Final reminders - 70th Apollo Bay Race

It's been a big season and what a way to close it out as we celebrate the 70th anniversary race to Apollo Bay. Thank you for being part of his historic race.

Sailing Instructions

If you haven't already located them please click on this link https://www.orcv.org.au/apollo-bay-race-documents

Harbour Entry for Apollo Bay -

Updated sounding (taken 24th May) for the Apollo Bay Harbour can be found here Please note their depth at the time of measurement and remember to take this off the sounding noted. The lead lines changed about 5 years ago and run straight through the middle of the entrance not near the rock wall.

Celebrating the 70th

For those coming in to stay, as you arrive, the Apollo Bay Sailing Club have supported the race for years and this year will have some “post-race, pre-dinner” cold beers ready. Join other crews here at the ABSC clubhouse, adjacent to the marina. Then we have space at the Apollo Bay Brewhouse set aside and invite you to come and join the crews for a meal and hopefully the presentation. The Brewhouse has suggested you book a table via this link https://www.greatoceanroadbrewhouse.com.au/book/ and add ORCV into the notes so we are collectively grouped together in a covered beer garden. Meals can be ordered up to 8.00 pm.

Presentation

We have a bottle of champagne on ice for the overall winner and a collection of other prizes to celebrate the 70th. Just keep an eye out for the Race Director’s SMS for the time that they plan to run the 70th presentation at the Brewhouse.

Photos, Yes we love competitions

Let us be part of your adventure by sharing your images with us. Please take crew photos, scenery, on water action shots either on your way to the start or if conditions allow during the race. You can share them with us via email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or via this races

All photos need to be taken by yourself and must be made by 5 pm on Sunday 28th May. The best photo is in the running for $75 towards a training event or ORCV merchandise. Don't forget to include your name and boat name.

We would like to use any photos to build the sport, increase participation, in media releases and talk about your great results of boat finishing posts.

Staying Overnight

These boats have indicated they will be staying over and have submitted forms to the Apollo Bay Harbour Master.

Aileron, Alien, Another Chapter, Dark & Stormy, Duxelle, Hot Chipps, Merlion, Peccadillo, Pegasus, Rozinante II, Serendipity, Skullduggery, Streetcar Racing, Vertigo, White Spirit, Xenia, Y Knot

It’s not too late if you wish to stay over, please download this form and submit it to the harbour master who will collect your payment. Allocations will be made based on time of arrival and will be given via the Duty Manager Marcus Pola either via mobile 0418 320 441 or on VHF Channel 72. Please note, you may be rafting so please ensure you bring fenders and ropes.

How to Follow the Race and Leave at Home Documents

As this is a coastal race, your friends and family can follow our Facebook , Instagram, website and can follow many who have AIS on marine traffic. The Leave at Home and Sked sheets are ready for you here too.

Clean Oceans.

Some boats will be doing water testing on the journey. As with all ORCV races, we encourage each boat and competitor to reduce the level of single-use plastic on board by using reusable water bottles, using boat cutlery and plates, refilling onboard and taking food in reusable containers. Apollo Bay has natural beauty and a community that is focused on sustainability.

Enjoy the beautiful weather and what's going to be an amazing 70th Great Ocean Road "Sail"

Tim & Delma
ORCV Media

Double-handed Ryujin wins Apollo Bay Race

Sailed double-handed by owner Alex Toomey and crew-mate Andrew Hibbert, Ryujin has won the Ocean Racing Club of Victoria’s (ORCV) 2022 Apollo Bay Race, in which Margaret Rintoul V (Damien King) took line honours in a close race across the board.

Ruyjin smaller Photo Chris Furey Sailed double handed, Ryujin won the race. Photo Chris Furey

A fleet of 31 boats started the 52 nautical mile race. Ryujin, a Sayers 12, beat Jason Close’s J133, Patriot by a slim 14 second margin to claim overall victory under AMS, also winning PHS and Double-Handed divisions. At the front of the fleet, King’s Frers 61 crossed the finish ahead of Extasea, the Cookson 50 owned by Paul Buchholz but skippered by Simon Hunter in his absence, by a mere 55 seconds.

