Sailing Program Overview

The ORCV offers a core sailing program, including Bay, Coastal, and Offshore events. The races are grouped into three championship series and augmented by several specialist training and development events.

The ORCV program offers a different style of racing to our kindred clubs with cooperation and scheduling to minimise calendar clashes as best we can.

The Coastal and Offshore races start at Drapers Reef, just inside Port Philip Heads, approximately 1 hour before slack water. We endeavour to start the coastal races as close as possible to dawn and yachts to be home that evening. The offshore races are scheduled around public holidays and typically start late afternoon or at night.

Our races and dates can be found on the racing calendar

The core races fall into four groups based on Australian Sailing safety categories:-

Bay Racing - Category 5 events

• The Boxing Day “Cock of the Bay” race, which accompanies the Melbourne-Hobart Race fleet to the southern end of the Bay.
• A two-handed race conducted at the end of the Summer season
• Winter races (June – August), including two medium-distance races “around the sticks” and destination races to Blairgowrie and Geelong. Novice races are conducted in conjunction with those destination Races.

Coastal Racing - Category 3 events:

• Three “Coastal Sprints” of approximately 55NM length conducted in Bass Strait in the area between Westernport and Airey’s Inlet.
• A destination race to Apollo Bay at the end of the summer season

Offshore Racing - Category 2 events:

• Within Bass Strait – to Devonport and King Island
• A race to Port Fairy/Portland at Easter, subject to entry numbers
• The Melbourne-Hobart Ocean Race, the “Westcoaster,” through Bass Strait and the Southern Ocean
• Biennial long-distance races to Noumea and partnering to the double-handed Melbourne – Osaka event.

Double-handed and shorthanded entries, racing with autohelms (subject to a maximum of 4 crew), are offered in all races. All competitors compete and are scored in an “Unrestricted Monohull Division,” providing an overall result for the total fleet. Yachts racing with only two crew can enter an additional Double Handed Division.

The Championships

Three championship series are offered:-

• A Coastal Championship
• An Offshore Championship 
• A Double Handed Championship

For details on the championships, click here.