Notice of Race

Click HERE for the 2012 NOR.

Sailing Instructions

Click HERE for the 2012 BDD SIs. Coming soon

Online Entry

Click HERE for entry to
all categories:

Racing
Sportsboat
Cruising
Trailerable

BYS Arrangements

Click HERE for the berthing and catering arrangements at BYS.

Click HERE to see who's going in the Racing Division.

Click HERE to see who's going in the Cruising Division.

Click HERE to see who's going in the Trailable Division.

Click HERE to see who's going in the Sportboats Division.

RECORDS

In 2010, Gusto established a new race record of 04:40:16

RESULTS

Click HERE for Results when published.

FORMS

Click for Race Documents

TRACKER

This race will not be tracked

SPONSOR

Many thanks to UK-Halsey for their generous support. Contact them on 9597 0857 or visit them at 77 Beach Road, Sandringham.

UK-HalseyLogoK56sm

BOXING DAY DASH

Bay Race of 36 nautical miles

Race Starts off Port Melbourne, at 1030 hours AEDT on December 26 (Boxing Day) every year.

Description:

Since 1979, the Boxing Day Dash (in the new media age, we just cannot use 'Cock of the Bay' anymore, but the Rooster lives on...) race has been the annual feeder event for the fleet to get down to the bottom of the Bay for the Offshore Start on December 27. It also attracts many entrants not venturing offshore, but who still wish to be part of the grand spectacle, as it starts off Port Melbourne and the winds its way down the Bayside suburbs of St Kilda, Elwood, Brighton and Sandringham, before finishing off Blairgowrie on the Mornigton Peninsula. This is a fleet or all in start, which means over 100 boats all get underway from the one line, at the one time. The Boxing Day Dash is possibly the largest, single day, single start race in the Southern Hemisphere.

Brought to you by:

UK-HalseyLogoK56sm

Wind comes in for glorious start for Cock of the Bay

Ocean Racing Club Race Directors took the hard decision yesterday, in light of the weather forecast to both delay the start by one hour and to move the start line to Sandringham. Thus shortening the course by about four nautical miles.

It was a great call and by 11:30 this morning the breeze had filled in to about 10 knots albeit from the South. Having set a nice wide line to accommodate the 77 entries it was surprising to see so many of the entrants crowd the start boat end of the line. Three boats in fact made contact with the start boat and several were forced over the line early and had to return to restart.

Line honours favourite Ambition, sensibly headed to the pin end and got a terrific start in clear breeze, they were closely followed by the Tasmanian Oskana and were crossing tacks in the early minutes of the race. Paul Commins’, Carpe Diem did jump too early but was able to just dip the line for its restart and powered up quickly, with these three fifty footers setting the early pace for the journey to Blairgowrie.

Clean away also were Mike and Mark Walsh on the slick, Wicked, a previous overall handicap winner in this race and certainly one to watch as the afternoon progresses.

Channel 7 News City in Background

2018 Cock of the Bay Yacht Race Start - Channel 7 News 26-Dec-18

Channel 7 News bulletin on 2018 Cock of the Bay Yacht Race start.

Thanks Tom Chadwick and his camerman Ollie. Great to have you guys on the ORCV Media boat and to have coverage from Channel 7 Chopper.

2018 ORCV Cock of the Bay Yacht Race preview

One of Melbourne's largest fleets sets sail on Boxing Day at 10.30am as the 77 strong Cock of The Bay departs Station Pier. Sometimes described as the 'peoples race' it's an all encompassing event that welcomes many levels of sailors – from the ocean hardened racers to the weekend warriors who just want to have a go.

2017 Cock of the Bay Start Drone by Lee Smallman Chirping Bird Wines

The 34-nautical-mile course hugs the coastline from Port Melbourne to St Kilda and Sandringham before the fleet heads further out into Port Phillip Bay. The course gives onlookers spectacular views of the 77 strong fleet. There's some good vantage points all along Elwood around Brighton and Sandringham in particular with mild weather promised by the Bureau of Meteorology.