Starting under the cover of dark in drizzling rain at 6am on Saturday, following a 15 minute delay as officials waited for the breeze to fill in, Margaret Rintoul V (MRV) led the fleet out of Port Phillip Heads. Her finish time of 5 hours 58mins 31secs fell 24 minutes shy of Kaos’ (Peter Blake) 1999 record of 5 hours 34mins 4secs.

Dark start view from Alien Photo Glen Cowan A dark start, View from Alien Photo Glen Cowan

Crews enjoyed a reaching race, owners selecting their light air sails to start. However, by 10.30am, winds had built to 18 knots, gusting to 30 from the north, with squalls and bullets coming off the land. Unprepared for the ferocity, quite a few are putting money into the pockets of sailmakers today.

MRV will full gear up, was just ahead of Extasea, which had two reefs in the main. According to the Race Directors, MRV was heeling so far over, it appeared her gear was touching the water.

“We had ever sail up, but we had a reef in the main for a bit,” King confirmed. “It’s an old-school heavy sort of boat (German Frers design built in 1996) with a big rudder, so it can take the conditions better than the modern boats. We had a great time.

“We used our new Code Zero with our other near-new sails built for the Hobart, all from Aaron Cole at North Sails. We used them all in combination with each other. Our Code Zero, asymmetrical, jib, inner jib and main. We finished with full main and normal working jib.

“Extasea sailed higher than us in less breeze, so it made their conditions a little tougher than ours. They were getting squalls above them, while we were to leeward, so it was easier.”

King said new systems and new technology had been added to the boat, “So we can sail an older boat easily.”

As always, the Melbourne sailor fielded an eclectic crew: Mark Willett (nicknamed ‘LR’, for Long Race, because of Whitbread and other long races he has done), Aaron Cole, Eliza Solly, Jeremy O’Connell, Ben Morrison-Jack, Jonathan Orr and Mark Byrne.

MRV Crew Shot Photo Damien King The happy MRV crew Photo Damien King

“The catering was good. We had the oven running the whole time. I don’t think we’ll need to eat for the rest of the week. Jonny (Orr), a regular crew, filled in for our usual caterer, Matt Mullins (a renowned Victorian publican) and did a great job.

“Eliza trims spinnaker. We didn’t have the perfect start, but we managed to leave the Heads first and she led the charge,” King ended.

Ryujin, sailing for CPR Australia, “a good supporter,” Toomey says, wasn’t far behind the leaders throughout. It was Toomey’s first double-handed ocean race, so an amazing result for the pair.

“Andy is part of my regular crew and we’ve wanted to do offshore racing two-handed. Since moving to Melbourne two years ago, we’ve got to know each other and push each other hard. I really enjoy sailing with him and I’m looking forward to more. ” Toomey said.

On the race to Apollo Bay, “We’ve been able to keep up with the Cookson 50, in this and the King Island Race. We were up with them this time but broke the tackline, Toomey said.

“There was lots of reefing, switching the Jib Top and the A3 spinnaker and moving the water ballast. We were pushing very hard. We were very determined. When we saw MRV we pushed harder and as we did, she got bigger. “It’s a good incentive having bigger boats in front of you,” he said.

Dolphin shot below Archie in AB 2022 Photo Glen Cowan Dolphin paves the path for Archie. Photo Glen Cowan

In Bass Strait, competitors reported pods of dolphins egging them on as they leapt through the waves. As the fleet approached Apollo Bay, the grey day was replaced by blue skies, with crews bathed in sunshine. Those who elected to sail back to Melbourne after the race enjoyed a glorious full moon home. It was a perfect end to a hard day on the water.

The final race of the ORCVs summer season each year, the Apollo Bay Race decides the Coastal Championship and the Offshore Championship. The Coastal Championship was decided in favour of John Strahan’s True Colours on a countback with Jeff Sloan’s Archie.

The ORCV Offshore Championship came down to the wire, with Alien (Justin Brenan), Audere (Joshua Thring), Vertigo (Timothy Olding), Vagabond (Andrew McConchie) and newcomer Foggy Dew (Robert D’Arcy), in the running. Alien came out on top in the end.

