ORCV Melbourne to Apollo Bay (M2AB)

Nadia Comaneci.

Yep. The Perfect Ten!!! And yes. Blow me down with a feather duster - it is from 1976!!! Yikes.

Anyway, 1000hrs is your new starting time and there is an addendum to the SIs to go with it. Get that HERE.

Now apart from it being daylight and therefore a whole lot warmer (relative term I guess), it is also later and that will give any residual nasties even more time to pass on by. There will be bonus points for pics of surfers as you go past the coast - yes, I do believe you'll be that intimate with the shore (and so does The Brass, who'll be on Dry White).

So, with my best Tim Shaw impersonation ready to roll, here we go - "But wait... There is more!"

Yes. The organisation that just loves to keep on giving, also has an inside course that's all set to roll if outside for a Cat3 event is not on the menu. Therefore, no matter what, you are going racing. WooooHooooooooo or what! There's an Offshore Championship to settle and well, everyone is keen. You'd only have to look at my Inbox to see that.

There you have it. The new and improved, (Sorry. Too many years as a Madman...) 10 to Apollo Bay is all ready for you. Perfect. Simply perfect.

Any additional information that may be required will be posted here, as and when it happens...

A DAYLIGHT start off Drapers Reef. It's so rare I do not even have a pic of one! So those with cameras, please help us get an image of this albino tiger. I had to use this © Teri Dodds image from Portsea last year, as a result. The best news is that you can just roll down the hill at Queenscliff and go straight out to the line. Cool, eh?

Stay tuned!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Tomorrow it's important to look right here, for all sorts of docs regarding sign on and the like...

© John Curnow, ORCV Media

Please contact me for re-issue rights.

Below is Tony Bull's shot from  onboard eXtasea during the  2010 event.
	Not a place to go into  in an Easterly or if you  draw too much. Plenty of souls around to ask  about that and there's also  the bombora out the front. Supertramp above looks bad,  but had storm boards in etc. Port was closed thereafter,  though... Don't even attempt to go in  with an Easterly blowing,  however...

ORCV Melbourne to Apollo Bay (M2AB)

The 3.00 to Apollo Bay.

Damien 'Damo' Ryan is the Naviguesser aboard Matrix, out of the Squadron in St Kilda, which is one of the many forty somethings partaking in this annual season finale. The Inglis', the Colts and B40s are others...

Anyway, like so many Naviguessers at present, he's been avidly reviewing all the data, so as to maximise his chances of winning that Gill jacket. Crewmember, Amber Stewart, has let us in a bit on Damo's thoughts, thus far. "I’ve just had a look at routing on PredictWind. It's about an eight hour trip (probably nine+ at least for us, as it’s all upwind). I then noticed you can optimise the route for 'Fastest Time' (the default setting) or 'Comfort'.  When I changed the setting to 'Comfort', it just said, 'Take the bus", commented a jovial Damo.

Here's the Matrix gang after they made it in to Hobart from last year's Westcoaster. From the back, left to right it's Amber, Keith O'Donnell (skipper), then Damo and John McGill on the other side of the mast. The middle is Todd Pedler, Kim Rea, John Rea and Ciara Earley and the front row is: Jimmy Whiteley, Heath McGill and Larry

In addition to that little snippet, Amber Stewart, our correspondent, also thought it would be "a very good chance to really test out the Sea Biscuit bands." Quite so, quite so. Be good to get real facts on that one... So if you have one of the demo bands and are going, please give us the intel during or afterwards, as it will be good to know if it is yay or nay. Ta.

OK then. Please keep an eye on the 'boards' (no clocks anymore and they're screens I suppose now, anyway), as the 0300 to AB has officially become the 0400 to AB and may well end up being the 1000hrs to AB (and there's the link to the heading). Yes. The Brass have got their iPhones linked on a conference call just now and agreed that they'll certainly start a bit later and may even wait for the next tide on Saturday morning.

One thing you can be sure of is that the word will go out this evening after the 1600hrs weather has come in, as to which start time they are going for. Look for your SMS or here on the web for details, later this evening, so you can plan your run to the start line, accordingly.

Matrix heading off, just after the Offshore Start in 2010. Of course, Matrix is very closely related to Kaos, which is the current record holder for the run to Apollo Bay. Other Don Jones penned vessels also hold the Stanley (Kontrol), Launceston and King Island records (both to Cadibarra VIII). It's our SA pals, Enchantress, who are just ahead of them. Many thanks to Dennis Hambleton for the image.

Stay tuned!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

© John Curnow, ORCV Media

Please contact me for re-issue rights.

Below is Tony Bull's shot from  onboard eXtasea during the  2010 event.
	Not a place to go into  in an Easterly or if you  draw too much. Plenty of souls around to ask  about that and there's also  the bombora out the front. Supertramp above looks bad,  but had storm boards in etc. Port was closed thereafter,  though... Don't even attempt to go in  with an Easterly blowing,  however...

ORCV Melbourne to Apollo Bay (M2AB)

Rammstein.

Are an über-hard rock band from Germany, who took their name from the Airbase of global fame/infamy, depending on your disposition. HERE is one of their softer pieces...

Now just how did we get there, you ask? Well, I tell you. I received an email from Stu Addison, who's going to Apollo Bay on eXtasea. It was entitled, very simply, "Who's got Metallica on their iPod?"

