Melbourne to Port Fairy (M2PF)

When you're on a good thing...

Jock and Hamish MacAdie aboard ‘Isuzu Marine' have eeked ahead of their fully crewed rivals, but then what would you expect from our current Melbourne to Osaka (M2O) Champions.

'Isuzu Marine' as set up for two-handed on the startline of last year's M2H West.

Racing two-handed is no mean effort, but then given the miles these two have completed together, it really is no surprise how capable they are. Being light is another advantage, only two bodies and no extra water and food for the other mouths is an advantage in the very light 11kn SSW breeze on smooth seas that the leaders are currently experiencing.

This direction of course means that it is hard on the nose as they make for Cape Otway, some 20nm and a good couple of hours away. The lead group is roughly abeam of Apollo Bay (the next race on the ORCV calendar by the way) and the tail enders are back at Lorne, so very spread out and very slow going. The leaders are just making 5kn and the tail enders are 2kn or worse! What a sensational time they must be having though. It'll be warm, the food is easy to prepare and eat in smooth seas and the biggest things to look out for are enough water being drunk and enough sunscreen going on - oh yeah and who scoffed all the lollies. Sorry. It was me...

‘Quasimodo's record stands for another year it seems so far.

Cape Otway - what they're aiming for right now. So close, yet...

Talking tactics, Richard McGarvie on Addiction has taken the mung bean flyer out off shore and only time will tell if he sees the seabreeze before the others and gets a kite out or at least starts to reach to make up some ground. ‘Extasea', desperate for that overall win with the owner, Paul Buchholz on board this time, have been trying inshore and are now offshore with Laurie Ford's ‘Spirit of Downunder' kind of shadowing them in fourth. ‘Ninety Seven' are just near ‘Extasea' in third and on a more linear path like ‘Isuzu Marine' - probably wondering who's going to have a BBQ first. ...Not.

There's a bunch near Kennet and Wye Rivers that includes ‘The Secretary', ‘Bacardi', ‘Mirrabooka' and the best of the local PFYC entries. Doug Abbott's Northshore NSX38 ‘Afrayed Knot' is sandwiched between the ORCV Commodore and the old ‘Bus'. Bill Trueman and Jo Norbury on ‘Chikara Outlaw' must have had some sleep this time, because as predicted they're up there, which gives them a shot at PHS.

'Afrayed Knot' from PFYC leads the local contingent.

Over 30 years old and still swinging. 'Bacardi' aka 'The Bus'

The tail has the very heavy steel sloop Yoko and the small Elan433 ‘Pretty Woman', who represent the complete dichotomy of ocean racing experience. The former has literally seen everything and the later are in their first full year doing blue water racing. Well done to Roger Wale and crew and great to see, given M2H East was their first foray, just a few months ago.

ORCV Race Director, Don Fraser, expects the winner should get to Port Fairy "...just before midnight and the others will straggle in as the new day breaks." He also added that he wanted them to get around the corner before hanging his hat on it.

Stay tuned. Next sked is 1805hrs.

By John Curnow