Melbourne to Apollo Bay (M2AB)

Organised Kaos!

She is now known as ‘Matrix' and has had some length cut off to rate better for the Osaka race. Also there are keel, rudder and rig modifications after she ended up on the beach in St Kilda. Not a good way for any boat to finish up (see pics)...

Inglis' were very popular in the era, mostly because they were light (there was an Inglis ‘Wild Thing' for instance). Now there was a gang of 37 to 39 foot boats around, incorrectly referred to as Inglis’, as well. Don Jones has never met Jim Inglis and the facts have unfolded somewhat since initial publication. ‘Topcat’ was the first to be built. The second was ‘Priscilla’ that Mal raced to Osaka and this was the first to have the extension added to the stern (Don tells me that she got another extension prior to the next M2O as well). ‘Medicine Man’ came next and she would ultimately become Peter’s ‘Kaos’. ‘Topcat’ got the stern modification in the end as well. The plug used for all these boats was then turned into ‘Rouseabout’, which received foil improvements in around 2003 (about when ‘Matrix’ played in the sand) and then a larger rig recently and yet another new Don Jones keel just a couple of months ago.

"Why you ask Two Dogs?" I hear you say. Well, it was a long segue, but you see Richard MacGarvie's ‘Addiction' is an Inglis37 (which was effectively the benchmark for ‘Kaos’) and she is in the running for the AMS trophy as part of the ORCV's 2008/9 Melbourne Offshore Championship (MOC). So her result in M2AB is critical.

'Addiction' is in for a shot at 2008/9 MOC in AMS	'Kaos' rounding the bottom mark during the 1999 MWS

The Race Director's report from 1999 indicates that the race started in fresh conditions at Portsea at 00:00hrs on the 26th November. There were South-to-South Easterly winds gusting up to 30 knots, with the small fleet having a very fast ride along the coast. The strong winds saw the fleet cover the 55nm with Ian Ritchie's ‘Bravado' the last yacht to finish, shortly after 07:15hrs. The entrance to Apollo Bay became treacherous with the low tide and big seas creating a surf line over the entrance. After two yachts broached on entering the harbour, the remaining yachts were advised that conditions were dangerous and they should not enter the harbour.

Peter's recollection of events shows this is pretty much on the money. Some of the crew onboard for the race were two of Peter's sons, Simon and Darren, Greg Lowe, Rob Dayes and the very skilled Andy Keep. It was a kite start and ‘Kaos' then blew up their two heavy weather bags (spinnakers) during the dash along the coast, so that they had to cross the line with just a poled out headsail. I know he wouldn't have liked that, but the fact that there were no more bags to put up, meant he would have had a huge smile and laugh as they barrelled along, keeping in front of the opposition. I can see the grin now.

As you can tell, the fleet were all within an hour and forty-five of each other. The next boat was around five minutes behind ‘Kaos'. Peter also remembers that a couple of crew on other boats trying to cross the entrance had a huge dunking as the boats broached and fences went into and under the water. Thereafter, the harbour was closed and the fleet had to turn around and pound home into a 40+knot Easterly - just great after an all night race...Not.

I did an ultra slow M2AB with Peter aboard ‘Kontrol' and I remember the trip home being very different, as we reached along at nearly 10knots to be joined by a pod of around 30 dolphins that looked exactly like silver bullets dancing around in the marvellous full moon.

Please note: This looks worse than it was. What a ride though. 'Supertramp' did have storm boards in at the time and she stood up again very quickly

The ORCV's Guy Dwyer was also there aboard Geoff Henderson's 'Rumbeat'. He recalls that they went in on their side, with someone hanging on for dear life at 90 degrees from the mast - hairy but exciting!!! "If I remember correctly, with the wind change in direction and strength, the finish line ended up in the surf line", he went on to add.

Of course AMS and IMS were in vogue in those days and the fleet was small. 14 boats entered, 13 started and two retired. The largest boat was the Adams15 ‘Bundaberg'. Peter and the crew got AMS in addition to LH, with an earlier-than-present version of ‘Extasea' behind them and then ‘Ruthless'. In IMS it was ‘Extasea' followed by ‘Back In Business' and then 'Ruthless'.

So anyway, back to this year's M2AB. The 52nm dash is now the last race in the annual ORCV offshore calendar. This year, there is a lot of interest in the PHC and AMS Divisions, as their Offshore Championship (MOC) glassware has not yet been determined. It's fair to say that you can expect the fierce competition to continue all the way to this lovely fishing port on Victoria's fantastic Surfcoast. Any one of four yachts could win the AMS Division, based on their result in M2AB - 'Extasea', 'Addiction', 'Spirit of Downunder' and 'Alien' are all within four points of each other, so expect that to be watched very closely. Over in the PHC Division either 'Mirrabooka' or 'Spirit of Downunder' are the likely winners there.

IRC will go to Paul Buchholz and the crew on ‘Extasea' as a mark of their consistent, front-of-field efforts, ever since the season opening Melbourne to Flinders (M2F) last year.

Of course let's not forget just how lovely this part of the Great Ocean Road really is...

Now at 5hours, 24minutes and 4seconds, does ‘Kaos's record look set for another year in the book? (It's around a 9.6kn average BTW) Will the slight Autumnal weather be around for a while, or as seen not too many weekends ago, will it be the whole month's wind in one day? None of the 50foot flyers are entered, so size isn't really going to matter either. You know, I'm absolutely going to fence sit on this one (yeah, yeah, chicken I know...). I do not feel safe predicting anything, other than intriguing racing.

All this in turn, means the smoke and mirrors brigade down in Fantasy Land will really earn their keep for the 2009 M2AB, however. Inshore or offshore? What will be favoured? We'll find out on May 16 from 05:00hrs onwards. If it does turn into a kite start, the sunrise pictures from Point Lonsdale will be worth looking up, I can tell you.

By John Curnow