ORCV Melbourne Two Handed (MTH)

Got A Bit On.

When you're going two-up, sail changes, tacks and even making coffee gets to be a real chore in a way. Perhaps it is because of the extra demands placed on you both physically and mentally, that so many are drawn to this category of racing. Don't even ask me about solo....

Anyway, if you've already read this peice, click HERE now to go to the results.

One crew who will ensure they sail well and have some real coffee available is the new team of Sally Williams and Brian Slater, who'll be taking the venerable Adams 12, Adams Rib, around the course tomorrow. Wonder who'll have to go below and check the charts??????

Greg Clinnick (front and centre) has sacked nearly all the crew. All right, well, for this race only. Not sure exactly whom of our HCOTW was spared, actually... All will be revealed in the end. Image by Mike Stephens of mysportphoto.com.au (and he's on the right).

Godzilla's Driver, Tom Fowler has also "sacked" the crew for this race, like Audacious, which gives me the opportunity to say that they were the very first holders of the HCOTW trophy!!!

Ocean Safari will be the biggest out there, at 51 feet and they also came along with us to the inaugural M2G last year, which was when this image was taken. They also did a cruise of their own to Port Fairy at Easter, when we held the 2010 M2PF.

Remedy showed the others that there were, in fact, two marks at the top of the course in last year's M2G, as they led just a few of the fleet around the left hand pin. Yes. They did that race two-handed, as well.

They had a bit on in Corio Bay, when 40knots came through...

Who got the guernsey from the crew of Sowrdfish Trombone to join her Driver, Tim Olding??? This image © Steb Fisher.

Mike Welsh is bringing Wiked out, so that means that she has her new stick in, which in turn, is just great to see. Has Mike chosen He of the Loud Shorts to join him???. This image © Steb Fisher.

Rave, rave, rave, rave, rave... Sunday's course get's underway from the tower at RBYC, heads out West to R2 and then North towards the CBD, before going South a bit and then ultimately finishing back at RBYC. Robin Hewitt is in command of the race, which has an 18 boat fleet partaking.

The BoM has this to say:

Forecast for Sunday

Winds: North to northwesterly 15 to 25 knots, reaching up to 30 knots ahead of a west to southwesterly change 15 to 20 knots around dawn. Winds tending south to southwesterly 15 to 20 during the afternoon then easing to 10 knots later in the evening. Seas: 1.0 to 1.5 metres, decreasing to below 0.5 metres in the evening.

Have a blast everyone and we'll look forward to getting some onboard intel from Mystery Man (don't tell me you've forgotten him already) and others to broadcast to you.

Commodore George Shaw and Robyn Brooke will have his 'new' boat, The Secretary, out for this event as they prepare for M2V. This © Steb Fisher image is from the start of the 2006 M2V, which was part of the Treasure Trove Pt.II. Go back and have a look at the sensational images from the day, where boats were behind water, flying out of it and completely obscured behind it!!! Go on. Just click on the big red letters above and you'll be transported straight back in time! Really.

Regular Two-Handers, David James and Rosie Collahan. Image from the 2009 M2HE and © Steb Fisher. NEWSFLASH. Rosie and David are not doing the 2010 MTH, but they have just become the ninth Official Entry for the 2010 M2V with Ingenue. WooHoo. Next one is double digits! Yeah. Cool.

By John Curnow