Boxing Day Bonanza on Port Phillip Bay

Over 500 yachties will take to the water for the 2024 Ronstan Cock of the Bay Race and if the early weather forecast holds true, a new race record could be on the cards.

Port Phillip Bay will be a fiesta of colour and action, providing spectacular entertainment for the hundreds of spectators that support this traditional sailing event hosted by the Ocean Racing Club of Victoria (ORCV).

Colourful spinnakers will fill the skyline shortly after the start Photo Steb Fisher

The entry list for the Ronstan Cock of the Bay Race, a highly regarded fixture on Victoria’s sailing calendar, is likely to hit the one hundred mark well before Australia’s top order at the MCG, and sailors will enjoy the opportunity to have some fun and let their hair down after a busy Christmas Day.

For others it is another opportunity to fine tune their boat handling, crew work and tactics in preparation for upcoming ocean racing events.

ORCV Commodore and co-skipper of White Spirit, Cyrus Allen, regards the race as an important part of Australia’s Boxing Day traditions.

“The Cock of the Bay unites sailors from around the Bay in a challenging, but always fun, Melbourne classic.

“A welcome addition to Christmas celebrations, with typically over 100 boats competing, this race reflects the camaraderie of sailors from all clubs and is an important warm up race for those entered in the Melbourne to Hobart race the following day,” said Allen.   

Seven days out from the start of the race, Race Director Simon Dryden is forecasting a fast downwind race noting mainly strong winds from the north, likely turning westerly later in the day as the fleet takes on the sprint from Port Melbourne and heads to the Mornington Yacht Club.

“Early weather predictions may put the 24 year old race record into contention,” said Dryden.

The race record was set in 2000 by Sportscar in a time of 1 hour, 58 minutes and 28 seconds, and with nine Melbourne-based yacht clubs vying for the title, competition is expected to be intense.

Veloce will be looking to back again a Line Honours win at least Photo Michael Currie

While its early days, boats currently looking good for line honours include the light and speedy Scarlet Runner, skippered by Rob Date from Sandringham Yacht Club, while Phil Simpfendorfer will be hoping for a repeat of his 2023 line honours win on the Melges 40, Veloce 4.

While these boats will be quick, race followers should keep an eye on the beautifully appointed and well-sailed Frers 61, MRV, skippered by the experienced Damien King, while Trigger (Rowan Keast) and Fargo (Ari Abrahams), will also be in contention.

A handicap winner is hard to pick at this stage, but those in the know are pointing to Unprecedented as an early favourite with the boat in top form after winning the recent West Offshore Products Coastal Sprint in similar conditions to those forecast for race day.

Her pace downwind coupled with the advantage of an intimate understanding of sailing conditions around the Mornington coastline will make this boat hard to beat.  

The ever reliable J111, Ginan, skippered by Cameron McKenzie and Nigel Jones, will be pushing for the handicap win and will also have the benefit of local knowledge of the often fickle winds experienced in the area as the land warms up and the boats get closer to the Mornington cliffs.

Garry Anderson has already bagged a hat-trick of previous wins with his Beneteau 47.7 Esprit, but with the current forecast, might struggle to net a fourth win.

The Beneteau First 40s, Wicked (Mark Welsh) and Bandit (Ashley Trebilcock) are part of the mid-sized fleet contesting the race with seasoned crew who will run their boats well under the forecast weather conditions.

While it’s a quick race around the coastline of Port Phillip Bay, the Ronstan Cock of the Bay Race is not without its challenges with skippers often ‘rolling the dice’ when choosing whether to stay in close to the shore, hoping for a lift from the hills around Mornington, or to go further out in the Bay to find stronger winds.

“People think the Ronstan Cock of the Bay is an easy race, but it can be quite tactical as the boats move further down the [Port Phillip] Bay if the winds are shifting.” said Dryden.

The 21 nautical mile race starts at 10.30am on Thursday the 26th of December 2024.

Locals and holiday makers can watch the colourful spectacle from several major Bay locations including Port Melbourne, St Kilda Pier, Brighton Pier, Sandringham and Hampton foreshore as the fleet heads towards the Mornington finish.

Crowds will enjoy the spectacle from the shoreline Photo Michael Currie

 

Unprecedented wins race to King Island

by Jane Austin

King Island fleet starting, Photo by Al Dillon

While the eastern seaboard has faced the hostility of Cyclone Alfred over the last week, the Melbourne to King Island fleet had a superb sail in near perfect conditions in the 54th anniversary of the race.

