Weather Forecast - Race 2 West Offshore Products Coastal Sprint

WIth a daylight start and high pressure sitting over Tasmania still, the winds for this Saturday's West Offshore Products Coastal Sprint are looking to be from the East which will moderate around early afternoon.  It's predicted to be a pleasant day out again in Bass Strait for a sail with roughly 16 knots moderating to 12 knots, swell of 1.5m and temperatures of 18'C.

You can follow the fleet on marine traffic, via our social media feed too.

The Predictwind course is using Beneteau 40 yacht.

The Westcoast Challenge

The Melbourne to Hobart Westcoaster is a blue water ocean racing classic of unusual challenge in which seamanship, navigation and tactical skills drive the race outcome. Skippers and crews face  diverse conditions of sea state and tide uniquely associated with Bass Strait and the Southern Ocean plus wind conditions which normally include all points of sailing.

Its one of the few blue water races open to two handed competitors where short handed sailors compete against fully crewed for the major prizes.

This diversity of racing conditions reinforces the integrity of handicap systems and, as the past winner’s list demonstrates, it’s an open competition. Good boat preparation and a well found yacht are the key requirements  -  deep pockets are not required in this race which offers, at best, limited advantage from race specific yacht design.

The race starts at Portsea on the last of the outgoing tide with yachts completing the dash to Port Philip Heads, past Lonsdale Reef and clearing the potentially breaking seas at the entrance of Port Phillip Bay before the change of tide. This is the start of the 125 nautical mile Bass Strait crossing heading due south.

Bass Strait’s description as a “notorious piece of water” reflects the choppy and confused waves generated by the Strait’s relatively shallow depth and strong tidal flows  -  between the southern end of King Island and the Mainland, along the eastern side of King Island and between King Island and the NW corner of Tasmania.

For the yachtsmen the tidal flows between the top of King Island and  North West Tasmania are crucial and may affect a yachts race time by as much as 4 hours. The gap is some 35 miles wide and lies diagonally across the shortest course. The navigational objective is to choose a course which maximises speed over the ground allowing for the tidal effects through the gap and wind shifts if one passes close to the north west corner of Tasmania. Its not easy as the transit must be planned hours ahead. If night sailing is involved there are also one or two reefs to consider.

Once through the King Island gap and past the Hally Bayley and Porpoise shoals, (where breakers may be encountered) it’s a whole new world - ocean sailing in long swells, often reaching under spinnaker heading east of west with prevailing westerly winds.

The run down the coast to South West cape is 200NM past Macquarie harbour and the increasingly rugged terrain of Tasmania’s South west. If conditions are light, yachts may pass close inshore to seek advantage of local wind effects.

In other conditions the West Coast may be an altogether story. The south west coasts of Africa and Tasmania have something in common  - they both experience large swells originating in the deep South on which, in the case of Tasmania, substantial front induced waves may be superimposed. It may be blowing a steady 35kn with seas of up to 10m – although 5m long wave length swell is more the norm.

In these conditions the 40 nautical mile leg from West Cape due east past Maatsuyker Island to South East Cape can be nothing short of spectacular with many yachts surfing under “storm spinnakers” before heading north of East to Bruny Island and into the relatively sheltered waters of Storm Bay.

Its around 35 nm from Tasman Head at the bottom of Bruny Island to the Iron Pot and then a further 11 nm to the finish. Here the race is all about tactics and trimming and crews who “get this stage of the race right” may well pick up hours against their competitors. The high headlands of Bruny Island area abound in wind shadows and conditions in the last few miles up the Derwent can be complex.

The warmest of welcomes awaits the finishers at the Elizabeth Street Pier. It is a point of honour in this race that no yacht finishes unheralded and many a yachty has been roused from the local watering holes or comfy berth to meet late night or early morning finishers. Somehow a cold slab is always produced no matter what the time and the previous finishers raise three cheers in honour of the crew.