AMBITION Photo by Bruno Cocozza

Divided into five divisions, from the top IRC racers, AMS racers, a PHS division and even a cruising division, the fleet also includes a double-handed division of two boats and even two multihulls this year. Among the larger boats that may benefit from the forecast 10-15 knot southerlies to contend for the coveted line honours is the recently arrived TP 52 Ambition of Chris Dare, sailed from Sandringham with a youthful crew. A professional sports consultant and a strong supporter of young sailors, Dare has only had this boat since October having bought it in New Zealand.

Dare has been out of keel boat racing for a while as he supported his son and daughter in their OTB pursuits in high performance programs. Daughter Alexandra (16) and son Lachlan (18) are both on board. “Alexandra has been really enjoying the boat and is learning about the navigation computer while Lachlan is really enjoying learning about keel boating from up the front, he sometimes steers as well,” said Dare.

Dare had been looking for about twelve months before finding this 2011 model that has been set up for ocean racing and previously competed in the Trans Pac where it finished second.
“The amazing thing about these boats is that they go faster than the wind when they’re reaching and even on the breeze will still do 9.2 – 9.3 knots.”

Dare holds the record for the old Rye course in this race from one of his previous boats Stratcorp 97 in 2002, so with a mix of young and experienced heads aboard he is keen to give it a real shove. “I really wanted to provide an opportunity for the kids from the high-performance programs to have somewhere to go that’s why we called the boat Ambition,” he said. Dare hopes to encourage other TP52s to Port Phillip Bay, as he now joins an elite group of TP52 Australian owners numbering approximately 14.

Elsewhere in the Cock of the Bay handicap honours are important and hard to pick in a fleet this size but I would be keeping an eye on the Tasmanian boat Whistler. They are reported a being a very well sailed boat with an experienced crew who rate particularly well on IRC. Other boats with LOA to challenge include: Carpe Diem (Paul Commins) Beneteau First 50, along with sistership White Spirit (Cyrus Allen). Another dark horse is the semi-custom Reichel Pugh 49 Carrera S (Gerry Cantwell). Should the wind remain light nimble boats like the Melges 32 Envyus (Dennis Clark) may be in the running for handicap honours or a divisional win. However for the bulk of the fleet it's simply a great hit-out to enjoy the bay and recover from the excess of Christmas, so not all my fly spinnakers.

CARERRA S from Groupama Race New Caledonia

CARRERA S

Gusto by ORCV GUSTO

Notable among double-handed entries is Bruno Carreto's Under Capricorn a Borrensen 12 that is co-skippered by Brian Patterson. Back in 2010 Patterson set the record on the big yellow boat Gusto which powered down the bay in terrific northerly winds to set the record for the Cock of the Bay race. Brian Patterson and his Gusto crew took just 4 hours 40 minutes and 18 seconds to travel from Port Melbourne to the finish at Blairgowrie. Patterson has set a different challenge for himself this year sailing double handed on Under Capricorn a Borrensen 12, which he and owner Bruno Carreto are taking across Bass Strait to Devonport. However the race-winning Sunfast 3600 Maverick of Rod Smallman is the boat to challenge Under Capricorn, in the Double-Handed Division, especially off the wind.

In a race that has such large entries that record hasn’t been challenged for eight years and could be safe again given the light forecast - South to southeasterly about 10 knots increasing to 10 to 15 knots during the afternoon for Port Phillip.

The Cock of the Bay is also a shakedown and feeder race for the Melbourne to Hobart and 195nm Melbourne to Devonport races that start off Portsea on Wednesday 27 December. The Melbourne to Hobart fleet will tackle the 440-nautical-mile 'Westcoaster' course that will take crews across the west end of the infamous Bass Strait, threading the needle past the tidal waters around King Island then down the west coast on the edge of the Southern Ocean before turning east at the southern tip of Tasmania and arrival in Hobart.

