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Melbourne to Stanley (M2S)

Ocean Race of 152 nautical miles.

Race Start is off Queenscliff at

Slack Water, Port Phillip Heads.

Category: 2+

Description:

The ORCV's Melbourne to Stanley yacht race starts off Queenscliff and finishes at Stanley in Northwestern Tasmania. It is held each year on Derby Day of the Melbourne Spring Racing Carnival - (Melbourne Cup long weekend). Please see the Notice of Race on this site, for the exact starting time.

Please also note, that this is a qualifying race for both of the Melbourne to Hobart races, the Rolex Sydney Hobart yacht race and the Melbourne to Launceston race.

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.

FirstLightFinishersLR

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.

HummingbirdStanleyLR

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

StanleyHarbourLR

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

StanleyMassif2LR

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.

StanleyMassifLR

AlfaJnr_CopaDelRey_helm

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.

ORCVvanGoesOnLR

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

By John Curnow

M2S ORCV_IconLR ORCV_MOC_icon

AlfaJnr_CopaDelRey_helm

McConaghy Melbourne Offshore Championship

(M2S as part of the MMOC)

That famous African tribe.

You know - the $@*&arwes... So it dawned on me as I walked around a cool (and cooling further) Stanley on Tasmania’s North West coast, overnight that there were in fact still no yachts here, as yet, and the very calm conditions that had beset Bass Strait were ensuring that it was still going to be a little longer yet...

CalmFinish

This is the race winner crossing the until then very unused finish line... thank God they made it.

Calm

This is what our Line Honours winner, 'Calm' looks like in daylight...

Soon enough it was Eight Bells and all was well - especially if you were on ‘Calm’, our Line Honours winner and 'Goldfinger', who had moved from third to second during the gap between the 18:35 and 00:35 radio skeds and then put more distance down between them and ‘Audi Centre Melbourne’.

I spoke with one of ‘Calm’s co-owners, Jason Van Der Slot, when they arrived at 02:18 for a quick beer and soup stop. Delighted with their win in the annual 152 nautical mile qualifying race, he was quickly getting a text message off to David Pava, the Dealer Principal of Audi Centre Brighton and their principal sponsor, alerting them to their win. “This is excellent and what a great race - David will be delighted that we have put their dealership on top. We had to do at least 25 sail changes and put a slab in the main, as the breeze climbed past 25knots. Great training for Christmas!” Slotty, as he is known, managed to get out whilst packing sails and spooning in the hot soup.

ArtsyFartsyGoldie

'Goldfinger' had a great race and that will make her co-owner, Peter Blake, very happy indeed. Well sailed!

The breezes that were soft and flukey are now cold and a little blustery. Finally. You might say and that would be the sentiment of the crews too. Boats are appearing in the morning sun in relatively quick succession now and we have seven in port or on their way home. ‘Merlion’ retired at 04:30 with a torn mainsail, but the crew are all OK and that is the main thing.

The sea is still flat, which is nice. Better than nice, actually and a classic for the crews that are sticking their heads out into it for their first time. Neville 'Nifty' Rose aboard 'Ninety Seven' tells us there is 18-20knots from the SouSouWest with a little half-metre sea. That building breeze has indeed put 'Ninety Seven' some seven hours ahead of where she was placed for finishing, based on the previous radio sked. This is good news for everyone, from catering to prize ceremony and us, who have been waiting in the very cold van for the boats.

At this stage, IRC goes to ‘Calm’, then ‘Goldfinger’ and ‘Extasea’. AMS placings are ‘Extasea’, ‘Wicked’ and the 11m Hick, ‘Godzilla’. Performance Handicap placings are ‘Extasea’, ‘Audi Centre Melbourne’, ‘XLR8’, so those skippers could be the first to get the coveted new 'Yellow Ribband', which is for the sensational McConaghy Carbon Fibre Performance Wheel at the end of the season.

AlfaJnr_CopaDelRey_helm

The wheel that they are all racing for...