Scarlet Runner 13 Joins the Fleet

Scarlet Runner 13 Photo Credit Salty Dingo Media

Rob Date’s new boat, Scarlet Runner 13 a Carkeek 43 design has just completed the first of its planned races with the recent Festival of Sails. With an all-black hull, its overall displacement is approximately 6 tonne and has a makeup of E-Glass, water ballast, electric drive and various racing sails.

The Carkeek 43 is specifically designed as a fast 40+ and has delivered outstanding results on the super-competitive European circuit. Designed by Shaun Carkeek and built-in Melbourne by Composite Constructions, Date said, "we want to get ready to win the 50th Anniversary Melbourne to Hobart Westcoaster next year. We think this is the boat to do it in with the handicap win in view. We just want to do more local ocean racing from Melbourne." Date has always built young and effective crews, with high levels of commitment and loyalty. So even with a new boat, if they are on the line, then watch out for them.

With this being his 13th Scarlet Runner, Rob Date has a wide depth of experience in both inshore and offshore racing that no doubt has been put towards his new boat.

Rob Date is currently the Sail Captain at Sandringham Yacht Club and a long time supporter, racer and member of the ORCV.

You too can join Rob on the 50th Melbourne to Hobart with entries open here 

Here’s the stats on the boat:

Sm-13. Carkeek-43.

• Length 13.1m
• Beam-4.3m
• Draft-2.8m
• Displacement-About 6T

Electric drive:

• 15HP continuous HP.
• Motor speed-Cruising at 6.5knots-8 hours, max motor speed 10 Knots.
• Batteries- 636AH.
• Volts-51.2

Electric Accessories:

• 4 x 3 speed winches
• 1 x Hydraulic pump- Vang, Jib Cunningham, mast jack, jib cars.
• 1 x traveller.

1 x water ballast system including manual and electric:

• linear actuators for fill port, fill starboard, transfer, dump port, dump starboard.
• 2 x pumps to speed the fill process.

Generating Set:

• 3kw 60v. Battery charging system. System can also direct drive the Electric drive at a motoring speed of 4 knots.

Battery Charging:

• solar Boom tent
• solar staysail(deliveries)
• Shore power charger(if necessary)

Sails:

• Square top mainsail
• Working Jibs on headstay foil
• Heavy weather jib Furling on its own stay set back from headstay.
• Furling Jib top on end of bowspit.
• Staysail and spinnaker staysail

High pressure weather systems set to dominate in the Melbourne to Hobart

Tacticians’ skills will be tested

Yachts will set sail from Portsea on the afternoon of the 27th of December to Hobart and Devonport. Preparation for long distance ocean races, particularly those that start in Bass Strait, is onerous in any year. In 2021, with multiple lockdowns and travel restrictions, it has been nearly impossible for many.  However, some have managed to maintain and prepare their yachts and crew and eager to meet the challenges of sailing in Bass Strait.

Race officials are closely watching two high pressure systems that are set to dominate the early part of the races.  As the fleets enter Bass Strait, the predicted wind will be strengthening to 22 knots and then as the sun sets the fleet will be experiencing light winds.  Skippers and tacticians’ skills will be tested as the route plotted at this point will determine where you finish.

Brian Pattinson is a veteran of ocean racing, having completed multiple Tasmanian Melbourne to Osaka, Melbourne to Vanuatu and Melbourne to Mackay races.  He is in the early days sailing his new boat Gusto Solo, a Don Jones 42, and will be sailing double handed with his son Tristan.  Pattinson said ‘It is a very exciting boat nothing like the previous two Gusto’s.  We haven’t had much sailing time together between COVID restrictions and, when we have tried to hit the water, we have had some big blows that have stopped us.’  He continued, ‘unlike the other two boats it is lighter and comes up to speed more quickly.’

