Port Fairy Ocean Yacht Race

For 2025, the ORCV’s traditional race to the historic and picturesque port of Port Fairy has been rescheduled to mid-February, taking advantage of more favourable weather conditions and providing a feeder race for yachts planning participate in the 75^th Adelaide to Port Lincoln race.

The 135 mile course runs SW from Queenscliff past the coastal resorts of Torquay, Anglesea, Lorne and Apollo Bay, before rounding Cape Otway and entering the southern ocean.

The second half of the race runs NW to Port Fairy, often with eased sheets or under Spinnaker, along Victoria’s spectacular shipwreck coast - past Moonlight head, Port Cambell and the 12 Apostles.

All-weather berthing is available at Port Fairy, including deep draft boats. Entrance depths are subject to the dredging program and tides, and deep draft boats arriving at low water may need to anchor in the bay prior to entry. Yachts drawing 2.4m or less are not expected to be tide-constrained. 

The Port Fairy Yacht Club and the town are renowned for warm and excellent hospitality and, for those who need to return to Melbourne on Sunday night, there is a scheduled service departing Port Fairy at 4.37, arriving at Southern Cross at 9pm. 

This is a Category 2 event, which is part of the ORCV Offshore and Double Handed Championships. The course has continuous VHF radio coverage and neither HF Radios nor Sat Phones are required.