Unprecedented, the double-handed Sunfast Jeanneau 3300 co-skippered by Andrew McGrath and Ben Thompson from the Safety Beach Sailing Club will be celebrating the 54th race to King Island for years to come.

Unprecedented, Photo by Al Dillon

Unprecedented was the last boat to cross the start line but clever sail choice and tactics saw them move back through the fleet to finish 12th across the line.

This on-water manoeuvring was enough to propel the popular sailors into first place on AMS handicap to win the coveted King Island Trophy, just over two minutes ahead of Ginan, on a corrected time of 12 hours, 44 minutes and 17 seconds.

The race started in a light easterly breeze of about 11 knots which slowly built to a consistent 18 to 20 knots across Bass Strait, conditions which suited Unprecedented and most of the fleet.

Success in the race was a first for the duo who have been sailing with each other on various yachts for nearly twenty years, with the spoils extending to victory in the Double-Handed Division on performance handicap and second on ORC handicap.

“We had a terrible start, last across the line, but we clawed our way back going from a J1 [spinnaker] to a J2 and eventually going to an A4 [asymmetric spinnaker], taking it all the way through to the finish line,” said McGrath.

Unprecedented stayed left of the rhumbline which set them up for a nice run towards King Island.

“We couldn’t get down to the finish line with the A4 but we ended up about 100 metres away, and at that point we doused the A4, put up the J2, sailed through, and did one gybe to the finish line and in we went,” said McGrath.

McGrath and Thompson had one-hour shifts on the helm and used their autopilot more than usual which gave the team more time to fine tune the mainsail to take advantage of the wind gusts.

“The boat reaches very well – once we put the A4 up our top speed was about 15 knots which pushed us along through the pack,” said McGrath.

Unprecedented was purchased during COVID with the name a nod to frontline health care workers closely connected to the team and a reflection of the difficult times endured across the globe.

McGrath, who delayed his interview with ORCV Media to take advantage of the infamous steak sandwiches, was savouring all that King Island had to offer, and was thrilled with their race win.

Pecadillo, Photo by Al Dillon

Peccadillo, the Chris White 46 multihull skippered by Charles Meredith, dominated this year’s race, leading the fleet out of Port Phillip Heads and simply outpaced the rest of the fleet, finishing nearly three and a half hours ahead of her nearest rival in a time of 10 hours and 16 minutes in a powerful performance.

This year’s race will also be etched in the memory of all onboard Jac Hoi, the Solaris 47 from the Royal Geelong Yacht Club, which was the first monohull across the line in her first ocean race.

Jac Hoi, Photo by Al Dillon

Skipper Danielle Fraser who celebrated her first ocean race success with her close-knit team on King Island, will cherish the win which was made even more special as they crossed the line first on International Women’s Day.

Amazing women sailors of the King Island fleet, Photo by Andy Roche

The usually exuberant skipper, Fraser was lost for words as she made her way to the race presentation when asked to describe the feeling of winning line honours in her first ocean race.

“It was a great race, just beautiful … it’s quite surreal really because it’s our first ocean race…I’m just enjoying King Island and the beautiful hospitality… [our win] just hasn’t really hit yet,” said Fraser who highlighted trust and friendship as key to the team’s success.

Jac Hoi crew, Photo by Belinda Duivenvoorden

Fraser sailed alongside Chris Carroll, James Hannah, Jamie Bennett, Jason Boyle, Peter James, Stuart Richardson and Stuy Lee in this year’s race.

Ginan, skippered by Cameron McKenzie from the Mornington Yacht Club, had another strong performance with the J111 the second monohull to cross the line, taking second on AMS handicap, and third on ORC behind Toecutter (Robert Hick) and Unprecedented.

It was close racing on PHS in the Double-Handed division with Streetcar Racing, skippered by Aidan Geysen and Jeremy Walton, finishing less than 30 minutes behind Unprecedented on corrected time with Foggy Dew (Robert Darcy / Janet Wilks) taking third.

Race Director Martin Vaughan was happy with this year’s race and the tight racing across Bass Strait.

“Jac Hoi, Ginan and Shimmer [skippered by Steve Twentyman], must have had a fantastic battle – it is always more fun yacht racing when you have a rival close by, it pushes you that extra bit.

“I would also like to say a big thank you to the King Island Boat Club with volunteers who worked all night to welcome the fleet, which arrived in the early hours of the morning, and ensured they were made very welcome,” said Vaughan.

The sun was certainly shining on King Island this weekend with lots of community events, cheese and crayfish, and a more buoyant community with the announcement that the future of the King Island Dairy has been secured.

Full results here. 

