, Paul Roberts tells us, "My previous boat was the Murray 41, Fuzzy Logic, which raced locally and competed in three Sydney Hobart races with the other co-owner. I have recently acquired Cadibarra 8 to compete in Bay races, as well as ocean races, with the ultimate goal of competing in two handed racing. Prior to the purchase of Cadibarra 8, my main requirements were for a fast, 40-foot ocean racing boat, which was designed for off the wind action, was light weight, had the ability to sail short handed and is designed to take the punishment of the our marvellous Bass Strait with its potential high wind/wave conditions". Job well done I would have thought...

On the hardstand at her home club - RYCV - with the old Minesweeper, Castlemaine, in the background.

I reckon this shot is from up North...

After leaving Melbourne originally, Cadi was sailed out of Mooloolaba, with an attempt to race Melbourne to Osaka in 2007. "We brought her back down with only three crew and had a great time, even though we had several days of motoring. The plan is to compete in the 2013 M2O, with the warm up being the Round New Zealand two handed race in 2012. It's my original home and I lived there until graduating with an Engineering degree from Massey University, located in Palmerston North. The other crewmember for the 2013 M2O is long time sailing pal, Brian Murphy. Between the two of us we have close to 20 Sydney Hobart races and enjoy the challenge of ocean racing preparation and blue water sailing."

"The boat is to be raced out of Royals, with a mix of some new and previous Fuzzy Logic crew. New sails have been ordered from Col Anderson’s Doyle loft. Col and his son, Blake have been of great help in assisting to determine the new sail design details, which we are looking forward to proving out on the race track. Don Jones has also been tremendous, providing his knowledge of the boat and it is much appreciated. Since Don sold the boat, new water ballast has been added for short handed sailing. There's also a bow sprint and twin carbon wheels", said Paul. The owners and crew of Goldfinger have had a great time aboard Cadi, as she was, for a couple of Hamilton Island Race Weeks, over the ensuing years. One of the owners of Goldfinger, Peter Blake, bought Cadibarra VII and turned it into Kontrol for his tilt at Osaka by adding a new three-foot false bow. Interestingly, when Cadibarra VIII broke the M2KI record, Kontrol (nee C VII) was also inside the previous record. Kontrol herself, still holds the M2S record.

Now we just learned from our good pal, Chris Furey, that you can have Cadibarra VII/Kontrol/Alex-Team MacAdie, which is obviously Cat 0 capable, to do the 2013 M2O. Call Chris now on +61 410 55 19 77 or email - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. - 2013 M2O TBAs please be advised - first in best dressed for this former M2O winner.

Here is the boat as Kontrol - a Jones 42 with three feet of false bow added by Mal Hart, if memory serves me well, which then meant she had the watertight bulkhead up for'ard. Handy.

Below is as Alex and in Two-Handed configuration.

Finishing (and winning) the 2007 M2O.

Back onboard Cadibarra 8 now and there are those new wheels.

"To date I am very happy with the boat and am looking forward to racing, particularly the upcoming Melbourne to Stanley race, where she will relish off the breeze strong wind conditions. We will be only taking six crew to Stanley, which means we can use just one six-man liferaft and also save on the weight of food and water for the extra souls. We consider this a distinct advantage, as the boat is very stable", Paul finished with.

Go HERE to register your interest in this sensational race.

Go HERE to see who has already expressed their desire to participate.

© John Curnow, ORCV Media

Please contact me for re-issue rights.

Melbourne to Osaka (M2O from 05/04/13)

Lemonade.

Seven Up - Basil Brush.

There are now seven EOIs for the 2013 M2O, which is just wonderful.

Number four was the Jones 42, Cadibarra VIII, which is now owned by Paul Roberts. These images are from the 2007 M2O, with many thanks to Steb Fisher for the use of them.

Now numbers five and seven are quite interesting. The boat names were TBA, as the registrants go looking for a suitable vessel. Number five is Brian Burggraaf, who sails Remedy and we spoke a bit about that in the M2G and AGM stuff. Number Seven was really interesting. From the Southport Yacht Club, comes Lisa Beecham.

