ORCV Offshore Championship - Leading Contenders with one race to go.

The Offshore Championship is determined on each yacht’s best 4 measurement handicap results (where applicable) including either the Westcoaster or Melbourne – Osaka or, if neither of those races were completed, both the Stanley and Port Fairy Race.

After the first 4 offshore races, 6 skippers from 5 yachts would now appear to be in contention for the award and their preliminary scores are shown below.

                                                                                                       Score to Date                    

  (best 3 Races)

Maverick                Rod & Tyson Smallman                                            8

White Noise           Daniel Edwards                                                         9

Shimmer                Steve Twentyman                                                     9

Alien R880             Justin Brenan                                                          10

Jaffa R39               Terry Posma                                                            10

The outcome will be determined by Maverick’s results in the Melbourne – Osaka and the outcome of the Apollo Bay Race. At the time of writing Maverick was still some 400 MN short of Osaka and it may still be some time before the Osaka results are finalised.

With three weeks before the start, the Apollo Bay Race has already attracted a competitive but diverse fleet of 18 yachts. Weather will therefore be important - is April’s unusually dry and warm weather a harbinger of another long autumn with light conditions for the race “favouring the small boats” ….. or will a wintery cold front greet the fleet as it heads of at 03.30 on 19 May?