A Warm Welcome from the Port Fairy Yacht Club

Hi Port Fairy race entrants,

Firstly a big welcome to all the entrants in the Port Fairy yacht race from myself and all our committee and members of the PFYC.

We realize the challenges in racing to Port Fairy and want to make this a rewarding experience for all that arrive in our harbour. The PFYC has hosted and competed in this event for many years, and will reinstate our reputation as a great host club this year and into the future.

What we will offer is as follows,

We will allocate berths for each yacht and will have tenders and rescue boats to guide you in from the river mouth. We have charted depths and berths will be allocated accordingly. High tide on the Saturday is around midday so boats with a draught of 2.5 meters or more will need to come in at 3/4 tide. We will determine the timing of entry. We can get yachts with a 2.8 meter draught into the river but it must be at high tide at 1.20 on Saturday 8th. Yachts can anchor in the bay subject to weather then be escorted in on the tide if necessary.

On arrival, and when tied up, we will provide some vouchers to be swapped for some drinks at the club and invite you to stay for the Saturday night BBQ. We will have bacon and egg rolls and a good hot coffee available for sale in the club during the morning and BBQ snags and burgers during the day.

The evening meal starts from 6.30pm and will be an assortment of spit roasted local meats, local potatoes and assorted salads. This can be plated or in rolls. Cost will be 25.00 per head. We would appreciate it if those wanting a meal could email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by close of business today with your numbers. This will assist greatly with catering. We don’t require pre-payment and there is no commitment if you don't make it here just order when you do via the bar. We do hope to also host the race presentation at 8pm on Saturday.

We will have live music performing during the evening and fire pits on the lawns.

The bar will be open during the day and evening with drinks at club prices. I see Foggy dew is entered so we will have plenty of Guinness for you this year boys. You blokes corrupted us last time you visited, Guinness is a staple in our bar these days.

If any yachts and crew are interested in staying on in the port you are more than welcome. The cost 38.00 per night for extended stays. This also gives you the opportunity to leave the yacht here and pick favourable weather to return home.

We are very excited to host this race once again and look forward to you all arriving in our Port and our club.

Regards and safe sailing

Stuart Pyers
Commodore PFYC

Trackers

Trackers are being distributed to yacht club offices, please pick them up on Thursday in case the club is closed. Don’t forget to turn on your trackers early on Friday as you head to the start line. You can check they are working by looking at the race page here https://race.bluewatertracks.com/2023-port-fairy-race

Trackers are required to be dropped back to the ORCV office by midday Thursday 13th April.

Photos

You know the deal if the weather permits, we’d love some photos just send them to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or via facebook messager to the ORCV page.

Berthing

Please use Channel 73 upon arrival for communication with PFYC. After you finish, arrangements for entry will be determined which is tide dependent. Each yacht will be met by the PRYC orange coloured rescue boat and directed to follow as closely to navigate the entry into the river and onto your berth.

Please ensure you carry fenders. Fender boards can be supplied by PFYC.

Entry to Moyne River

Tides at Port Fairy are as follows:

Easter Saturday 8th :

• High 0028hr , 0.78m Low 0630hr , 0.17m
• High 1318hr , 1.03m Low 1937hr , 0.40m

Easter Sunday 9th

• High 0037hr , 0.77m , Low 0646hr , 0.13m
• High 1345hr , 1.08m , Low 2000hr , 0.47m

Water depth at the mouth of the river is 2.2m minimum at low tide, so yachts will be escorted in at the following tide heights.

• Alex-Team Macadie Draft 2.6m Tide +0.40
• Alien Draft 2.5m Tide +0.30
• Another Chapter Draft 2.6m Tide +0.40
• Foggy Dew Draft 2.5m Tide +0.30
• Jaffa Draft 2.6m Tide +0.40
• Joker on Tour Draft 2.9m Retractable keel
• White Spirit Draft 2.8m Tide +0.60
  
  

PFYC Activities

On both Saturday and Sunday morning, there will be a commercial coffee van at the club. Egg and bacon rolls are also avaliable for $8 each and hamburgers $10 each on Saturday early am to mid afternoon and Sunday early am to midday.

We hope to host the presentation dinner on Saturday night with a meal commencing at 6.30pm. Tickets for all food and tickets for booking for the dinner will be able to be purchased at the club bar .

Tickets for a raffle of cooked cray fish will also be available from the bar

In addition to activities in the main club room , two marquees will be set up in the club courtyard to provide shelter for outdoor activities. Weather permitting, fire pits will be set up on the bank of the Moyne river in front of the club

Live music will be provided by two bands on Saturday 3pm to 6pm and 6.30pm to 9pm .

The ORCV presentation is proposed for Saturday 8pm or at a time SMS via the Race Directors and will be held in the main club room

ORCV Membership

If you aren't already a member, there are still enough races left to gain excellent value from your membership.  Your skipper will welcome this as will the club for reducing the administration on both.  Join by the end of Easter and we will credit your crew fees invoiced for this race. Support your crew, skipper, and club by joining the ORCV. 

Moyne River at Night, PFYC on the left Photo Robert Blackburn

Light Conditions make for a very challenging race

Carrera S (AUS49005) a Marten 49, skippered by Gerry Cantwell takes 1st on AMS and PHS plus line honours in the 2021 ORCV Port Fairy race in what Gerry sums it up “as a very challenging race. It wasn’t a physical race and I must say and I don’t think I’ve ever had a race where the deck stay dried and was so comfortable. For the first few hours after the start, we found ourselves in a pack with Tevake II and Alien and it was frustrating trying to get away and find what breeze there was in the very light conditions.”

