Go “Beyond the Bay” and live the dream with confidence

Ideal for Cruisers and Racers 
New course coming in 2025!

Have you often thought about what it would be like to sail across Bass Strait or head off to Queensland or the Pacific? It could be just around Westernport for the weekend, or around the many fascinating islands off Tasmania, or to venture further up the east coast to warmer waters in the winter months.

Have you contemplated joining fellow club members who venture out past the heads in various ORCV Ocean Races over the warmer months to Apollo Bay, Port Fairy, King Island and even further to Devonport or Hobart in late December? Perhaps you dream of competing in the Melbourne to Osaka race.

Is the only thing holding you back the uncertainty of what you need to know to get your boat and crew ready, or the additional things to consider as a skipper?

The ORCV "Beyond The Bay" program is designed to give you the necessary information and practical skills to help you plan and complete an overnight cruising passage or participate in a race. This includes exiting and returning through Port Phillip Heads, with the assistance of a guiding mentor, and includes organised sailing and training events, including the Overnight Navigators Challenge and a Bass Strait Coastal Passage.

Prior participants to the Beyond the Bay course have lived onboard throughout Queensland, competed in Ocean Races with one getting on the podium at Osaka and another winning the Offshore Championship. They enjoyed the program and it gave them a huge amount of confidence plus the opportunity to participate with support not far away.

By the end of the course, you will be able to:

• Describe how you would go about planning a coastal offshore passage
• Plan and carry out an exit and/or entry of the Port Philip Heads
• Describe how you would contribute to safe management of crew offshore
• Describe how you would contribute to monitoring conditions and weather forecasts offshore and/or at night, then manage the boat accordingly

Participant Requirements:

• Intermediate knowledge of sailing
• For skippers / boat owners you need to be able to berth and have good boat handling knowledge
• Have some knowledge and strong interest in weather, tides, basic navigation and radio operations
• Navionics Software on a tablet or iPad
• Boat owners/skippers will need to get their boats to cat 4+ and this will be covered very early in the BTB course.
• Need to be a member of the ORCV or an Australian Sailing affiliated club

Course and Dates

The next course is planned to run in 2025, beginning 21 May and finishing on 11 October.  The format below may change although gives an indication of the topics / practicals offered in the past.  

Add your name here to be the first to know when bookings open.

2025 Costs (Subject to change)

Adult Price

• Existing ORCV Members fee: $TBC
• Non- Member’s fee: $TBC (inc course as above plus ORCV membership)

Youth Price (16 – 25 years old)

• Existing ORCV Members fee: $TBC
• Non- Member’s fee: $TBC (inc. Course as above plus ORCV membership)