Last boat is now slated for 18:00hrs on Sunday Evening and that is a toss up between 'Hummingbird' from DSS and ‘Rogue Trader’. In the middle of the fleet, it is now quite bunched up however, so you never know from whence the ultimate winners will come.

By John Curnow

M2S ORCV_IconLR ORCV_MOC_icon

Calm

McConaghy Melbourne Offshore Championship

(M2S as part of the MMOC)

Eight Bells.

And all is well - especially if you are on 'Goldfinger'!!!

It's a flat sea out there, with 16knots of breeze from around 195 degrees and a sea of less than half a metre. Nice. Better than nice actually, which is a classic for the crews that are sticking their heads out into it for the first time.

In the race for Line Honours, 'Calm' has moved to about 16 nautical miles ahead of 'Goldfinger' then just astern of them is 'Audi Centre Melbourne'. So the former has indeed been working hard to take second position from third place in the last Sked... 'Calm' now has around 15 miles to get to the line, here in Stanley.

Goldie

'Goldfinger' has had a great time of it, which should make Andy Keep smile... (no doubt Peter Blake already is) Bet they wish they had the kind of breeze pictured here.

The fleet indeed appears to have found some breeze - finally. 'Ninety Seven' is some seven hours ahead of where she was placed for finishing, based on the previous radio sked. This is good news for everyone, from catering to prize ceremony and us, who have been waiting in the now very cold van.

'Wicked' now leads AMS from 'Extasea' and 'Godzilla' - IRC is all about waterline length and reflects Line Honours perfectly. Now in performance, 'Matangi' leads, from 'Pretty Woman' and 'Myuna', so those skippers could be the first to get the coveted new 'Yellow Ribband', which is for the sensational McConaghy Carbon Fibre Performance Wheel at the end of the season.

As a result of all these movements, 'Calm' now looks to be arriving at 03:10hrs, 'Goldfinger' at 05:45, 'Audi Centre Melbourne' at 06:04 and then 'Shogun' at just before Seven on Sunday morning. Last boat is now slated for 20;00hrs on Sunday Evening and that is 'Hummingbird' from DSS. In the middle of the fleet, it is now quite bunched up, so you never know from whence the ultimate winners will come.

MatangiLR

'Matangi' are seasoned campaigners, so it is good to see the TYC crew doing well.

Wicked_LR

'Wicked' has had a pretty good outing with all this...

By John Curnow

M2S ORCV_IconLR ORCV_MOC_icon

GoldieTransom

McConaghy Melbourne Offshore Championship

(M2S as part of the MMOC)

Ask the Leylands.

"We're here because...", as they used to say. There are no yachts here in Stanley as yet and the very calm conditions that have beset Bass Strait are ensuring it is going to be a little longer yet...

StanleyFinishLine

This is the finish line at Stanley - not that anyone has crossed it yet - or likely to soon...

In the race for Line Honours, 'Calm' remains about five nautical miles ahead of 'Audi Centre Melbourne' and then 'Goldfinger', the latter two are probably within water bombing range of each other. 'Shogun', 'XLR8' and 'Extasea' are a further four miles and more back from them in said order.

Steb_Calm

'Calm' in very slight winds like today, but a bit more sunshine perhaps than what they have seen with the fog today...

In AMS it is 'Extasea' from 'Wicked' then 'Godzilla' and 'Alien'.

IRC has 'Calm' leading 'The Finger' who had a good six hours between skeds and then 'Audi Centre Melbourne'.

For the PHS class we have 'Audi Centre Melbourne' ahead of 'Matangi', 'Extasea' and 'Wicked'.

Neville 'Nifty' Rose aboard 'Ninety Seven' tells us there is 11knots from the South East (i.e. directly from Stanley) with sea fog cleared for now, but it is overcast. The back of the fleet has caught up somewhat, but there remains 40nm from first to last!

Currently the 05:00ETA for 'Calm' looks valid and from then on it will be every hour, on the hour until Sunday at 23:00hrs.

StanleyFishingBoat

Fishing boat tied to the big quay for the deep draft boats to raft up to - once they get here that is...

