11th March 7am Race Update

 
As predicted last night, the fleet has endured a very light, and somewhat frustrating night at sea, with the lead boat only advancing 36nm in the 10 hours since the 21:00 Radio Sched.
 
Whilst the leaderboard has not change significantly since our last update, with Paul Buchholz’s Cookson 50, Extasea leading from Scarlet Runner and Ruyjin, with MRV and Hartbreaker poised, ready to take advantage of the first sign of the new breeze.
 
The handicap honours are still wide open with Michael Culhane's Northshore 38, Weekend Option team leading on AMS from Scott Robinson's Seaquest Pf36, How Bizarre and Leo Cantwell's Sydney 36Cr, Aileron.
 
7am 11th Mar race map
 
The forecast is for more breeze to freshen from the west as the morning develops, which will greet the fleet with champagne sailing conditions, and should see our lead boats approaching the finishing line by mid-afternoon.
 
The first retirement of the race due to the light conditions, Tai Tam, are motoring to Grassy Harbour, and are currently on track to be the first to experience the warm hospitality awaiting the rest of the fleet.
 
As daylight slowly creeps into the overcast sky blanketing Bass Strait, the anticipation of being met with the Best Steak Sandwich In The World, is sure inspire even the most disheartened of crews, and reward them for their perseverance.

10th March 9pm Race Update

A little over four hours into the race and it is Damien King’s, Frers 61 MRV leading the fleet, ahead of Extasea and Scarlet Runner.

Even in this early stage, the overall AMS positions are much more interesting, with Xenia in Div 2, a X4.3 skippered by Koos Theron’s leading the two RMYS boats, Weekend Option (Div 2) and Arcadia (Div 1).

 
The light conditions have prevented the large boats from getting away, and are keeping the smaller boats in the fleet well in touch in these early stages.
 
race update map
A close race in the early stages and light winds.
 
With the light conditions expected to continue well into daylight tomorrow, all eyes will be on the larger boats, (MRV, Hartbreaker, Extasea, Scarlet Runner) to see who will reach the more consistent breezes expected closer to the top of King Island by around 9:00am Saturday, and which team will capitalise to make a claim for race honours.
 
The lighter boats in the 40ft range should not be under estimated (Ryujin, Lord Jiminy, Alex Team Macadie, How Bizzarre, Soirée Bleu, Arcadia and Cadibarra) have all proven to be very effective in light conditions, so this year’s race remains wide open for those that hold their concentration through the quiet hours overnight.
 
Stay tuned for our next update early tomorrow morning and keep an eye on the tracker https://race.bluewatertracks.com/2023-king-island-race

 

Friday 10th March 6pm

1 hour after the start. 32 Yachts competing in the Melbourne to King Island have got underway with blue skies, sunshine and winds 7 - 10 knots Easterly. It was Scarlet Runner, the Carkeek 43 skippered by Rob Date who led the fleet through the heads with MRV and Ryujin close behind.
Start Photo Neville Rose
Assys and Code 0 were the calling for the light air conditions at the start  Photo Neville Rose
 
A sea of Assy's and Code 0's were flying throughout the fleet as the next group of How Bizarre, Bandit, Solera, Cadibarra, White Spirit and Soiree Bleu.
 
Paul Buchholz's Cookson 50, Extasea had a slower start but 1 hour in has started to move through the pack and chasing the leading group.
 
With a flat sea state and light winds, we expect the fleet will hug the coast and head towards Apollo Bay before turning towards King Island.
Follow the fleet on the tracker here https://race.bluewatertracks.com/2023-king-island-race
 

Monday, 13 March 2023 17:06

Another Chapter wins slow dance in Melbourne to King Island Race Another Chapter, Neil Sargeant’s Beneteau 44.7, has won the Ocean Racing Club of Victoria’s slow and fluctuating Melbourne to King Island Yacht Race, while Paul Buchholz’s Extasea took line honours.  Another Chapter (far right) won the 2023 King Island Race.  Photo Steb Fisher Sargeant can breathe easy now after an extremely close race between the top three overall, decided under AMS. Just 11 seconds decided the winner from Scarlet Runner (Rob Date) and Solera (Stuart Richardson), which placed second and third...

Friday, 10 March 2023 22:46

11th March 7am Race Update   As predicted last night, the fleet has endured a very light, and somewhat frustrating night at sea, with the lead boat only advancing 36nm in the 10 hours since the 21:00 Radio Sched.   Whilst the leaderboard has not change significantly since our last update, with Paul Buchholz’s Cookson 50, Extasea leading from Scarlet Runner and Ruyjin, with MRV and Hartbreaker poised, ready to take advantage of the first sign of the new breeze.   The handicap honours are still wide open with Michael Culhane's Northshore 38, Weekend Option team...

Wednesday, 08 March 2023 22:19

Final Reminders – 2023 King Island Race King Island has limited health resources so we ask you all to adhere to our hosts' requests as outlined below. If you are unwell prior to departure, please stay at home. If you are unwell upon arrival, as per the SI’s we ask that all the crew stay on the boat. Tender Service The water police are monitoring the event and the boat club have asked that everyone wears a life jacket on the tender transfer service to avoid a fine. Consider bringing a waterproof bag for your crew jackets to go into. After you finish, please follow exactly the instructions...

Tuesday, 07 March 2023 10:17

  Challenges fuel interest in 51st King Island Race More than 30 boats are set to start the Ocean Racing Club of Victoria’s 114 nautical mile King Island Race, starting at 5pm on Friday 10 March off Queenscliff, with competitors chasing overall honours and the nine-year-old race record set by John Newbold’s Primitive Cool of nine hours 50 minutes 21seconds. Royal Geelong Yacht Club’s Paul Buchholz is prepping his canting Cookson 50, Extasea, hoping conditions are ripe for record breaking. Prizes at the end are large crayfish and King Island cheeses. If you don’t win a cray,...

Saturday, 04 February 2023 14:36

King Island Race 2023 There’s something super special about King Island that brings us back year after year. With the race just around the corner and starting in daylight on Friday 10th March at 5pm, I invite you to experience this amazing destination race and to the land of meat, cheese and rugged beauty.  Grassy Harbour offers safe anchorage in all weather and the race is part of the ORCV Offshore, Double Handed Championships and Australian Ocean Racing Championship (AORC). For those who haven’t been to King Island, it’s the perfect ocean racing distance of 114 nm and...