Fresh Air, Crayfish, and Top Quality Sailing - Geelong Yacht Jac Hoi Enters ORCV 2025 Melbourne to King Island Yacht Race

Photo by Salty Dingo

If fresh air, crayfish, fine produce, and a challenging race with friends excites you then get your entry in now for the Ocean Racing Club of Victoria’s (ORCV) 54th Melbourne to King Island Yacht Race.
The popular ocean race starts from Queenscliff at 2:30pm on Friday the 7th of March with the fleet taking on the short but challenging 114 nautical mile tactical race to Tasmania’s King Island while fighting for the coveted King Island Trophy.

Sailed under AMS, ORC, Multihull, Double Handed, and PHS handicaps, the race is a fixture on the ORCV sporting calendar.

The ORCV fosters sustainable destination ocean racing and nurtures partnerships built over many years including a strong relationship with the King Island Boat Club forged over many decades.

Legend has it that a group of sailors moored in Grassy, the largest town on the island, 54 years ago and were befriended by some locals with fresh crayfish from the pristine waters surrounding the island.

This friendly gourmet interaction coincided with the establishment of the King Island Boat Club and from there the Melbourne to King Island race was born accompanied by the catchphrase ‘…through tides and currents we race, to the land of meat, cheese and rugged beauty’.

Wild and rugged, King Island is the largest of three islands in the New Year Group off the northwest tip of Tasmania famous for its world-class gourmet produce including beef, cheese, and crayfish, with the island also earning a global reputation for its magnificent golf courses.

While one of the shorter ocean races in the ORCV Offshore Championship, the race from Port Phillip to King Island presents some unique navigational challenges with the race often won or lost on the approach to Grassy Harbour due to wind and tidal influences around King Island.

And did someone say steak sandwiches?

24 boats have so far entered the race and while several are yet to finalise their crew lists, the start line will reflect a who’s who of Victorian sailing.

Scarlet Runner, skippered by Rob Date from the Sandringham Yacht Club, is in top form following recent wins in the Melbourne to Hobart ‘Westcoaster’ and the Melbourne to Port Fairy race with Date looking for his fourth King Island Trophy and his first on the new sustainable Carkeek 43.

While several double-handed entries will miss this year’s race as they take on the challenges of the 2025 Melbourne to Osaka Cup, Toecutter, skippered by Brad Bult and Robert Hick, will provide a menacing presence on the start line and is likely to be an early leader.

The race to King Island will be the first ocean race for Jac Hoi, a new entrant to the ORCV fleet, the Italian-built performance-cruiser Solaris 47 is skippered by Danielle Fraser from the Royal Geelong Yacht Club.

“We did Hamilton Island [Race Week] last year and I thought, this is really fun, I really like this, so I put it to the crew that we think about doing the King Island Race – it’s not a big race - and everyone wanted to do it!” said Fraser.

Teamwork, fun and great camaraderie exemplify the culture onboard Jac Hoi, an approach that has developed over many years sailing together in Geelong including in the Etchell Class and in Club racing.

“The reason why I am keen to get to King Island is to visit the [King Island Dairy] Cheese Factory and to get stuck into a steak sandwich too,” said Fraser.

Fraser has been spending time completing the safety audits and getting herself ready for the race and will be looking for more ocean racing opportunities in the future.

“I have spent a lot of time on the boat recently learning how to service the winches, and understanding engine maintenance, it’s all new preparation for being a skipper compared to when I’m crewing…..We haven’t set any goals really other than to get there safely, we are just testing the waters to see how we go, it’s about having fun and lots of laughs at the end of the day, and it doesn’t get much better than that,” said Fraser.

The race is part of the ORCV Offshore Championship which also includes the Melbourne to Devonport ‘Rudder Cup’, the Westcoaster, and the Melbourne to Port Fairy races.

Primitive Cool holds the race record with a time of 09h 50m 21s set in 2014. Click here for more race information.

Scarlet Runner takes win in tumultuous 2025 Melbourne to Port Fairy Race

by Jane Austin

The Ocean Racing Club of Victoria’s (ORCV) Melbourne to Port Fairy Race is one of the most technical and challenging ocean races in Australia, with this weekend’s race proving just how difficult it can be, but also how expert seamanship, both on and off the water, is alive and well in ocean racing.

20 boats originally entered the event but only eight made it to the Friday afternoon start line off Queenscliff, with the tough weather forecast influencing the decision-making of several skippers to withdraw from the event.

Race Director Simon Dryden had forecast a fast and furious race, and he was close with his predictions, with the race starting in an 18 knot south westerly before the forecast heavy conditions hit the fleet before they rounded Cape Otway, much earlier than anticipated. 

