2024 Marine Safety Expo essential as Australian boat ownership hits new highs 

Recreational boating, fishing and sailing are as much a part of Australia’s DNA as mozzie bites and vegemite, but with boating ownership on the rise across the country, that DNA must include vigilance around marine safety.  

In 2023, boat ownership reached a record high in Australia. With over 80 per cent of Australia’s population living in coastal regions, and with fishing, paddling and sailing increasingly popular leisure pursuits, the need for safety education and awareness has never been greater. 

This is the focus of the 2024 Marine Safety Expo.

The Ocean Racing Club of Victoria (ORCV) and the Sandringham Yacht Club (SYC) are hosting the family-friendly Expo at the SYC from 10am to 4pm on Sunday the 21st of July 2024.

The event will have something for all ages and experience levels with free tours of boats and first responder vessels, air ambulance fly pasts, and lots of great activities designed to educate and raise awareness about the many facets of marine safety.

The ORCV, which has a global reputation for its leadership in offshore sailing and marine safety education, leaves nothing to chance in marine safety, and welcomes the opportunity to partner with the SYC to deliver this important and informative event.

Cyrus Allen, Commodore of the ORCV, will be attending the event and is a strong advocate for marine safety. 

“Safety is paramount when on the water for recreational, sporting and commercial endeavours.

“The [2024] Marine Safety Expo is an extension of the ORCV’s long history of dedicating time and resources to equipping our fleets with the skills and knowledge to stay safe -we’re very thankful for the support of our foundation partner SYC in running this event,” said Allen.

The event will feature a lineup of prominent speakers from the marine safety sector, and will include display stands, and static and dynamic equipment displays to engage and inform the crowds.

The day will get underway with a presentation from Linda Berryman from the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) on beacons as navigation aids, with Berryman giving a taste of what the future holds for modern beacon design.

Martin Vaughan from the ORCV will host a session on safe weather navigation while David Tilsley from Ports Victoria will provide important insights into safe navigation in port waters.

Search and rescue roles, rescue preparedness, and rescues at sea will be key themes in the afternoon program with insights from the Victorian Water Police and Air Ambulance Victoria, with a range of vessels open for inspection. 

Complementing the speaker’s program will be displays from a variety of marine safety organisations covering a wide range of topics including life jacket technology, maritime careers, safety regulations, community and sustainability, and ocean racing safety. 

This year’s Expo will also provide an opportunity to get up close to important search and rescue craft with Ports Victoria offering tours of the 12.2m MV Lonsdale, which will be docked in the inner harbour.

Fire Rescue Victoria will be on hand to discuss the fire and marine rescue services they provide to the people of Victoria with a marine rescue craft docked in the inner harbour, while the Volunteer Coastguard will also have a vessel on hand to offer insights into their role and capabilities.

There will be something for everyone at the Expo.

The ORCV will be keeping everyone entertained with a scavenger hunt and a range of activities for the kids, and in the early afternoon, excitement will build in the air when the Air Ambulance and MICA conduct a fly past and hover.

The Marine Safety Expo would not be complete without some on-water action with the SYC hosting a J70 one-design sailing regatta as part of the day’s festivities. 

SYC members will also be on hand to talk all things sailing including club membership and the operation and focus of the SYC Sailing Academy.

Dave Schiller, from the ORCV/SYC/ and Race Officer for the last two Melbourne to Hobart Yacht Races, understands the importance of marine safety and is keen to talk to as many people as possible at the Expo.

“We're really excited to welcome yachties (racing and cruising), dinghy sailors, boaters, the fishing community and all other marine enthusiasts to the inaugural Marine Safety Expo at Sandringham Yacht Club. 

“On the day we'll be showcasing the latest on-water safety expertise through educating and raising awareness about marine safety,” said Schiller. 

Sponsors include Discount Yachting [DYSC], West Offshore Products and Ronstan whose generous support will allow for free entry to the event, but places are limited and registration is essential.

The Expo comes at an opportune time for the growing number of entrants participating in the 2025 Melbourne to Osaka (M2O) double-handed ocean race.

The ORCV, a partnering club in the M2O event, supports the fleet and all marine enthusiasts, by offering a rolling program of training and education seminars and events.