Stu went on to say "I think it may well come in handy! Looks like a bit of head banging coming our way. Five days out and the models (stars) are starting to align. Apollo Bay was initially looking like being on the nose - just the one tack and 15-20 knots, but not any longer. The current model lineup is looking more like 25-30knots, with much more at times and ambient temperatures around a chilly 11 degrees, for a 9 hour race time. The route attached is indicative only... At this stage it shows a bit of West early and asks us to crack very slightly, go East of the rhumbline and sail to the shift, where it then goes South. Next we tack, to do a 'Buffalo Girls' on what's left of a sick and sorry fleet. Be aware, with five days to go the systems may accelerate or slow down, leaving us still with an upwind race, but a different set of shifts to work with." Ed. This last stanza is very sage, indeed... And so worth highlighting!

A very good friend, Greg 'Smokey' Patten (a great Naviguesser when he's not too busy being a real Rockstar, BTW), replied with, "40 on the shnoz means puffs to near 50. Ouch! That southern route looks truly aweful. Hope you're not going through the Heads on an outgoing tide! Getting in to Apollo Bay would be VERY interesting too. Here's hoping that's not how it pans out for you..."

So then, no story about headbanging would be complete without a reference to Spinal Tap, would it? Remember, 'I'm a headbanger, headbanger, yeah. I like to bang my head. And one day when my head falls off, I'll bang my neck instead!" If it is all guitar thrashes, walls of amps and huge drum rolls, then you may want to be on something like Yoko or one of the Beneteaus. As Stu said when I mentioned the Tap, "The bigger the cushion, the sweeter the pushin!"

What will you get??? Personally, at this time of year, I'm not stating claim to anything until about 24 out...

© John Curnow, ORCV Media

Please contact me for re-issue rights.

Below is Tony Bull's shot from  onboard eXtasea during the  2010 event.
	Not a place to go into  in an Easterly or if you  draw too much. Plenty of souls around to ask  about that and there's also  the bombora out the front. Supertramp above looks bad,  but had storm boards in etc. Port was closed thereafter,  though... Don't even attempt to go in  with an Easterly blowing,  however...

ORCV Melbourne to Apollo Bay (M2AB)

Smoking Jackets!

Those poor, much maligned Naviguessers. Not only are they not as publicly revered as the pointy end specialists, but they're the source of continual ridicule and even when they do well, you always seem to remind them of the last time they didn't! Poor, warm sods...

The advent of the tablet, let alone the iPhone, means they no longer get to sit down below and dream up fantastical ways to demolish races, break records or how to catch the other watch's run total, when they left you with no breeze and a slurry of sails on deck and below, all the while forgetting that it is now dark.

So. What to do?

Well recently, He of the Count Down Timer, ORCV Committee Member, Jeremy Walton, was talking to our good friend Paul Schulz from Gill Australia. They were reviewing just how tricky the navigation in the Apollo Bay race can be. Inshore or out?  And just where will the wind and currents be, so as to put you in the right place to do well in the race. As a result of that discussion, Gill Australia have provided an OS1 Offshore Jacket (pictured below), as a prize for the navigator on the winning Performance Handicap yacht.

This great jacket valued at RRP of $649 has some great features: • 5 Dot waterproof and breathable 3 layer fabric • Ocean height collar with high wrap around face guard. Fold down face flap positioned over mouth • Active-fit rollaway hood with 2-way volume adjustment and fleece lined channel for comfort • Double front storm flap • Adjustable cuffs with PU inner seals for watertight comfort • Gridded thermal inner collar and chin guard • Adjustable shock cord hem with adjusters that tuck up into the seam • Two sets of chest hand warmer pockets  • Cargo pockets for storing bulky objects • Internal chest pocket protected by a water resistant zipper • 360 degree reflective piping • SOLAS approved, prismatic reflectors on chest, shoulders cuffs and hood

When he was questioned, Paul assured Jeremy that whilst the cargo pockets were not originally designed for the pipe such as those that they of the smoking jackets and slippers seem to favour, he was sure that they would be big enough to do the job. If you'd like to review the full range of Gill sailing products, then go HERE.

So there it is all 25 Naviguessers going to Apollo Bay! It's a completely level playing field. If you have not already got the ORCV Yearbook out and started looking at the currents and matching that with the weather, then it is definitely time to do so. Your choice of possible course will determine wether you're to be in the running to win this magnificent Offshore Jacket from Gill - or not! Doh, doh, doh, doh...

Now that's some way to finish the season out, huh?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

PS. Tony Lovric (Escapade) is certainly NOT eligible to win this prize, at all - he did too well at Xmas - OK.

BTW - Jeremy also provided the critical days to go numbers as at 07/05/2011: -

• Melb to Apollo Bay - 7 days to go
• Melb to Hobart - 234 days to go
• Melb to Osaka - 699 days to go (PLEASE PAY ATTENTION ALL 30 EOIs!)
• Melb to Vanuatu - 1156 days to go!

© John Curnow, ORCV Media

Please contact me for re-issue rights.

Below is Tony Bull's shot from  onboard eXtasea during the  2010 event.
	Not a place to go into  in an Easterly or if you  draw too much. Plenty of souls around to ask  about that and there's also  the bombora out the front. Supertramp above looks bad,  but had storm boards in etc. Port was closed thereafter,  though... Don't even attempt to go in  with an Easterly blowing,  however...