Peccadillo, primed and leading the fleet provided by Charles Meredith

Peccadillo, the Chris White designed 46-foot multihull skippered by Charles Meredith, led the fleet off the start line but lost her staysail south-west of Torquay and retired from the race.

Foggy Dew, Photo by Al Dillon

Soon after, the double-handed entry Foggy Dew, skippered by Robert D’Arcy and Janet Wilks, made the call to retire from the increasingly difficult sailing conditions, while another double-handed entry, Alex-Team Macadie, skippered by Jock Macadie and Warren Joel, returned to port with mainsail damage.

With five boats left in the fleet, competition was fierce between the leaders with Scarlet Runner, the Carkeek 43 skippered by Melbourne to Hobart Yacht  (Westcoaster) Race winner, Rob Date, and Cadibarra, the Sydney 41 skippered by ORCV Vice Commodore Paul Roberts, as they punched hard into the tough south-westerly wind and 3 metre-plus swell. 

Not far behind them were Xenia, the XP 33 skippered by Koos Theron, Lord Jiminy, the double-hander skippered by Dylan Oosterwegel and Kevin Curtis, which was using the race as a qualifier for the 2025 Melbourne to Osaka Cup (M2O), and Dark and Stormy, skippered by Tobias Swanson. 

The five soon became four with Dark and Stormy retiring following reports of an injured crew member off the coast of Anglesea, and at this point, Date made the tactical decision to sail Scarlet Runner closer to the shore with the light-weight, dark-hulled boat picking up valuable speed and putting greater distance between themselves and Cadibarra, while Xenia retired from the race citing seasickness. 

As the three remaining boats approached Cape Otway in the early hours of Saturday morning, the winds intensified with freshening west to south westerly winds and rough seas providing major headaches for the skippers and crews.

Scarlet Runner then sailed well south of the rhumb line to give Cape Otway a wide berth belting along at 8 to 10 knots, whilst Cadibarra retired and Lord Jiminy retired, electing to continue to sail southeast towards King Island to complete their M2O qualification.

From there it was a lonely, tough race for Scarlet Runner, the only remaining boat, who arrived in Port Fairy just before midday to take out the Port Fairy Overall Winner Trophy.

Scarlet Runner, Photo by Al Dhillon

Scarlet Runner was not only the winner of the race but also was the flagship boat for sustainability with skipper Date combining his sailing expertise with pioneering sustainable sailing technology.

The Carkeek 43 has a unique hybrid propulsion system combining electric drive with a lightweight diesel generator and smart charging system for race preparation.

“We’re excited to continue pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in eco-friendly offshore racing,” said Date.

Reflecting on the 2025 Port Fairy Race, the decision by skippers to withdraw from the event is testament to their prudent seamanship and a culture which prioritises preparation, boat knowledge, crew capacity and safety, especially in the face of a challenging forecast or during a tough race.

While many crews were disappointed to miss out on the opportunity to pit themselves against the course, the elements and each other, safety was their top priority.

Foggy Dew skipper Robert D’Arcy, reflected upon the race and the point at which they decided to retire.

“We were going along quite nicely but it just started getting a bit too big for a little 36-foot boat.

“We put in the third reef which we’ve got red lines on, and we decided that’s our stop point…we were just overpowered, and we thought, this is just not going to get any better, we’d best go home.

“We knew it was going to get worse, with the third reef in and our smallest jib up before we went to the storm jib, which is also red, and if I ever put that up, I am certainly looking for somewhere to go.

“We just thought … let’s turn around and when we did, we also saw Alex [Team Macadie] doing the same thing. I’ve great respect for Jock [Macadie] and when I see Jock do something like that, I feel like I’ve made the right decision.

“It’s a tough decision when you make it and you fight it in your head for a long time, but when you do make it, you make it based on safety, and it’s the right thing to do.

“We’ve all got to think that we are there to have fun and it is a sport, and remember that if we get it wrong, we might be putting ourselves at risk and putting other people at risk who will be coming out to get us, so it’s a bigger decision.

“Running the race was perfectly the right thing to do given the weather forecast and it was up to us to go or not go, so all power to the ORCV, well done,” said Darcy.  

Crews are already gearing up for the Melbourne to King Island Race on the 7th of March which is the final race of the ORCV Offshore Championship, and with this win and their success in the Westcoaster, Scarlet Runner is well-placed to win. 

The 38 South Yacht Sales Double-Handed Offshore Championship also includes the race to King Island plus the Melbourne to Apollo Bay Race in May.