It is hard to see Pattinson and son Tristan not being the first yacht across the line in Devonport.  If they have a challenger, Alex Toomey in his Sayer 12 Ryujin would be it.  Toomey is sailing Ryujin fully crewed, but this boat was designed to be sailed short-handed on long ocean races and in the light air can be ‘driven’ with minimal crew movement.

Weather for the Hobart race is a little harder to predict this far out from the start.  Naturally, they will benefit from the good starting conditions and, as they track closer to King Island, the prediction is that the wind will stay in for them longer.

Race Director Jeremy Walton even quipped ‘maybe this is the year to go to the west of King Island,’ a course that has been pursued in the past without good results.

At the moment, the weather on the North part of the West Coast shows some good promise but with a lighter ‘hole’ towards the middle of the Coast around Strahan.  Always a very tactical race the lighter breezes will challenge the crews, questions of whether to stay in and ‘rock hop’ the coast versus head out and hope for the change to push you back across to make the turn at Maatsuyker Island.

Looking at the Line Honours possibilities, the Double Handed yacht, Alex-Team Macadie, a Jones/Hart 14 is one of the front runners. Jock Macadie is not just an experienced double handed sailor but indeed one of its pioneers and greatest proponents.  For many years, his crew was his son and the two were a formidable force in every race they entered.Jock’s son has been in the USA for some years now and a new crew was not always easy to find.

Lord Jiminy, an Open 40 which is sailing shorthanded as ‘Four crew plus Auto Helm’, will be quick and dangerous.  Skipper Guillaume Leroux is a wily competitor, and nobody can afford to let them out of their sight.

Lord Jiminy at the Head Photo Steb Fisher

As much a sentimental favourite as beautifully sailed by an efficient team is Tevake ll.  Both Tevake l and Tevake ll were fixtures of the ocean racing and club racing scene for decades.  Fletcher was the Commodore of the ORCV from 2004 – 2006 and was Ocean Racer of the Year in 2020.  Unfortunately, we lost Angus early in the year. Fletcher’s wife Holly has always been a fixture of the essential ‘ground crew’ supporting Tevake and she has supported this tight knot crew to continue in Angus’s memory.

Tevake ii crew ready to take on challenge Photo Bruno Cocozza

Skipper Paul Neilson said. ‘It’s weird to be sailing without him.  We now know how much paperwork is involved in Ocean Racing.  We have been so well supported by Holly.  She has had new rigging put in.  She wants the boat raced and campaigned properly. ’We will be racing in Angus’ honour but it’s never going to be the same.  We don’t really like the light weather that’s showing.  We would prefer the heavy stuff, but we will be giving it everything.’

No matter who first across the line, all crews are grateful to have the opportunity once again to do what they love, ocean sail

.ORCV media

Melbourne’s Christmas Yacht Race Draws Huge Fleet

Cock of the Bay has attracted more than 90 entries.

 Victoria’s yacht racing community will be out in force on Boxing Day.  After a year of not sailing and in fact not even being able to visit The Bay, or your boat, this is the ultimate blow out. The Ocean Racing Club of Victoria’s (ORCV) Race Director Jeremy Walton commented, ‘There is no better place to be on Boxing Day than on the start line at the Cock of the Bay race.’

The start from Port Melbourne at 10:30 am on Boxing Day morning is always a colourful sight and, with a fleet of 91 yachts, this Boxing Day will be a spectacle not to be missed.  Although the race is a significant test with a 34 nautical mile course to be navigated before the finish at Blairgowrie’ the start is always hotly contested. The course is a spectator bonanza as it hugs the contours of the Bay in its early stages, providing excellent viewing opportunities for spectators from Port Melbourne to Sandringham before heading further offshore.

The race plays a major role as the feeder race for the ocean races to Tasmania, the Melbourne to Hobart and the Melbourne to Devonport as well as the popular Petersville Regatta run by Blairgowrie Yacht Squadron.