Alien crew smaller Photo Glen Cowan A glorious sunrise for Alien crew. Photo Glen Cowan

Top three results:

AMS

1. Ryujin (Alex Toomey/Andrew Hibbert)
2. Patriot (Jason Close)
3. Tevake II (Paul Neilson)

ORC

1. Patriot
2. Alien (Justin Brenan)
3. Bandit (Ashley Trebilcock)

PHS

1. Ryujin
2. Alien
3. Margaret Rintoul V (Damien King)

Double-Handed

1. Ryujin
2. Blue Water Tracks (Grant Dunoon)
3. Spirit of Freya (Joanne Harpur)

PHS Multihull

1. Shadowfax II

Line Honours

Margaret Rintoul V

Full results: https://www.orcv.org.au/results/2021-22/2022M2AB/series.htm?ty=52760

Results for the 69th ORCV Apollo Bay race 2022

Ryujin with lighthouse photo steb fisher

Overall winner of the 69th ORCV Apollo Bay goes to RYUJIN the double handed entry sailed by Alex Toomey and Andrew Hibbert. A great race with a bit of everything and a cracking pace. The provisional top 3 results of the day were:

AMS

1st. Ryujin (1570)

2nd Patriot (SM133)

3rd Tevake II (H101)

ORC

1st Patriot

2nd Alien (R880)

3rd Bandit (SM4040)

PHS

1st Ryujin

2nd Alien

3rd MRV (SYD5)

PHS Multihull

1st Shadowfax II (M307)

1st Ryujin

2nd Blue Water Tracks (B1)

3rd Spirit of Freya (5903)

Line Honours MRV

Full results can be found here https://www.orcv.org.au/results/2021-22/2022M2AB/series.htm?ty=52760

Race Updates 69th Apollo Bay Race 2022

11.30 Update Race Director Update

"With the first boat now in sight, the Race Directors Jeremy and Cam reflect on the senseless loss of the ORCV Race Control van as they set up a makeshift race management desk in the cold. The winds have continued to build with some yachts reporting 30 knots at times and the first boat due in within the hour.

It may have been a sailmakers day today for those who still had their light air sails up when the squalls hit. It's now certainly a two sail race thankfully fast still given how cold we are here."

10am Update

Peter Blake skippered KAOS in 1999 to set the monohull race record of 5hours, 24 min and 4 seconds. It's unlikely that we will see a new monohull race record but they are chasing it down as the winds continue to build.

The winds have increased to around 17 knots from the North allowing the fleet to lift their boat speeds to 8 - 10 knots for that quick run the finish line. MRV, Ryujin and Extasea are still leading with a second group lead by White Noise, Tevake II and Patriot. No more whale spot for the crew of Archie as they chase the Coastal Championship prize.

Sadly we say goodbye to the catamaran Crowded House who has retired into Lorne with halyard issues with all OK onboard.

The Race Directors are now in place and await the first yachts expected sometime between now and 1pm.

Archie crew 2022 AB race Photo Jeff Sloan

Archie crew took up whale spotting whilst waiting for the winds to build. Photo Jeff Sloan

View from Rozinante ii going through the heads

View from Rozinante II at the heads Photo Rachel McGuigan

6.30am Update

After a short delay of 15 mins due to lack of wind, a good size fleet of 31 yachts is on the way for the 69th Apollo Bay race in 13 knots from the North. It was Rozinante II and Faster Forward who lead over the start line with Shimmer, Extasea and MRV in a tussle for the lead as they passed Shortland Bluff.

With winds starting to build, MRV soon took the lead out through the heads with Extasea, Ryujin, Alien, Shimmer and Patriot closely following. You can follow the fleet on marine traffic or check back here for more race updates.

Fleet out through the heads

Emergencies Causes work sheet v2

Weather Prediction Apollo Bay Race

It's predicted to be a great race to Apollo Bay with 10 - 16 knots from the NNW and a simple reach most of the way.

The wind coming from the North will give rise to stronger gusts to keep your eye out for. Wish our fleet well as they prepare to start for the race early on Saturday morning.