As the boats come to Cape Otway just on dusk,we saw two groups emerge, Blue Water Tracks, Alien hung with a 'Foxy Lady' whereas Carrera S, Tevake II, Maverick and Foggy Dew went a little further east in search for wind.  This tactical move paid off in the long run.  

Cantwell went onto say “we were possibly lucky then after we came around the Cape that we had about 1.5knots of current with us in such light conditions.”

“It was hard to predict but as we rounded the Cape and night fell, we sailed into a wind hole” explained the Maverick (S3600 a Jeanneau Sunfast 3600) crew of Anthony Hammond and Rod Smallman. “We saw our lead being diminished with Blue Water Tracks our double handed rival going a little further out to sea and starting to catch up.” Rod said “with no wind at all we just needed to wait for it to built again, this time coming from the West.”

Paul Neilson, skipper of Tevake II (H101) a Radford 13.7, (3rd on AMS) said “It wasn’t a Tevake II ideal race with light winds so we are so thrilled with the result especially being AMS which was Angus’s favourite. The crew worked the boat hard, changing headies and spinnakers to just keep the boat going. It may have been champagne sailing conditions but hard work and a little bit of luck that put us in the right position.”

 Tevake II crew before Cape Otway.  Photo Doug White

His first race to Port Fairy onboard his own Northshore 369 yacht ‘Foggy Dew’(SM6222), skipper Robert D’Arcy remarked “the crew were amazing managing multiple sail changes as we tried to get going in very light and challenging conditions and we knew we needed to go out about 3nm to catch the breeze before coming in closer again at the end” a move that paid off with Foggy Dew taking out 2nd place AMS and 3rd on PHS.

The lead changed constantly with everyone at some point being 1st on PHS in that final leg after rounding Cape Otway and each found their own challenges. Not quite the text book one reach to the finish.

Cantwell went onto to say, “we all enjoyed the last 8 hours where we had 10 – 17 knots from the North after such long periods of no breeze“ and are all now enjoying the wonderful Port Fairy Yacht Club hospitality and the seaside village.

For all the results click here

Review the race on the tracker here 

Read also our lead up of Tevake II and their campaign with this race to honour Angus and Holly Fletcher.

Port Fairy, Moyne River. Photo Rob Blackburn

Tevake II crew honour Angus and Holly in the 2021 Port Fairy Yacht Race

Tevake II crew at Queenscliff and ready to race tomorrow.

It’s great to see TEVAKE II back in an ocean race, sailed by TEVAKE II family in honour of owner/skipper Angus Fletcher.   The crew of Tevake II are seasoned sailors although this race to Port Fairy has mixed feelings for them all, the first race since the passing of Angus.

“We had planned the HBYC Sea Pilots race to be the celebratory race for Angus but that was cancelled with the recent Covid – 19 lockdown. Both Angus and Holly treated us as family and it wasn’t easy getting on board as crew with Tevake II,” said Paul Neilson, skipper of Tevake II for the 2021 Port Fairy Race.

“You needed some experience but if you showed a willingness to learn and have a go, you’d be given a start”.

Paul went onto to say “we just love the Port Fairy race” recounting when in many races to Port Fairy on Tevake I, they would battle against Barcardi, often finishing within seconds of each other. “If one was leading down the coast from the start, the other would take over as we rounded Cape Otway with a reach or run to the finish.” “For this race, we’re hoping the breeze builds a little earlier as the predicted light conditions at the start will favour Carrera S and Maverick”. “Whilst it may not be the race ideal of Tevake II, that won’t stop the Tevake II crew putting in their best efforts.”

“On the travel to Queenscliff, we’ve chattered about how different it feels without Angus onboard,” said Craig Jackson as regular both on Tevake 1 and II. “Normally Angus would be down here, checking and planning the navigation, so I do feel a little strange that it’s me this time” explained Andrew Hesselmans.

If you look at the crew, we’re all pretty close and sailed many a campaign either Tevake I or Tevake II. The skipper Paul Neilson is an experienced ocean campaigner and stalwart on both boats. “It was pretty special to sail in 1999 with my Dad and take out the Rudder Cup on Deja Blue and then 20 years later to win it again with Angus on Tevake II”.

Watch captain, Andrew Hesselmans first sailed as they were short-handed at Airlie in 2014 and went onto completing the Sydney to Southport, Magnetic Island, Airlie Beach, two Melbourne to Hobarts, two King Islands and was part of the winning team on the Melbourne to Devonport in 2019. Andrew commented, “it’s pretty special that Angus had trust in us to deliver the boat for many races without him.”

The second watch captain Tim Ford possibly more well known on ‘Spirit of Downunder’ a regular with ORCV and Melbourne to Osaka, and has also joined the Tevake II crew for many Queensland races and a Melbourne to Vanuatu.

On the foredeck, you will find Rod Langham over the years as Tevake II sailed down the West Coast to Hobart and is found hanging out there on the bow in most Tevake II races.

Doug White, Garry Cook and Craig Jackson have all competed many races on Tevake II and with a smile and grin, they go onto to say “it’s great to have Tony Green join us for his first ocean race.”

Paul goes onto to say “Port Fairy when you arrive into the Moyne River, it’s out of a movie, so picturesque and the hospitality of the Port Fairy Yacht Club is so welcoming and worth the trip.”

In all, a pretty experienced crew, all looking forward to working Tevake II hard, to achieve the best result possible for Angus, and his wife Holly.

You can follow the Tevake II crew and the other boats competing in this year's Port Fairy race here https://race.bluewatertracks.com/2021-orcv-melbourne-to-port-fairy-race

The late Angus Fletcher skippered TEVAKE and TEVAKE II over many years and was a fierce competitor with the ORCV, and past Commodore. You can read more about Angus Fletcher here