Enter now for 2012 Latitude Series.

Notice of Race and entry is now open for the Latitude Series. Your first foray out into Bass Strait? Then don’t miss out this excellent opportunity to exit the Heads and experience the “Paddock.”

Click HERE for details

Melbourne Latitude Series (MLS)

Sun, Pics, YFs and Rays!

Well, one could not find any reason whatsoever to complain about the 2010 MLS. Sure there were a few holes in the breeze, but given what the other end of the scale is like, I think this is preferable. Yep. Sun, lots of pics, the odd Yankee Foxtrot and a ray, so let's do the Warner Wolf and go see what occurred.

The number of daylight starts and in glorious weather at that, in which I have partaken? Negligible. Very minimal - to the point where in Statistics, they don' even count them in. Even the old black lighthouse is not so black when it's like this....

While we're at it, many thanks to the Coast Guard for being the start boat and putting the buoys out, for all those silly races we do at bizzare times. Cheers.

The scene from BBB (aka Gusto) as they stepped away from the Heads and the fleet. They need to at that, for they had twice as far to travel as the smallest boat, Deliverance.

Point Lonsdale on the left, Point Nepean on the right, the sun and our first YF visible, in between second and third boats on the right.

Yep. Sun.

Stepping away all right now...

He of the Countdown Timer, Jeremy Walton, tells us, "It was a bit of a frustrating race for us on BBB, as the further we got South, the less wind there was. Included in this was a truly delightful 30 minutes after we had turned, where we had no wind at all!!! Still, things picked up as we got closer to the Heads and we had good wind for the last hour. Actually, we came through the Heads under kite and with $18.30 seen on the the jumbos (Ed. Excellent work team - that would have made up for a bit of it). Sunday's stern chaser was also good fun, with a similar wind situation, good wind on the nose until we got to #19 and then a lovely little calm patch, where we just drifted along at 2-3 knots... At this stage we could see the fleet in front of us and it was on. The wind continued to build as we went up the Bay, so we got the kite up and set off in pursuit. However, the head start we had given the fleet proved to be too much for us to reel them all in."

"We all thought the race was well organised and run and whilst the change of Latitude sets at 0830hrs did not suit us in the end, it did provide an excellent day's sailing. The fact that the finish was so close shows The Brass really did get the handicaps and turning latitudes spot on. Yet again, our friends at Blairgowrie put on a good feed and there were a few quite light refreshments enjoyed....", said Jeremy.

"All in all, it was a great weekend for Gusto. We had a few rags up that we had not tried before and with just the six of us onboard, we all had to learn new positions on the boat and really talk things through before we did them. We are now looking forward to the Boxing Day Dash and the trip down the West coast after that", he finished with.

Now and with thanks for the sensational segue there, Jeremy, he's also provided the old days to go situation for us, effective as of 25/11/10.

• BDD - 31 Days to go
• M2H - 32 Days to go
• M2O - 862 Days to go
• M2V - 1319 Days to go

The full 2010 MLS results so far are posted HERE and the snapshot from the weekend is thus:

© John Curnow, ORCV Media

Please contact me for re-issue rights.

Melbourne Latitude Series (MLS)

The eleventh hour?

Well in the end it might not have been the six hour run, more like a little over five for the winner, Chikara Outlaw. Well done to Joanne, Bill and crew. A big note to BBB (Gusto) who ran most of them done and did so with an elapsed time of about four hours and twenty minutes. Also a big mention to Andrew Roberts, who helped us with the very drawn out M2AB this year. He's listed as the driver of Tilting At Windmills in the MLS and they've got through, in a little over six hours. Andrew is pictured below, with Caitlin Poulton, working away in the van.

As for the Eleventh hour? Well, let's just hope we get Deliverance in before 2000hrs... As it turns out they have, with an elapsed time of eight hours and forty minutes. As Deliverance crossed, the wind at RBYC was SSW at 15 to 17 knots and I did hear Nifty talk about "Champagne Sailing" earlier on in the piece...

Start and Finish times, so far, are thus;

© John Curnow, ORCV Media

Please contact me for re-issue rights.