Food and beverages will be on offer for purchase, while general parking is available at the Trey Bit Reserve. The event will be held at SYC, Jetty Road, Sandringham.

To read about the program click here https://www.orcv.org.au/club-blog/5548-2024expo

To register to attend click here https://www.trybooking.com/1213750

Race Management Team

Since the ORCV’s establishment as the Organising Authority for Victoria’s offshore racing, the club has maintained an enviable record for the safe and efficient conduct of our offshore racing program.

This record rests on three pillars:

• Together with Australian Sailing, setting appropriate safety standards and ensuring a competitor compliance regime.
• Training programs for competitors - including our well-known Safety & Survival at Sea, Practical Navigation and Weather courses.
• The less well-known but critical work of our Race Directors and Incident Management Teams.

Expressions of Interest Open

We are now calling for those interested to become involved in our incident Management Program or who would like to commence training as a Race Director to express their express their interest. 

Register your interest here

The ORCV’s Race Management team comprise:

• Volunteer Race Directors: senior ORCV representatives that take overall accountability for a race, both from a safety and competition perspective.
• Volunteer Race Assistant Race Director: supporting the Race Director, working with the race entry, race results and competitor tracking systems, liaising and supporting the Media team.
• Volunteer Incident Management Team: a team on standby to assist with any incident should it occur.

Race Directors need not only strong communication skills, but they also need team leadership skills and the ability to think on their feet. The use of enabling technology is also critical for the role to be fully effective. With a Risk Management focus, they will ensure fair and inclusive competition as well as conduct briefings and presentation events. They are the primary point of contact for many of the race stakeholders during the event. They will need to have experience in Race Administration to direct their team and undertake hands-on tasks themselves. As representatives of the ORCV they will need to follow all ORCV policies and procedures. It is expected a Race Director will have at least 5 years of Ocean Racing experience and ideally have been involved in preparing (boat, equipment and entry) as well as leading (e.g. skipper or watch leader) in offshore races. Race Directors will liaise with and report to the ORCV Sail Captain. The Race Director responsibility starts when ORCV Office Staff has completed and hands over.

Assistant Race Directors also need strong communication skills and need to be comfortable working with technology (laptop, internet, online systems, data entry). They need to be careful in terms of accuracy and aware in terms of spotting errors or anomalies. Some Assistant Race Directors work remotely, others at the finish line of a race. Assistant Race Directors will liaise with, and report to, the Race Director.

As representatives of the ORCV, both Race Directors and Assistant Race Directors will need to follow all ORCV policies and procedures.

The Incident Management Team develops response plans for effective management and communications should an incident occur, as well as assist with contingency planning as input to ORCV’s Incident Management Plan. This role will often liaise with Search and Rescue services. They are on standby, called in only when required.

The Race Director's Role

The Race Director’s (RD) role includes:

• Overall responsibility for fair and safe competition: Delivering an event in accordance with the Notice of Race and Sailing Instructions, managing changes through a formal Notice to Competitors process
• Handling protests, should there be one, together with the Sail Captain
• Ensuring handicapping has been completed, checking for errors and ensuring systems have been uploaded with the correct handicap
• Recording race finish times, penalties and calculation of race results
• Preparing and conducting briefing and presentation evens as required, together with the marking/event team for social aspects of the events
• Being the “face of the race”, dealing with stakeholders and working with Marketing team for social media updates
• Leadership of Assistant Race Directors with occasional hands-on Race Administration
• Standby Incident Manager (depending on circumstances)

The Assistant Race Director’s Role

The Assistant Race Director’s (ARD) role includes:

• Ensuring race management systems have accurate data. This means checking data entered by others and hands on data entry in many aspects including; Race Results, Trackers, Communications systems
• Supporting the Marketing team for social media update content
• Competitor marine radio, SMS and Email communications, for example sked updates
• Standby Incident Management (depending on circumstances)

The Incident Manager’s Role

The Incident Manager’s role includes:

• Full awareness of the ORCV Incident Management Plan and contribution to its ongoing development
• Liaison with Search and Rescue authorities
• Communication with participant Emergency contacts
• Together with Media team, preparing social media announcements
• Briefing of the ORCV Commodore (or delegate), Sail Captain (or delegate) and through them the Committee
• Subject to circumstances, communication with other stakeholders such as the media
• Competitor support which may involve logistics such as travel and accommodation
• Desirable skills and experience include
• Ocean sailing experience – at least as a crew member but ideally involved with race entry, preparation and on-water leadership
• Club level yacht Race Management experience
• Sea Safety and Survival training, ideally with First aid training too
• Computer and Internet skills
• Relevant specialist skills such as social media experience

Members who wish to become involved in our Race Management teams will need to commit to assisting with at least one race per year and to participate in regular ongoing training.

Next Step – How and When

Register your interest here which will collect with your experience, contact details and which of the roles you are interested in. We will call you to discuss the opportunities further and to answer any questions.

Training is modular and comprises:

• Race Management team welcome and overview (Separate to training and as required - online 1hr)
• Incident Management Team online (**self paced approximately 4 hours) comprising of three modules
• Incident Management Team in person (approx 3 hours) including race van familiarisation
• Race Management systems and processes overview online for RD/ARD (**self-paced, approximately 2hrs)
• Race Management systems and processes hands on for RD/ARD (1 day, large group)
• Assistant Race Director hands on mentoring/coaching (during a race)
• Race Director responsibilities and case studies (1 day, small group, dates TBA)
• Race Director and Assistant Race Director hands on mentoring/coaching (during a race)

** These self-paced training modules will become progressively available during the first two weeks of September. 

Next Gen Program

Welcome to The Next Gen Program!

Are you ready to launch into the exhilarating world of ocean racing? The Ocean Racing Club of Victoria (ORCV) is here to support and empower youths aged 16-25 with an incredible opportunity.

We’re calling all those aged under 25, mentors and skippers to help us drive youth engagement, design unforgettable experiences filled with learning opportunities and with the prospect of building networks.

The program consists of three pillars:

Introduction to Ocean Racing: Get started with the basics of ocean racing. We’ll take our sailors through the difference between OTB sailing and ocean racing.

Keelboat feel: Creating opportunities to get out on the water feel what it's like to sail on larger and faster boats.

Start-line ready: We want to ensure everyone gets the opportunity to experience this great sport, but also to do it safely and comfortably with the most effective equipment. We’ll be designing gear and training packages to ensure our sailors are can affordably get start-line ready.

But our commitment to you doesn't end there! Throughout the year, we offer work on finding even more ways to stay engaged. The basis of this  program is about finding the next custodians of our club and keeping the sport alive and we’re excited to find the next generation of sailors to help us do that.

Interested?  Please complete our information form our information form or contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

Spotlight shines on Women at ORCV Awards Night 2024

The 2024 ORCV Awards night at the Sandringham Yacht Club on Saturday 15 June we celebrated excellence in racing, community, training and new pathways to progress inclusion, diversity and growth.

Several women from the KISS Class of 2024 took up the invitation from ORCV Commodore Cyrus Allan to join the celebrations, meeting up with other KISS participants and discovering more about opportunities provided by the KISS partner club.

A stellar cast of women, from volunteers to sailors shone at the Awards Night.

The evening led off with ORCV General Committee member, Melissa Warren in her Marketing and Media role as MC steering the ship for the evening. 

Melissa Warren with ORCV Commodore Cyrus Allen

A trio of women took out “non-Racing Awards” across the group of five awards.

The Crew Encouragement Award 2024, was taken out by Irama Navarro.

New to the sport and embracing it wholeheartedly, Irama is an active bay racer sailing weekly at RMYS, recently competing in the Australian Women’s Keelboat Regatta and having competed in the ORCV offshore program as foredeck on Kioni this season.

From her skipper -  “She's a tough, brave and committed foredeck who also plays a role in navigation, tactics and helming when called on. Not fazed or fearful of mishaps. She can sail. 

Always willing to help, off deck, she's appreciative of the effort put in to get a racing boat out there and takes on maintenance, catering and general chores. A common refrain in the skipper’s debriefing is "C'mon guys - don't let Irama do everything".

We are all in awe of her efforts on Kioni - Irama is a truly valuable team member.”

