Melbourne to Port Fairy (M2PF)

Look out for that...

HOLE!!!

Like most windless holes they can claim victims. The bite near 'Moonlight Head' above is one such place...

‘Isuzu Marine', ‘Extasea' then ‘Ninety Seven' is the leading order, with the fleet very stretched out tonight. ‘Yoko' and ‘Pretty Woman' are still yet to round Cape Otway. It would seem that ‘Isuzu Marine' did find some katabatics on the hills to have reclaimed a small lead and ‘Ninety seven' now seem relegated to a bridesmaid role to the other two, as they are not really in striking distance.

Very light Northerly winds of less than 6knots are reported with leaders making around 4knots and the slowest boats managing barely just the one! That's going to hurt and if the sails are slapping around, then it will be extremely annoying. However, you need sloppy seas for that and it seems all is very smooth out there indeed.

0400hrs seems to be the target still, which is not really that good for the leaders. You see, low tide is 0630hrs and the next high tide is 13:22. After all, none of the first finishers, who have the deeper draughts will want to do a ‘Quasimodo' and park on the bar at the entrance to wave hello to all and sundry as they come in. They will have to anchor and get ferried in to the all important drinks and food.

Way back in 1984, 'Quasimodo' demolished the opposition and then went on to park on the bar at the entrance to the Moynie River...

Talk about chocolates to boiled lollies. Last sked's big shaker and mover, the PFYC local, ‘Running Wild' seems to have fallen pray to the windless hole of Moonlight Head and they are now back to 12th. Given the amazing moon tonight, perhaps they got mesmerised, much like a bug to the ‘Blue Ring of Death'. ‘Afrayed Knot' leads the charge for the PFYC and they are right in there with ‘The Secretary' and ‘Spirit of Downunder', just of Princetown. These three are seeing who can nail fourth overall, so ORCV George Shaw will have the red wine bets already being devised.

‘Chikara Outlaw' found a "Get out of Gaol" Free card, which is handy and made back up some ground. Not enough to move them anywhere on the rankings, however. And talking of standings, here we go. In IRC ‘Extasea' has it from ‘Isuzu Marine' and ‘Ninety Seven'. AMS is virtually owned by ‘Isuzu Marine', with ‘Extasea' and ‘The Secretary' in there. In PHC ‘Isuzu Marine' has it over ‘Mirrabooka' and ‘Extasea'. The game is still on for the minor placings it would seem, with Jock and Hamish MacAdie clearly having a great day at the office!!!

Dog Watch could well be finish time so lets see what the next watch can do.

Anyway, if you want to look at Yacht Tracker for yourself, it can be found at:
http://www.orcv.org.au/tracker/indexPF.html

Similarly, the latest standings are here:
http://www.orcv.org.au/tracker/service/race_infoPF.php

By John Curnow