McConaghy Melbourne Offshore Championship

(M2S as part of the MMOC)

Thank you Stanley.

Even though it was a slow 152nm race for everyone (the winner was eight hours behind the record), it was all smiles around in Stanley on Tasmania's NW Coast today. Last boat home was 'Rogue Trader' at 15:14hrs, about three hours in front of earlier predictions. All have then qualified for the M2L, M2HE and M2HW and any other Xmas races as well. The only retirement was 'Merlion' with a torn mainsail, but the crew are all OK and they returned to Melbourne. For all the sailmakers out there that was 'Merlion' from HBYC who may well need a new rag now!!!

So thank you Stanley. You've been great and we'll see you next year. As a mark of how far the Lions Club go to, in order for us to feel welcome, we were able to secure three cases of beer at 03:00hrs! Now that's above and beyond the call of duty.

The biggest comments around the quay centered on the sea fog that had been all over Bass Strait for the first part of the race. Visibility had well and truly been in the sub 100m category and some passed on cross tacks, having paid ultra clear attention to the fog horns. 'INSX' had been in close quarters with both 'Wicked' and 'XLR8'. James 'Cyclone' Bacon, who drives the boat said to me that "It was pretty cool being in there with the bigger boats and we were glad we could hear them first, before they just popped out of the fog. We're happy it was very light winds and no-one was really moving that quickly!" Think that may well be true...

Line Honours was a trifecta to SYC - 'Calm', then 'Goldfinger' who had a blinder (I can just imagine Peter Blake's face now) and 'Audi Centre Melbourne'. In IRC you had 'Calm' first, then 'The Finger' (both from SYC) and in third was 'Extasea' from Geelong.

First light finishers - it was very stylish indeed...

AMS has 'Wicked' first, 'Extasea' and then 'Magazan 53' - good one Nick McGuigan. A nice reward for all your efforts for the ORCV of late.

PHS is now a very much watched class, thanks to the McConaghy Carbon Fibre Performance Wheel that is the prize for the 2009/10 McConaghy Melbourne Offshore season. First was 'Pretty Woman', then the classic S&S36 'Magic' and the well seasoned crew from the Tamar Yacht Club aboard 'Matangi'. They have now left Stanley and are going back along the coast to their home.

The other Tasmanian entries made it in all OK, if not with any great podium claims. Hummingbird had some issues with the mainsail and was trying to drop it for ages and the new owners of the old 'Dekadence', now 'Creese Properties' got better with every mile sailed.

'Hummingbird' from DSS was the penultimate boat in and had issues getting the main down...

Finally a few yachts filled the pretty little harbour that is Stanley.

The Southern and Eastern views (above and below respectively) of the granite massif known as "The Nut" which dominates Stanley's place on the globe.

This is the carbon fibre performance wheel that everyone wants to get their hands on and 'Pretty Woman' are the first to get the coveted Yellow Ribband that marks their success in the McConaghy Melbourne Offshore Championship.

To get the full M2S results, click HERE.

Many thanks as well to Toll Shipping for getting us to Tassie last Thursday.

By John Curnow