The Youth Sailor of the Year Award 2024 went to Maddie Scambary Speller aged 22 years, who has immersed herself in the sport of sailing as her passion, recreation and now her profession as she starts out on her rigging apprenticeship with Wilksie Marine.

From her skipper, Clare Olding, winner of the 2023 Youth Sailor of the Year Award -

“Maddie is by far the most consistent crew member on Vertigo, with an unwavering commitment to ocean racing that is truly first-class, competing in the ORCV winter series, coastal sprints and destination races.

Maddie consistently punches above her weight, excelling on the bow and mentoring newcomers to expand their skill sets and build confidence beyond the cockpit, teaching technique over brute strength and size. Her ability to inspire and lead the race crew with positivity and constructive problem-solving, all delivered with her friendly demeanour leaves a lasting impact on everyone she encounters.

Maddie embodies the true spirit of sailing, and her contributions to the sailing community are thoroughly deserving of the award.”

A special new award, bestowed as recognition of exceptional service, saw the 2023 winner of the ORCV Volunteer of the Year, Delma Dunoon, take out the first-ever ORCV Distinguished Service Award, with all present endorsing the recognition with a rousing standing ovation.

The KISS Program was given a cameo spot to present the program to the audience and were excited by the immediate positive feedback and commitment from four boat owners to provide their boats for KISS 2025 and the opportunity to progress to offshore racing for those wanting to go further.

Congratulations to our women for their leadership and outstanding achievements.

With new ORCV programs coming onboard, including NextGen encouraging more youth sailors and the KISS program collaboration with QCYC increasing access and inspiring female sailors to go further, there is no better time to get onboard! If you are looking to be the first to know about the next KISS program, sign up for our Wait List to be a priority booking as places filled very quickly this year.

Waitlist for the next KISS program here

Register for the Next Gen Program here 

Skipper's Survey Results

From a skippers survey came the decision to run a Cat 2 race next February instead of the traditional Easter weekend. 

The survey extended to all yachts participating in ORCV offshore races in the past 3 seasons with an effective response rate of 75%.  

In planning the proposed event, the ability to start races early was a key issue. We asked skippers to review their experience in the 2022-23 King Island and Devonport races, which started at 5pm and 6pm respectively. The responses indicated that the early starts had not been a constraint on entries in those 2 events. 

• 64% preferred the early start,  
• 95% of the boats who planned to race were able to do so, albeit with the absence of some of their regular crew on 3 yachts. 
• 86% of the skippers advised that the late afternoon starts had not caused crew constraints  
• Only 2 boats advised that the earlier start times had led then to decide not to race. 

Forty-seven of the surveyed skippers advised that they are planning to race in Cat 2 races next season. We asked this group to indicate their start time preference. The result was a clear preference for late afternoon starts- 

• Late afternoon - 68%
• Early evening (after 7pm) -13%  
• Traditional night Starts (first suitable tide after midnight) - 19% 

The level of interest for the proposed Cat 2 race in February was high. 72% of the boats reported that they would seriously consider participating and a further 11% supported the idea although they would not participate in 2025.  

Importantly, more than 80% Skippers who would seriously consider entering the February race advised that their participation would be in addition to their currently planned races. 

Port Fairy and Stanley were equally weighted by skippers as the preferred destination but if the race was run to Port Fairy, they would be more likely to continue to Adelaide and participate in the Port Lincoln Regatta.   

The New Race 

The Club has decided to run a race to Port Fairy starting at 1630 hrs on Friday 14 February 2025, thirty minutes before the start of the ebb. 

Port Fairy was chosen as the destination in 2025 partly because of its role as a feeder race for the 75th anniversary of the Port Lincoln races (which start one week later) but also due to the need to reliably meet two key design parameters for the race:- 

• The ability for some crew members to return to Melbourne on Sunday night if required  
• The ability for the remaining delivery crew to be back at their clubs on Monday night. 

Strong support from the Port Fairy Club and Community for the race and the availability of scheduled coach-rail service leaving late afternoon for the return to Melbourne are additional elements in the decision. 

We hope to attract a large fleet and look forward to seeing you on the water next February. 

Paul Roberts 
Rear Commodore & Sailing Captain