Surely no-one could have known that a satirical article in The Sporting Times in 1882 would have set up one of the most hard fought sporting contests in the history of our country and all cricket loving nations. The Ashes of British cricket having been taken that day from the home of cricket The Oval and impudently removed to the antipodes.
Michael Clarke and his victorious team are unlikely to reflect on the paucity of the actual trophy in the light of their hard fought and sometimes belligerent victory. OK it’s a long bow to draw but when the Ocean Racing Club of Victoria (ORCV) first ran the Melbourne to Hobart race down the East Coast of Tasmania in 2007 it was meant to be a one off. The idea was to honour the 100th year of the Rudder Cup race, the race from Melbourne to Launceston however many loved the east coast route and asked for it to stay. The ORCV exists for its members; it is not about fat wallets but rather the camaraderie that comes from battling the elements under sail power and pitting yourself against your own handicap rating and the efforts of your fellow competitors.
Having two ways to Hobart now, of much the same distance, naturally engendered good natured rivalry complete with genuinely playful sledging and the promise of bottles of wine or jugs of rum and coke on the outcome. It is fair to say that the silverware on display at the formal presentations is nothing short of impressive, the table groans under the weight of silver bowls cups and plagues some too heavy to easily lift. Yet it is the aptly dubbed and extremely modest Red Wine Cup that has started to shape a new challenge. Who will be first into dock at Hobart? Will it be the East or the West?
Weather is always a major factor given that it is possible to be becalmed on one coast whilst experiencing gale force winds on the other. The West coast race takes the yachts further south and into the Southern Ocean always an interesting time. Rounding inside Maatsuyker brings you into an exposed area of coast which can rip apart a mainsail or drive a spinnaker run that leaves the diehard yachtie with breathless memories of trying to hold the rudder and surf the waves. This writer has seen grins that last for week’s even years on the retelling of a southern coast spinnaker run before the turn into Storm Bay. One such telling was of having to utilise both wheels on a particular vessel to keep from rounding up, sailing on the very edge of stable, the difference between exhilaration and a broken rig.
Likewise the East coast presents its challenges, how far do we go out from the coast? Can we sneak inside Maria Island? Will we hit Storm Bay at the correct time not to be becalmed on that fickle water?
This year more than any other the battle lines are drawn in the fairest possible of ways. Three 46 foot yachts will be leading their respective fleets on the East and West coasts. ORCV Vice Commodore, Ray Shaw in his Reichel Pugh 46, XLR8 is no stranger to the East Coast and has once again chosen this route to Hobart. Always in the mix for line honours he has been thwarted in the last couple of years by Goldfinger who are not competing this year. Shaw is an experienced sailor with a slick crew who know their task and are hungry for the win.
On the West Coast the seasoned campaigner, eXtasea, skippered by Paul Buccholz from Geelong is no stranger to the winners circle. His DK46 has a bit more of a cruising feel than the Reichel Pugh but is one of the most ably crewed boats on the water. Geelong loves to win, as any AFL fan will tell you and this crew is no different, Buccholz drives his crew hard and they have reaped the rewards many times.
New to the West Coast race this year is, Shamrock the sister boat to XLR8 another Reichel Pugh 46. Alan Breidahl will be skippering and has enrolled the experienced hands of Gordon Buchan of Gusto fame to help lead the new crew.
Throw into this mix such seasoned campaigners as Laurie Ford on his downwind flyer Spirit of Downunder and Angus Fletcher on Tevake II and the Red Wine Cup is up for grabs.
Jennifer McGuigan
+61 408 321 352
ORCV Media
