About the Race

The ORCV Melbourne to Vanuatu Race is a Category 1 event covering 1885nm from the start at Portsea to the finish at Port Vila. Sailed in the waters of Bass Strait and the South Pacific Ocean this race to Paradise is a wonderful way to escape the chills of winter!
Vanuatu is an archipelago of 83 islands with a unique blend of intact tribal communities, resorts, beaches and geography ranging from accessible volcanoes to pristine underwater environments. It is located some 1,750 km east of Australia, 500 km north-east of New
Caledonia, west of Fiji and south of the Solomon Islands.

The inaugural event was held in 2006 after George Shaw, past Commodore of ORCV, visited the islands and proposed to introduce other sailors to this paradise on earth.

To help prepare entrants for the event, the ORCV conducts a series of seminars covering all aspects of long distance sailing. Topics include Communications, Health, Provisioning, Repairs, SAR, Customs and Quarantine.