ORCV Melbourne to Vanuatu (M2V)

The Dark Horse.

Garisenda have been my Dark Horse (handicap) from day one and are now second in IRC and third in PHS (performance). Climbing that scoreboard - well done team. Now the other Dark Horse has to be the 51st Project. For ages they have been waxing on lyrically about how it's 'just a cruising boat, John', but this crew of some very good and truly seasoned ocean racers, now lie in second overall, only some 25nm astern of the race leader. (There's a zillion Hobarts in their crew, the last M2V and an M2O, as well). So to Phil, Cheryl, PeeWee, Lexxie and he of the loud shorts (Smithy), I say 'Phewy'. Cruising - my left foot!!! We have a race again. Yippeeeeeeee.

So we move to Steb's shots, who certainly had both of his fleet planted when he shot these and the wave motion seemed to fix his back, which was shod before the event and cactus afterwards. (He must have read Andrew's article on fitness, which you also can HERE.) We have © Steb Fisher's pics of Garisenda (go team), Mirrabooka, Slinky Malinky and the 51st Project to look at - let's do that now.

Garisenda, outside the heads and making preparations for the kite.

Back inside, pre-start and after just swinging by the pier to say farewell.

Racing now and Ingenue (Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 40) in the background, returns for another go at it all.

Outside the Heads again and prep continues.

Off Cheviot Beach (think Harold Holt).

Our Seamanship Poster Shot - Slinky Malinky, who showed wonderful adherence to the rules of the sea, with standing by to render assistance to their fellow racer, Ingenue.

Ok. Contents of this bag, up there. Got it...

Eric Marsh spots Steb.

Cheers guys.

Pole goes in.

Everything takes a while when the deck's moving, your hands are frozen and you're tied to a fence... Funny about that.

Trainspotters will be able to see the McConaghy Melbourne Offshore Championship boom sticker from here. So yes, that makes me a trainspotter...

David Bingham concentrating whilst behind the helm of his Jeanneau, Mirrabooka.

Working hard to get the kite set for a launch.

Bag's in place, time to look at the pole end.

Hhhmmmm. Did I clip it all correctly? I'll go back and check.

Last few details...

Pole set here, so any moment now...

As mentioned before, the Jeanneau known as Mirrabooka may well have been the first kite to be launched, once outside the Heads and into Bass Strait.

Loud shorts replaced by loud beannie - lime green, I mean, really?

I think this is Zoe Freeman - looking very sailorish, I must say. Anyone confirm it is her??

Just in the corner of Fisherman's cove, to the East of the start line and the M2V flag flies mightily from the courtesy halyard.

Coming to get ya.

Cheryl Coombs behind the wheel.

Sprung team. I found the comment I was looking for. Nothing cruisy about this sentence "Cocktail hour was a raging success and Smithy and Timmy are still trying to get their heads around racing in luxury!!!"

The swell did not seem that big when we were out there...

When size matters!

A true 'Steb' - (bow wave shot).

They should buy this pic from Steb for the brochure!

Lovely little crest there, Steb.

He of the hairdo, Lexxie, is under the dodger.

He's got the specs on here, so it must be serious...

See ya - thanks for making a race of it!!!

The two Jeanneaus. The one in the foreground is Rosie and David with Ingenue and Mirrabooka in the background. Mirrabooka is faster and Rosie is bearing down to ultimately duck their transom and head back for their re-start.

A puff of smoke and an 1885nm epic begins.

Garisenda gets underway.

Conservative start for the other two-handed entrant - The Secretary.

Gordon Hyde of Southern Peninsula Rescue waving (they take Steb out on one of their boats - thank you) and HBYC Commodore, David Judge, to the right of the mainsheet.

The Brass - ORCV Rear Commodore Simon Dryden and Vice Commodore, Donald Fraser with the camera...

Team Southern Peninsula Rescue and yes, the Bell Long Ranger is yours for one and half large - that's all...

She's all fitted out for rescue ops, the team you'll have to do enterprise bargaining with...

 

To see where the fleet are located after the latest sked, please go HERE.

 

 

By John Curnow