We got to ask her a few questions recently and here are her responses, "No haven't done the M2O before! I'm friends with Murray Bucknall and sailed on his boat, Ryujin fgi, a couple of times. Done lots of other Ocean Racing, however:

• 93/4 Whitbread Round the World
• 93 Fastnet
• 92 Sydney Hobart
• 10 or so Brisbane to Gladsones
• 2 Brisbane to Great Keppel Island
• 2 Port Lincoln Races
• Lots of shorthanded delivery miles, but no shorthanded races yet..."

"We do not have a suitable vessel presently, but there's possibly an option on a Adams 45, otherwise there's purchase, charter or build. We will try for some sponsorship... I'm a GP and my co-skipper is Dave Pullin, a Shipwright. He has done:

• 2 Port Lincolns
• 2 Brisbane to Gladstones
• 1 Brisbane to Great Keppel Island
• 1993 Etchells World titles
• Trailer/Sailer; Rl 24 2010 Nationals - 3rd"

Lisa also informed us that, "Both us crewed together in the 2010 Queensland State Trailable Titles and got 3rd on a Rl 24. We also both crewed the Lake Eyre Yacht Club race in 2010 and were the the first monohull in the Birsdville Track! First ever yacht race and first mono to ever fly a kite on the Birsdsville Track!!!"

"All of which was done on a $300 470 trailered over a 4600 km round trip", an enthusiastic Lisa commented. "As a result of all that, we might sail under dual the burgees of Southport YC and Lake Eyre YC."

I think we can allow that and I also think we can say they are suitably qualified to take on the 5500nm epic. Well done, Lisa and Dave.

It's Ross Wilson behind the glasses - he was the Race Director for 2007.

The Race Committee is keen to review all potential racing opportunities, including things like Class 40. The potential three week starting time window has been proposed to allow vessels of differing speeds to arrive in Osaka at a similar time. Please contact ORCV Vice Commodore, Simon Dryden to discuss your requirements: +61 418 145 909 and This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

This is the bow of Phil Coombs' Dekadence's, as she goes past Steb near McCrae on the shores of Melbourne's Port Phillip.

Go HERE to register your interest in this sensational race.

Go HERE to see who has already expressed their desire to participate.

© John Curnow, ORCV Media

Please contact me for re-issue rights.

Melbourne to Osaka (M2O from 05/04/13)

Billy Bowden.

Arms up in the air and the goose step to go with it - as in signalling a six in cricket - Brent Fraser 'Billy' Bowden (NZ) - come on down!!!

Now it may have all started with Harold Dennis 'Dickie' Bird, MBE, but Billy has taken it to a whole new level. Sure it helps if you come from a cricketing nation, but our Japanese friends can just think of it like one of their truly unique TV Game Shows. No Lost in Translation with that one.

Enough said...

So then, after all that explanation, our 'six' is Tony Warren from Team BO, as in the Inglis more formally known as Beyond Outrageous. No word as part of our sixth M2O EOI, as to who the other pair of hands is yet, but we do know that it is not our serial go-to RMYS guy, Ian Lindsay.

At any rate, if there is ever any chance to use Chris Furey's image of them on Port Phillip, hooting down under that now, very famous fractional Bag, well, it just has to be used!!!

QED.

You know what? While we're at, why don't we just show the whole lot again. Yeeeee HAAAAAA.

With the Colt (Sydney 38), Adrenalin and her sistership, Addiction, on the right.

The Race Committee is keen to review all potential racing opportunities, including things like Class 40. The potential three week starting time window has been proposed to allow vessels of differing speeds to arrive in Osaka at a similar time. Please contact ORCV Vice Commodore, Simon Dryden to discuss your requirements: +61 418 145 909 and This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Go HERE to register your interest in this sensational race.

Go HERE to see who has already expressed their desire to participate.

© John Curnow, ORCV Media

Please contact me for re-issue rights.