Melbourne to Apollo Bay (M2AB) and

Melbourne Offshore Championship (MOC)

Done! Dusted!...

...engraving goes on the trophy.

They've worked hard all year - well done 'Extasea'. Pic courtesy of Terri Dodds.

So then, in the process of officially cancelling the Melbourne to Apollo Bay (M2AB), the Melbourne Offshore Championship (MOC) was also decided. The Ocean Racing Club of Victoria's Race Director, Simon Dryden explained, "We just could not find a suitable weekend to run this race. There's the ORCV Melbourne Latitude Series (MLS), the Women's Keelboat Regatta and of course, the ever-popular Melbourne Winter Series (MWS) starts on July 5 with the annual flare firing. This is where the ORCV has arranged with the necessary authorities for sailors to learn and reacquaint themselves with the use of both parachute and hand-held flares. It certainly is a bit of a spectacle."

In the end, the 2008/2009 MOC standings are: IRC 1. 'Extasea' - Paul Buchholz 2. 'Ninety Seven' - Alan Saunders 3. 'Spirit of Downunder' - Laurie For AMS 1. 'Extasea' - Paul Buchholz 2. 'Addiction' - Richard McGarvie 3. 'Spirit of Downunder' - Laurie Ford   'Addiction' was one of the boats aiming to do well in M2AB and thereby improve their Championship aspirations.
and PHC 1. 'Mirrabooka' - David Bingham 2. 'Spirit of Downunder' - Laurie Ford 3. 'Chikara Outlaw' - Bill Trueman and Jo Norbury   David Bingham will accept another trophy soon for the PHC Division of the MOC to add to this one earned at M2PF

No surprises then, that Paul Buchholz and the very accomplished crew of 'Extasea' win the 2008/2009 MOC and in doing so get their name on the cabinet that holds the magnificent etched glass vase, that is the trophy for this revered Championship for the second year in a row.

By John Curnow

This article is all about thanking the Senior Duty Forecaster at the Bureau of Meteorology for his efforts in relation to the 2009 M2AB race. It was his due consideration and appreciation of the issues, that allowed the ORCV's Race Director, Simon Dryden, to postpone the race on the sea state, not wind state, late on Friday afternoon.

10 metres - right on the money (just glad I did not have to be out in it right).

These graphs are from today (16/5/09), from the wave buoy at Point Nepean, which is the Eastern landmass at the Heads of Melbourne's Port Phillip. Correctly, it showed the swell lumping in from SSW at as near as 10m and building, with no chance of returning to anything approaching normal until Sunday at best.

It's still very cold here and the wind has been at least 30 knots during the day, so it really would have been the cold shower for a very prolonged period and about the only way to get into Apollo Bay if you had have gone, would have been a little like ‘Supertramp' all those years ago..

Sideways is for Drifting like in cars!

The PoM wave buoy location	It does NOT look like this today!!!

By John Curnow

Melbourne to Apollo Bay (M2AB)

Yank that pin!

The 2009 Melbourne to Apollo Bay has been postponed until further notice.

So imagine what it would be like in a little boat then... This is akin to what the 'Spirit of Tasmnia' will be doing tonight.

The 2009 Melbourne to Apollo Bay has been postponed until further notice. Given that the ORCV has a safety first policy, the exceptionally high sea state in Bass Strait presently has been deemed unacceptable for a Cat3 race.

The ORCV Sailing Committee will endeavour to find an alternative time to conduct this race, so please stay tuned for further information in relation to that.

"In consultation with the senior forecaster at the BOM, I have decided to cancel the 2009 M2AB. The wind has not been the main consideration here, as it is still forecasted to be between 20 and 30 knots from the SW in our area of operation. The deciding factor has been the sea state however, with 6-7m swells and a 3m sea on top of it, subsiding to a 1.5 to 2m sea, but still on the 6-7m swell, as the day progresses. They are predicting significant beach erosion and this size of sea has been enough for me to postpone the race for now. All the while remembering of course that the BOM doctrine indicates ‘maximum waves may be up to twice the height', as listed in the forecast", Simon Dryden, the Race Director commented.

"At any rate if you got there and the Harbour Master had closed the port it would have been a bit devastating having to turn around and go home. We looked at delaying the start and the wind was definitely going to abate, but the swells are expected to stay well into Sunday", he went on to add.

The fantastic Donaghys rope prizes will be held over pending getting a race in and we'll all just have to wait for the results in the all important Melbourne Offshore Championship (MOC).

There would have been a lot of this going on from Saturday morning.

By John Curnow

All entrants in the 2009 M2AB have an equal chance to be winners this year

Donaghys are doing something about the GFC. They were so thrilled about the response from the M2KI presentations that they've decided to double up and all entrants in the 2009 M2AB have an equal chance to be winners!

Not one, but two reels will be given to two lucky Skippers and their crews who win the draw this time!!! Now that reely is putting something into the sport! Many thanks then to Daryl Ford of Donaghys for this exceptional generosity in these difficult times.

80m of 8mm Dyneema® core is on offer. Dyneema® SK75 is the world’s strongest fibre, with the ultimate strength to weight ratio for high performance applications - Dyneema® braids include Superbraid and Ocean 12.

"Well this really is something. Donaghys have gone all out here and we are so happy that they feel such a strong affinity with the our club", ORCV Race Director Simon Dryden enthused today. "Good thing we have the ORCV truck to haul it all down in", he went on to add.

So if you're racing to Apollo Bay this year, there's now an added incentive to get there, as if the MOC standings and the seafood at Apollo Bay weren't enough inspiration. Because the weather forecast isn’t going to fill you with joy – let’s face it. Normally, you have to be at the Presentations in order to be in the running, but as there is a chance that Apollo Bay Harbour will be closed, we will place all starters in the running for these tremendous prizes.

By John Curnow