ORCV Melbourne to King Island

Cheers on that.

Kathleen Hunter from the King Island Courier was very keen to see the boats from our race to KI, as our event has twice the the number of competitors and been running nearly twice as long as the other race that is on over the long weekend - The KI Imperial 20, which is a running race of 20miles, held on the Sunday.

Kathellne also arranged for a marvellous spread, in colour no less, to adorn their weekly paper before we got there and is running yet more this week, now that we have left. They cannot wait to have us back again, although KIBC Commodore, John Hiscock, is not sure he needs the personal publicity a large shot of him on the back page of the paper generated during our visit. Sorry, John. (Well not really tooooooo sorry - all the KIBC Volunteers deserve a large amount of thanks from John Brewster to Michael, Helen, Carol, Ian, Craig and the list really does go on, including new local Copper, Paul.

So thanks Kathleen for the images seen here that she shot from the Police Cat, just before darkness descended upon us.

Despite getting the Silver Medal, Gusto showed up in a blaze of gold. We wish more had arrived in the light, as the shooting really was sensational, with great light and only a small swell running....

Big main to flake...

Yep. Really big main...

Our man of million parties - Brian Pattinson - gives us a wave as they prepare to enter harbour.

That seriously happy crew from Rob Date's, Reichel-Pugh penned, Scarlet Runner. (Yes. Rack up yet another plug for me with Jim Pugh!!!!)

There will be more.

© John Curnow, ORCV Media

Please contact me for re-issue rights.

	Councillor Island on the left, as seen from the plane... Remember the currents!!!!

ORCV Melbourne to King Island

Big Red.

It would seem Geoff 'not-for-much-longer SMB 3.5' Boettcher is right - "The Big Red %$&^?! does go well in the ocean!"

Six vessels partook of the very first of the Dash Backs - King Island to Melbourne - and Scarlet Runner took out Line Honours, in a little under nine hours. Great to see people take on the concept and for some, it will be virtually mandatory with Port Fairy and Apollo Bay. (Rack up another two plugs for with Jim Pugh as both SMB 3.5 and The Runner were penned by the Reichel-Pugh team.)

1. Arch Rival - 17:25:30
2. Escapade - Retired
3. FullyNpushing - 15:47:12
4. Gusto - 11:29:30
5. Nutcracker - 15:51:00
6. Scarlet Runner - 8:53:56

And yes - The Runner did get the best IRC and AMS times, as well. Well done crew and smily Rob. Happy chappy, or what!!!!

There will be more.

© John Curnow, ORCV Media

Please contact me for re-issue rights.

	Councillor Island on the left, as seen from the plane... Remember the currents!!!!

ORCV Melbourne to King Island

Always going to be.

When you beat everyone, including someone with a much higher handicap than yourself and others by many hours indeed, you were always going to be a bit of a monty for the silverware, booze and flags.

Accordingly, Scarlet Runner walked away with the Line Honours prize, as well as the IRC and AMS handicap trophies. Below is her owner, Rob Date, collecting some of the haul, which was presented to him by King Island Lord Mayor, Charles Arnold.

The entire crew was needed to display theloot... And yes, it is all about that man in the middle, Mitch Batson. Just ask him!

Gusto's Jeremy Walton collects the wine for their Third in AMS and Second in PHS.

New to the scene with the old Rouseabout, Arch Rival were Third in IRC and PHS. John Hall, here.

eXtasea had already gone home, but they were second in IRC and AMS and won PHS. However, under the rules if you're not there, the prize (not the title) goes to the next boat down the list. As a result of eXtasea not being there, Andrew Lawrence from Jazz Player, who were Fourth in IRC, got the wine there.

Nutcracker picked up Fourth in AMS and PHS, so got the two bottles of wine for that. They also got the special honour of being, "the little white boat that won the start up near the boat end." At one stage they had the little X35 up in Fifth Place overall and drove it hard, so it was a shame they got locked out in the overnight breeze shutdown, for they would have blitzed otherwise. Incidentally, the very same issue caused Spirit of Dowunder to cover the last 20nm in an incredible, but oh-so-real 12 hours!!!

Of course for some, like Justin Brennan from Alien, it was always going to be just too much anyway!

Full results available from HERE.

There will be more.

© John Curnow, ORCV Media

Please contact me for re-issue rights.

	Councillor Island on the left, as seen from the plane... Remember the currents!!!!

ORCV Melbourne to King Island

Overnight sensations.

To get in to Grassy, when the wind had virtually shut down and the tide was about to change to running back North, means you persevered sensationally!

That is exactly what the crew aboard Paul Buchholz's eXtasea did to secure third place over the line at 23:19:03.

ORCV Committee Member, Paul Buchholz, on the right of the front row. Apologies for the image from a phone camera....

Now also coming in, from a little after the 24 hour elapsed time mark were the following boats, who did so, despite pushing into that very much just described, same Northerly running current, were:

• Cadibarra 8 @ 01:50:13
• Jazz Player @ 02:50:45
• Arch Rival @ 03:05:52
• Nutcracker @ 05:13:45 - at just 35 feet, this is a very special effort, indeed
• Spirit of Downunder @ 05:21:49

As the clock has moved past 0515hrs, we learn that as the light gets up in a while, there will be more finishers to add to the eight we have already of the required 24.

If you're not sailing, you may want to see where the boats are during the race on the ORCV's Tracker, which is HERE.

© John Curnow, ORCV Media

Please contact me for re-issue rights.

	Councillor Island on the left, as seen from the plane... Remember the currents!!!!