See the following link for more details on the race: http://orcv.org.au/index.php/about-the-race-cob
For all ORCV information, please go to: www.orcv.org.au or www.facebook.com/OceanRacingClub

Kevin Green and Jennifer McGuigan

ORCV Media

2017 Cock of the Bay Finish Drone by Lee Smallman Chirping Bird Wines

2015 Blairgowrie Yacht Squadron welcomes ORCV Cock of the Bay Partcipants!

Blairgowrie Yacht Squadron (BYS) is excited to once again host the ORCV Cock of the Bay skippers and crews on Boxing Day. We are looking forward to opening the doors of our brand new clubhouse to you all. Whether you are returning to Melbourne that night or staying with us overnight we welcome you to enjoy a drink and a meal on the deck with us. Our chef has put together a special menu offering items such as a range of pizzas, wagyu beef burgers, chicken schnitzel burgers and beer battered fish and chips. Hungry yet? See you on the deck when you arrive!

Please note that we have planned catering for approximately 300 people – first in first served!

Some reminders from BYS and ORCV:

A number of boats have booked marina berths at BYS for the night on the 26th December.
All others will be rafted up overnight and must be onboard their yacht at 10:00 hours on Sunday 27 December, 2015 to allow Melbourne to Hobart and Melbourne to Devonport entrants to depart the marina.
An empty marina berth doesn’t mean they you can tie up in it - if you do, you will be asked to move. All berths do have owners, of which many will be arriving around this time as well.
Please enjoy BYS's hospitality and be consider your fellow yachties, particularly those proceeding on to Hobart and Devonport, regarding noise in the marina late at night.

For those not contuning on in the ORCV blue-water classic Melbourne to Devonport and Melbourne to Hobart ocean yacht races, entries are still open for the BYS Petersville Regatta 27-30 December, 2015.

ORCV and BYS Petersville Regatta 27-30 December 2015

The Petersville Regatta is proudly returning to the Blairgowrie Yacht Squadron (BYS) Sailing Calendar. This family friendly, relaxed regatta will be held from 27 – 30 December 2015 and is set to be reinstated as the club’s flagship annual event (proudly supported by BBQs Plus).

Back by popular demand, the Petersville Regatta returns to attract a competitive group of keel and cruising boats from across the Peninsula, Victoria and Australia to the family friendly, social atmosphere of the original regatta held during the 1980’s.

...a ‘spectacular event’ and the ‘social highlight’ of the season.

The return of the Petersville Regatta coincides with the launch of the new Blairgowrie Yacht Squadron clubhouse and the opening of the expanded marina. The regatta racing will take place over four consecutive days from 27 – 30 December, 2015. Blairgowrie Yacht Squadron Commodore, Paul Devereux, advised the program will cater for racing, cruising and cruising non-spinnaker divisions. All participants will enjoy honorary membership throughout the Regatta with full access to the new clubhouse and expanded marina facilities.

This spectacular event will attract boat owners and crews from around the region and across the eastern seaboard and will follow the annual Ocean Racing Club of Victoria (ORCV) Cock of the Bay race, which starts on Boxing Day morning at Port Melbourne and finishes at Blairgowrie. Some say there is no better way to work of the excesses of Christmas with the 34 nautical mile race down Port Phillip Bay, which traditionally serves as a feeder for the ORCV's blue-water classic Melbourne to Hobart and Rudder Cup Melbourne to Devonport ocean races, which both start from Portsea on 27 December, 2015.

ORCV Commodore, Neville Rose, has fond memories of competing in previous Petersville Regattas and delighted that it’s return is a great opportunity for any Cock of the Bay participants not going onto Hobart or Devonport, to continue to enjoy BYS’s legendary hospitality and this terrific regatta.

Located on Victoria’s southern Mornington Peninsula, Blairgowrie is one of Victoria’s leading holiday destinations, only a 75 – 90 minute drive from Melbourne. Adjacent to well known Sorrento and Portsea, Blairgowrie Yacht Squadron is one of the area’s most famous landmarks, with a distinctive pier and marina and stunning bayside location.

For all event enquiries:

Blairgowrie Yacht Squadron

Phone: 03 5988 8453

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Website: www.petersvilleregatta.com.au

Ocean Racing Club of Victoria

Phone: 03 9689 1622