A word from the Port Fairy Commodore.

Welcome to Port Fairy!

The Easter holidays are nearly here and skippers of the fifteen boats taking part in the Melbourne to Port Fairy race will be busy getting their boats and crews organised.  The race begins at 00:00hrs off Queenscliff on Good Friday, April 6, 2012.

Hugh Parker, the Commodore of the Port Fairy Yacht Club (PFYC) said “everything is in place and the members are looking forward to again welcoming the fleet to Port Fairy”.  The Easter holiday weekend is a busy time for tourists in this quaint historical township and the arrival of the visiting racing fleet adds to the colour and movement of the river and attracts many onlookers.

From the sea the flashing light from the ORCV van will be visible from the East Beach car park, which lies just to starboard of the Moyne River entrance. The PFYC has organised two rescue boats to be on stand-by to greet the crews as they arrive at the East Beach finishing line.

From here the boats will be escorted into the river and directed to a designated mooring place. A professional fishing fleet operates out of Port Fairy harbor so a number of places have been set aside for the visiting fleet by the Port Manager.  At the finishing line, the Commodore requests that skippers await instructions from the rescue boats as to where to moor in the river so as not to interfere with the movements of the fishing fleet.

The members of the Port Fairy Yacht Club are looking forward to renewing old acquaintances and have been rostered on around the clock to provide support for the hungry and thirsty crew members as they come ashore. All the facilities of the clubrooms are available including piping hot showers.  Many an exhausted crew member has looked forward to the warmth and stability of the PFYC clubrooms after long hours battling the elements in the Southern Ocean, after rounding Cape Otway.

The crew of Extasea enjoy the warmth of the PFYC after a wild ride in the 2011 Melbourne to Port Fairy race

On Good Friday light snacks will be available at the clubhouse from 6pm onwards for any early bird arrivals and the bar will remain open till midnight. Service will resume on Saturday morning with a continuous brunch available from 8am onwards and the bar will be open from 9am.  Food and bar service will be available through till 9pm on Saturday night. The race presentation to winners is expected to take place around 11am on Saturday morning, in time for crew wishing to make the dash back to the “Heads”.

The lower reaches of the Moyne River, up until the footbridge, are easily navigable and perfectly protected in all weather.  Once inside the river beware of one relatively shallow patch of ground at Cameron’s Point which is near the bend in the river where the old, and now disused southwest passage entrance, meets the river. Hugh reminds skippers, particularly those with deep draughts, to check the state of the tide before entering the river. The commodore’s boat draws 2.5m and has no problems, however the rescue boats will be on hand to provide any assistance required.