Mercedes III - Cock of the Bay again?

Mercedes III led the Australian team to victory in the 1967 Admiral’s Cup, with a top points performance. She more than fulfilled the expectations of designers Ted Kaufman and Ben Lexcen.

In 1989, under new owner Martin Ryan, Mercedes III won the Cock of the Bay on Channel Handicap, a rating system with a strong age allowance which is no longer in use in Australia.

The new rating systems are AMS and IRC, introduced well after Mercedes III was designed and therefore giving a distinct advantage to modern yachts designed to these systems. Someone forgot to tell Mercedes III. Whilst 2014 is the 25th anniversary of her 1989 win, it’s also the 10th anniversary of her win on AMS in 2004 and 2008 (by 7 seconds) and follows 1st, 1st and 2nd placings on IRC Division 2 over the last 3 years.

“Our racing calendar is concentrated on Classic yacht racing around Williamstown, Hobsons Bay and St Kilda with 25 other Classic yachts. Once or twice a year we take on the modern boats. We are hoping for typical Cock of the Bay conditions - 25 knots plus from the south. She is a beautifully balanced yacht that thrives in the Port Phillip chop” says owner of 27 years Martin Ryan.

The Cock of the Bay starts off Port Melbourne and finishes at Blairgowrie. The yachts are best viewed from the piers from Port Melbourne to Sandringham, which is their last onshore mark until Blairgowrie.

Results of the Cock of the Bay, conducted by ORCV and a preliminary to the Melbourne – Devonport and Melbourne – Hobart races can be viewed on www.orcv.org.au from about 9pm on Boxing Day.