Be careful what you wish for!
ORCV Melbourne to King Island Yacht Race
Alan Saunders, skipper of “Ninety Seven” is wishing for “20 knots on the nose and as hard as it gets!” for this years Ocean Yacht Club of Victoria’s (ORCV) race from Melbourne to King Island. The ORCV Melbourne to King Island yacht race begins on Saturday, March 10, on the Labor Day weekend. With 25 entries to date, a big fleet is expected to set sail from Queensclift starting in the wee small hours of the morning.
Ninety Seven will again be a starter in this years Melbourne to King Island race. Image John Cunow
Be careful what you wish for Alan, as Bass Strait has a solid reputation of serving up some erratic weather. At this stage it is too early to tell what the long range weather forecast will be for the weekend but no doubt skippers and crew will be prepared for whatever Bass Strait has install. Once there, however, Grassy Harbour offers a safe anchorage in all weather and there's also legendary hospitality of the King Island Boat Club.
Last year’s race was unusually slow with Bass Strait dishing up light winds which meant the fleet was strung out in two major groups across the strait. A group of three lead boats headed by “Scarlet Runner” snagged favorable breezes and currents early on to cross the finish line in Grassy Harbour some 23 hours later. From here there was literally daylight between the first three boats and the remainder of the fleet who got in a day later with a few not finishing within time.
Benign conditions of King Island in last years Melbourne to King Island race. Image John Curnow
This year, if weather conditions are ideal, crews will try to beat the standing race record of 10.08.04 hrs set by Cadibarra in 2002 and aim to be tied up in Grassy Harbour by the late afternoon tucking into one of the islands legendary steak sandwiches.
The fleet will congregate off Queensclift at the entrance to Port Phillip Bay, prior to a start gun at 0330 hrs Saturday March 10. The first hurdle for the crew is to negotiate a clean exit through the heads around slack water and then track SSW with an ebb tide to Grassy Harbour, situated at the southern end of King Island. The prevailing winds and swell in Bass Strait are from the SW so the crew can usually expect a beat to windward for at least three quarters of the race until getting some protection once in the lee of the island’s eastern shoreline.
Whilst the race to King Island is one of the ORCV’s shorter ocean races, at a mere 114 miles, it does present some unique navigational challenges. Far from being a pushover, this race is one of the hardest to get right, given the currents around King Island. The race is often won or lost in the concluding stages, depending on where yachts make their landfall. Big gains and losses can occur due to wind and tidal influences on the approach to Grassy Harbour.
Alan Saunders who is owner skipper of “Ninety Seven”, a 47ft Far design kevlar yacht will be one of this years entrants in the race. His boat took out line honors in the 2010 ORCV Melbourne to Launceston race. Alan has competed in the King Island race so many times he has lost count and is using the race as preparation for another Xmas Hobart race with some new crew onboard.
When asked about his preferred weather conditions Alan quipped “I’m wishing for 20 knots on the nose and as hard as it gets” He added “the boat will enjoy this even if the crew doesn’t”. Alan’s main challenge is keeping ahead of another competitor “DeKadence”, a DK 46ft sailed by Ken Simpson. Alan says “this boat is about the same size as his boat and based on past race results has the potential to give him grief”
After the success of the online tracker system for the ORCV Xmas Hobart races, interested onlookers for the Melbourne to King Island race can follow individual boats and the fleet as they sail south by logging onto the Yellowbrick Tracker at www.orcv.org.au
Jennifer Cook, ORCV Media Manager
Ph: 0400 108 239