StanleyHarbourEmpty

Nary a sailing boat in sight in the delightful harbour - plenty of fishing boats though...

By John Curnow

M2S ORCV_IconLR ORCV_MOC_icon

McConaghy Melbourne Offshore Championship

(M2S as part of the MMOC)

50 to 5.

These are not the odds of anything or a new TV Show hosted by an aging star who’s a walking ad for the dangers of plastic surgery. We’ll leave that to those at the track and editors of cheap magazines.

HurseyCraysLR

Some of the locals lying in waiting for the fleet to arrive.

They are, in fact, the wind readings from the last 12 hours. Last night a massive, albeit short, storm ploughed through Melbourne with winds well into the fifty-knot bracket. This was of considerable concern to the deep draught boats waiting in their pens at Sandringham Yacht Club. In quick consultation with ORCV Race Director, Simon Dryden, and the wonders of the real-time weather radar on the “Interweb”, these boats stayed in their pens until it blew over, in under an hour. Why was it of concern? Well if they did not get underway from SYC on schedule, these boats would not have made the start line at the Heads in time for the 04:30hrs flare. Port Phillip’s Heads are a good three and a half to five hour steam from their pens you see, depending on wind and tide…

NewQueenscliffLR

Queenscliff's new harbour and shops...

All of which did not cause any concern to the shallower draft boats safely tucked up in the sensational new facilities at Queenscliff. On the way to the start, ‘Yoko’ did in fact report a burst of 60knots. Glad they had the rags all sorted out before that arrived!

It’s quiet out there today in Bass Strait, which explains the five - as in knots. It’s all most of the boats are seeing and speeds are around that and less, depending on the vintage of the boat in question! It is also fairly quiet here in Stanley as the local festivities begin and they await the influx of the thirsty and hungry crews, who may well have sunburn to add to their ailments.

Race favourite, ‘Calm’, are 49nm down the track (just under a third of the way) with a current ETA 04:30hrs Sunday. Add four nautical miles back to Shogun’, another one and a half a miles to ‘Audi Centre Melbourne’ and the venerable Farr52 ‘Goldfinger’ has had the whip out and is just six and a half miles behind the leader.

Out on the proverbial mung bean flyer was ‘Godzilla’, but they are now back and right in it. The Tasmanian entries are a bit of a mix. The DK46, ‘Dekadence’, now ‘Creese Properties’ after the sale was completed to Hobart’s David Creese just yesterday, are still learning the new boat and have some 8nm to make up to the other DK ‘Extasea’. The seasoned crew aboard ‘Matangi’ are in the top 10 in IRC and ‘Hummingbird’ from Hobart’s DSS is sitting pretty in the middle of the fleet.

Presently in AMS, ‘Extasea’ have it from ‘Godzilla’ then ‘Wicked’. In IRC it is all ‘Calm’, before ‘Extasea’ and ‘Shogun’. PHS has ‘Extasea’ in front, then ‘Godzilla’ with ‘INSX’ doing well for third, as you would expect from the Sills and the crew, who are our new Lord Warden Trophy holders.

It is just six to eight knots out there from the SSW with a sea fog, flat seas and visibility of around 200m, so it could well be such a long time until we see them.

VanAtOldStanleyStationLR

We're here waiting too!

Ultimately it’s a very light start to McConaghy Melbourne Offshore Championship this year and that’s not necessarily a bad thing, except that it will take them longer to get to Stanley’s famous Scallop Pies… It looks like it will be a long night getting the fleet in and in turn, that means Peter Blake’s ‘Kontrol’ will get to hold the record for at least one more year.

Click HERE to go straight to the yacht tracker and see how each boat is doing and to check up on the 319 souls onboard the 35 boats..

HurseySeafoodsRTD_LR

The curried scallops and fresh local flathead are awesome - I just tried them...

By John Curnow

M2S ORCV_IconLR ORCV_MOC_icon

HurseyCraysLR

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Melbourne to Stanley (M2S)

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