More than 90 boats will take to the start on the ORCV Cock of the Bay Photo Dave Hewison

With a fleet this size, the contests for both Line and Handicap Honours are fierce.  As always, the weather is a major factor and current forecasts have been predicting a southerly wind with strength of 15 – 20 knots.  Most crews are rusty from the long downtime and will have to work, blowing out any Christmas day cobwebs as they pick their tactics for the long haul down the Bay.  Navigators will be judged by the course they set in the second part of the race as they will be on the wind all day with the crew on the rail in cool conditions.

A challenge to the race record is unlikely with the current weather forecasts but Line Honours will be closely contested.  NSW import Original Sin a Reichel Pugh Ccr 50, has slipped into Port Phillip Bay ready to challenge local talent, Bryan Dorman’s CNB 60 Bordeaux, Journey with its slick and experienced crew and Robert Green’s Pacific 50 Dream.

Original Sin is owned by Ray Semmens but skippered by Leigh Dorrington, ‘Dorro’, while Semmens is a Tootgarook local, Dorrington a Beaumaris boy, left Victoria in 1992 and now calls Port Macquarie home.  Original Sin has arrived from Sydney after a major refit that, like everything, was slowed by the COVID situation.  Dorrington has an extensive sailing pedigree including as Australian coach to the three-man Soling class at both the 1984 Los Angeles and the 1988 Seoul Olympics.

Tonight, Dorrington said, ‘the weather conditions should be perfect for us and I can tell you we will be sailing on the best piece of sailing water in the world.  Port Phillip Bay has so much space and it’s good to be home.’

With some crew flying in from Sydney, Dorrington has also enrolled several experienced Melbourne yachties, ‘we aim to do as well as we can with the new crew, shake the boat down and have some fun.  This is our first real hit out because of COVID and from here we will do the Petersville Regatta and then onto Geelong.’

A quick Journey is expected towards the blue water of Blairgowrie Photo Phil Beattie

Dorrington admits that, given the right weather conditions, Dorman’s Bordeaux 60 Journey could be ‘hard to hang on to with its superior water line length. But the real threat, if it makes it to the start line, is the new Scarlet Runner it will be very hard to beat.’

Rob Date’s new Scarlet Runner, Scarlet Runner 13, certainly looks intimidating with its solid black hull the Carkeek 43 is all class and carbon fibre, water ballast and new racing sails.  It is by no means a certainty to make it to the start line and even then Date says, ‘this would be a shake down race, I’m not sure we can be ready in time.’ 

The Carkeek 43 is specifically designed as a Fast 40+ and has delivered outstanding results on the super competitive European circuit.  Designed by Shaun Carkeek and built in Melbourne by Composite Constructions Date said, ‘we want to get ready to win the 50^th Anniversary Melbourne to Hobart Westcoaster next year.  We think this is the boat to do it in.  We just want to do more local ocean racing from Melbourne.’  Date has always built young and effective crews, with high levels of commitment and loyalty. So even with a new boat, if they are on the line, then watch out for them.

For sheer consistency and professional performance, it is hard to go past John Paterson’s Farr 45 Rush.  While its smaller size and added age do not immediately recommend it, on its day they provide formidable opposition.

Like trying to pick a Melbourne Cup winner, trying to pick a handicap winner is almost impossible.  So many of these crews bring a wealth of experience and determination to a race that will test the fitness of all on board as they bash into the expected southerly.  Xpresso, with Ari Abrahams on board showed their capabilities last year.  Tevake II, flying the flag for Hobsons Bay, are a well-oiled machine and the excellently sailed Archambault 35 Archie with Jeff Sloan at the helm can never be discounted.

Look out for the First 40s, led out by Mike Welsh’s Wicked, including Niche, Bushranger, and Storm, this group are all accomplished sailors with the experience to make good tactical decisions and each armed with knowledge of the other’s strengths and weaknesses. 

The 91 crews will all revel in the opportunity to enjoy their sport, sail hard on the water and enjoy each other’s camaraderie after the finish once again.

 ORCV media