ORCV Melbourne to King Island

Overnight sensations.

To get in to Grassy, when the wind had virtually shut down and the tide was about to change to running back North, means you persevered sensationally!

That is exactly what the crew aboard Paul Buchholz's eXtasea did to secure third place over the line at 23:19:03.

ORCV Committee Member, Paul Buchholz, on the right of the front row. Apologies for the image from a phone camera....

Now also coming in, from a little after the 24 hour elapsed time mark were the following boats, who did so, despite pushing into that very much just described, same Northerly running current, were:

• Cadibarra 8 @ 01:50:13
• Jazz Player @ 02:50:45
• Arch Rival @ 03:05:52
• Nutcracker @ 05:13:45 - at just 35 feet, this is a very special effort, indeed
• Spirit of Downunder @ 05:21:49

As the clock has moved past 0515hrs, we learn that as the light gets up in a while, there will be more finishers to add to the eight we have already of the required 24.

If you're not sailing, you may want to see where the boats are during the race on the ORCV's Tracker, which is HERE.

© John Curnow, ORCV Media

Please contact me for re-issue rights.

	Councillor Island on the left, as seen from the plane... Remember the currents!!!!

ORCV Melbourne to King Island

"You do it...

... because you love it." That was how Rob Date put it to me when his RP52, Scarlet Runner, had crossed and taken Line Honours in the 2011 Melbourne to King Island race.

Rob got into one of the legendary steak sandwiches PDQ.

The crew was really happy to get amongst the action, as well.

Scarlet Runner had barrelled out of Port Phillip Heads and into Bass Strait at 16 knots. A mile later they were doing seven and a short while after that, barely four, on their way to seeing a whole a bunch of doughnuts for some time, before really getting underway again at around 0600hrs. They had done just 14 nautical miles in the first five hours of the race, so the record went off the menu about as fast as their pace went down. It was wonderful to see the big red kite appear from around Bold Head just after 1800hrs and they crossed the line in delightful Autumnal sun at 18:49:40, around 25 minutes ahead of second place, Gusto (19:14:52).

Steaming in for the win and everyone just loved the spectacle.

Over at Bold Head, The Runner gybed and we were right there to catch it.

Moments before the finish.

Scarlet Runner has packed up and is coming in on the leads as Gusto two sail reaches in to the line.

It might have been second place, but the gold was undeniable. Sorry about the grain, but the light had virtually gone...

We are still waiting on third place, which is likely to be eXtasea, but the breeze has closed down for a while, so let's hope it is not for the entire evening. Of the 25 starters all are still coming, except for Spirit of Freya who has calculated that they can be back at the Heads for Slack Water at 0800hrs, when they were looking like 0700hrs here at King Island. All are well, it was just maths for them.

If you're not sailing, you may want to see where the boats are during the race on the ORCV's Tracker, which is HERE.

© John Curnow, ORCV Media

Please contact me for re-issue rights.

	Councillor Island on the left, as seen from the plane... Remember the currents!!!!

ORCV Melbourne to King Island

Where you off to, then, Governor?

At noon on Saturday, Scarlet Runner leads the race to King Island and all its delights, both panoramic and gastronomic, having done 60nm of the 114 needed to get here. They are 6nm ahead of Gusto and doing about 7knots. Expect them in at maybe 2000hrs.

Not going quite as fast as this, but moving along nicely, anyway - Scarlet Runner

There are some very important efforts that appear from the noon sked, as well. We do hope their efforts are rewarded at the 1800hrs sked and their places cemented in. First to mention is eXtasea. They're in third place, which is handy when you give 20 feet away to 2nd and 8 feet away to first. They are nine miles astern, but travelling about 1.5knots slower. Still, with the kind of lead they have over the remainder of the fleet, an IRC win looks pretty certain for the always well-sailed DK46 of Paul Buchholz.

Five miles astern of eXtasea are the 39 footers Jazz Player and Arch Rival. Half a mile behind them are Spirit of Downunder, Cadibarra 8 and Nutcracker. Well done to the latter, who is only 35 feet and up to seven feet shorter than the others. It goes to show the level of skill onboard and just as importantly, the level of determination for the boat's first adventure in the Paddock. White Noise is just behind them and with that boat's rating, expect a podium result there, as well. At the back are Magic and Spirit of Freya, with Escapade around 7nm behind and the most Easterly boat of the fleet.

Now earlier on in the day, there were a three boats that departed Grassy, one of which was Mirrabooka and another was Andalucia. I reckon it is the former in this pic, below, as it has a blue boom cover and lazy jacks...

A little while ago, we got the van to cross the 40th parrallel and wondered when you lot out there racing would do the same. This is Race Director George Shaw with his Assistant RD, Robyn Brooke over by the sign.

Now chatting with the irrepressible and extremely diesel train like gent whilst he's asleep, known to all as the Immediate Past ORCV Commodore, George Shaw, we spotted a lot of Osaka Expression of Interest holders in the gang on their way here to King Island. There are 23 EOIs in the mix for the 2013 race, so far and a number of others floating about who haven't found the button, which is HERE, BTW.

At any rate, there are nine Osaka parties out there racing to King Island, either on the boat they're going to take or the one before the one they plan to take, on someone else's vessel altogether and lastly, not known to the general yachting community, as yet. This is the list:

• Team Beyond Outrageous - Tony Warren
• Cadibarra 8 - Paul Roberts and the boat will still have the M2KI record after this year's event
• Escapade - Robert 'Vladimir' Bradley
• Jeremy Walton is the Naviguesser on Brian Pattinson's Gusto (and Brian completed his last one with the yellow Open 60, Gusto)
• David Clancy is aboard our original Love Boat, Nutcracker
• Scarlet Runner - Rob Date
• Boat X - who shot to fame in the 2010 M2V and won the 2010 Sovereign Series (Oh - Am I that obvious???)
• Spirit of Downunder - Laurie 'Lozza' Ford
• Boat Z - which just made it in to the water before Xmas and ran over to Launceston on December 27.

Sun's back out and it really is glorious... If you're not sailing, you may want to see where the boats are during the race on the ORCV's Tracker, which is HERE.

© John Curnow, ORCV Media

Please contact me for re-issue rights.

	Councillor Island on the left, as seen from the plane... Remember the currents!!!!

ORCV Melbourne to King Island

Morning.

How are you?

It's a wonderful day here with the sun coming up in a blaze of glory and a gentle 10 to 15 knots blowing from the East Nor'east.

The fleet got away at 0100hrs fine and well, with the ships coming out straight after them. Busy evening for movements with the Yankee Foxtrots, as well. What we can say is that after the 0600hrs sked, five hours following the gun, Gusto and Scarlet Runner were just 14nm down the 114nm track and had already used up half of the time to be on record pace. In other words, to get back on pace, they would have to have done 20knots average for the remaining five hours. Well and truly possible with those two vessels, but highly unlikely given that the AIS beacons on a couple of vessels were showing just a tenth of that speed. i.e. Two and a bit knots. Doh!

So then, the wallabies love us and the sunrise is wonderful. The steak last night was up to the usual impeccable standard and it is delightfully moderate, with only a jumper and beannie required. Ostensibly, the runners in tomorrow's annual, 20 mile race across King Island will be moving faster.

Golf Course glowing in the morning sun, above and below is the Western side of Grassy Harbour.

Hope the crews are well versed on entertaining themselves... If you're not sailing, you may want to see where the boats are during the race on the ORCV's Tracker, which is HERE.

© John Curnow, ORCV Media

Please contact me for re-issue rights.

	Councillor Island on the left, as seen from the plane... Remember the currents!!!!