Melbourne to Port Fairy (M2PF)

Sancerre.

Comes from the Loire Valley and a few nice bottles of it will be what The Brass will be thinking about once they have completed the run to Port Fairy this Easter. You see, The Brass is sailing on Dry White (and there's your link Ross), so it is of no surprise that they have given me the polars from our friends at PredictWind for a Beneteau First 40. Bandit will appreciate that also....

Here's what they had to say, "Looking at the broad weather picture, we have a front approaching, which will give a Westerly breeze for the first part of the journey down the Bay. By race start time, the wind will have turned Sou'westerly with passing showers. So headsails will need changing, reefs will be in and out and wet weather gear will be the order of the day. Don’t forget the tide runs down the coast, so best you get out with the ORCV year book, so you know where to best position your boat."

"By mid afternoon on Friday, we will be at Cape Otway with decisions to be made; tack early and this will take you into the dreaded Moonlight Head. So sail on the low VMG tack, as you will make up the time, a little later. The PredictWind model does not favour rock hopping along the coast either, but has you sailing an extra 20 miles. So Tacticians, (Ed: Notice how The Brass cannot come to the word Naviguesser...) you will need all you skills this week, plus some luck!"

So you know you want to go off with the fairies.  This year's race gets underway April 22nd at 0330 from dear old Draper's Reef. Enjoy!!! You can still enter this wonderful race. Go HERE for details.

© John Curnow, ORCV Media

Please contact me for re-issue rights.

	This is one hell of a tourist destination! Bring the shore crew - they'll love you for it and you'll get leave passes  whenever you want from then on.  No. Really. Promise.

Melbourne to Port Fairy (M2PF)

Julius Sumner Miller

"Why is it so? - I'll tell you."

If you're old enough to remember the late physics Professor's ads for Cadbury Dairy Milk (and his TV show ‘The Lab'), then you're old enough to have been around when Quasimodo set the M2PF race record of 14hours, 26minutes and 20seconds. This equates to a 9.35knot average by the way.

Look closely - there's a Foredeckie coping a pasting. Yee Ha! Adventure Island. Giddyup hey Nifty?

Quasimodo was campaigned heavily up and down the Eastern Seaboard by her Owner/skipper Gary Graham with Sailing Master John Garner, during that time. She actually held three records back then, with this one the only one still standing... Actually, Gary was so disappointed with the mast during the 1983 S2H that she had a brand new, taller stick fitted just prior to the 1984 M2PF race - sound familiar to any owners out there? Both men are still on the water. Gary has a 52foot cruiser out of Geelong and John had ‘The Bookmaker' until recently.

So just why is it so then? It certainly was a long time ago and the technology has definitely changed - just look at the kite. She was an IOR boat after all, designed by Terry Inges from WA - LOA 60', LWL a typically much shorter 49'6", Beam 15', Draught a fairly shallow 9'2" and a truly amazing VYC Handicap of just 880!!! Interestingly, her waterline is only a few feet longer than this year's two Line Honours contenders, Paul Buchholz's DK46, eXtasea and Mirrabooka, the Jeanneau 42. Angle and amount of breeze are the answers. According to Gary, they had the breeze off the port quarter for most of the trip and even though she was an IOR period hull, she was lighter than her nearest competitors and simply skipped away. It must have been a fun time indeed. John recalls that there was a strong Norwesterly as well, so there must have been a bit of two-sail reaching in there too.

One of the rare times you: A - leave the Heads in daylight and B - do so under kite!!!

Going out on a limb here, it would seem that the record is likely to be safe this year, as the forecast doesn't seem to bode well for an attempt at this sort of prolonged pace.

Sadly, we learn that ‘Quasimodo' is now up in Gladstone with no mast, no keel and apparently under conversion to a cruiser. In the end though, we have to thank Gary and John for getting this information together and providing us with images etc. Only recently they had been thinking it was a long time since these events and it was time to get the crew together. Hope this article helps with that reunion and it is great to see that the mates you make at sea are the strong and important ones!

Quasimodo's crew and the trophy for the Port Fairy race. From left at the back are Bob Allen, Gary Graham (skipper), Geoff Wolfe, John Garner (sail master), Paul Reeve, Geoff Newman and Ron Spence.

On the right in the front is Byron Kershaw and the two Gents on the left are not known, so if you recognise them, please let us know!!!

Geoff Wolfe's boat now has the G77 Sail # - just to keep it in the club...

© John Curnow, ORCV Media

Please contact me for re-issue rights.

	This is one hell of a tourist destination! Bring the shore crew - they'll love you for it and you'll get leave passes  whenever you want from then on.  No. Really. Promise.

ORCV Melbourne to Port Fairy

It's all new!

Right Oh. We're nearly at the sort of fleet size we have come to expect for the delightful Easter time jaunt down and then across in to the wonderful Western Districts of Victoria and end up at Port Fairy.

To do that, you'll need to get the latest intel from the Brass. For your immediate perusal, there are:

• Updated NOR
• New Sailing Instructions and 
• The all important Dash Back Sailing Instructions 

To get them all, simply go HERE, right now.

Time for everyone to barrel out the Heads again. At least this one is closer to daybreak than previous years... Pic © Teri Dodds.

A wonderful harbour that sort of has an East Coast North American feel...

You could even have your own little picnic at this bench.

So. Are you packed, yet?

© John Curnow, ORCV Media

Please contact me for re-issue rights.

	This is one hell of a tourist destination! Bring the shore crew - they'll love you for it and you'll get leave passes whenever you want from then on. No. Really. Promise.

ORCV Melbourne to Port Fairy

Getting more enjoyment from your racing.

John Owens is part of our Seamanship Poster Crew - the mighty Slinkies from Hobbos. He's been one of the intrepid sailors trialling the Sea Biscuit bands that we offered to you all in Heave Ho.

Here's what he has to say so far. "I wore the band for 2 days prior to the KI race and during the race and ever since. Normally I usually get a little queasy in the first 12 hours or so of the ocean races, occasionally 'feeding the fishes' and then get over it and 'sail on'."

"This time I wore the band as above and felt minor queasiness  for about 10 mins only  and no sickness!!! - so in this race it worked for me.  The weather was a bit calmer than usual and so may have had an effect as well? - don't know. Anyway, its just one race and there are two more to go (M2PF and M2AB), so will report in again after these for an update", said John.

"Am wearing it constantly now (for 19 days) and do notice an improvement in my general energy levels."

Thanks John for being a pioneer and keeping us informed. Do hope it works for you. I have been trialling a normal EF band, which Damian gave me. I did incur the flu like symptoms after just 24 hours and they lasted for at least five days. I had been warned this was the case as the body re-adjusted. Thus far I have not had increased energy levels, but have the band back on to check it out. Stay tuned.

Right. There are a few Sea Biscuits still available for trial - read about them HERE and then call the office - 9689 1622.

© John Curnow, ORCV Media

Please contact me for re-issue rights.

	This is one hell of a tourist destination! Bring the shore crew - they'll love you for it and you'll get leave passes whenever you want from then on. No. Really. Promise.