ORCV Melbourne to Apollo Bay (M2AB)

On the road to Gundagai...

... was how the song went, but this one is a bit different.

I've been involved in deliveries to and from some very exotic locations, so I'm used to a few questioning looks when I say something about moving boats around. However, nothing beats to puzzled expressions as when I said to people that I was driving a boat to Alice Springs. In the end it is quite simple to explain, as is the case with so many things. Very good friends are going fishing in the SW corner of the Gulf of Carpentaria and needed a hand getting the boat up into the Northern Territory. They actually wanted me to go with them, but we have a little season finishing M2AB race to contend with, so my adventure concludes at the airport for the trip in the kerosine canary back to Melbourne and yet more driving, as we get the van down to Apollo Bay for the finish.

This story qualifies as there is a boat involved. Many thanks to Admiral Richard for the excursion. What a country we live in...

There's even large expanses of water, albeit that this one is very shallow and oh so salty.

Land yachting only in this part of the red centre, however.

Now. Back to the racing. There is a lot of interest in our last event of the season, as there are places and trophies/prizes in many categories up for grabs. Perhaps this is why there is a good, strong 28 boat fleet set to march out the Heads at 0100hrs on Saturday morning. The first to get two McConaghy Melbourne Offshore Championship flags will get the wheel. Lord knows how it will be if one of the previous winners doesn't get another...

In AMS, Alien leads The Secretary and Addiction (whom I don't think are floating again presently) are there too. Extasea or Beyond Outrageous will get onto the podium I suspect. IRC has Alien in front, by more of a margin, then Extasea and The Secretary. Jazz Player and Slinky Malinky look too far out to strike, but there you have those famous last word again... In Performance, Beyond Outrageous leads, just, from Yoko and Slinky Malinky, but Alien and The Secretary are in a position to strike.

If it blows as usual from the SW, then Extasea, Ninety Seven and The Secretary will come into calculations well. Beyond Outrageous and Chikara Outlaw will be praying to get a bag up and they can take Peter Blake's old record with Kaos, if that ends up being the case. Joanne Harpur is back with Spirit of Freya and another MLS competitor and now skipper is Kathryn de Garis, who'll be bringing Allegresse out for a spin.

The Dark Horse would have to be the Welsh's with their B First 40, Wicked. Out for swing too is our current HCOTW holders, Audacious and returning after a spell are Malcolm and the gang on Caledonia. What will their job descriptions be this time???? Schuss is coming along, as too is another boat that's been all over these pages, Remedy. Joining the previous Offshore Champions, Extasea, as an entrant from Geelong is Gigi. Good to see that happening! Sentimental vote is the old Cole 43, Full Circle. On the nose and with a bit of squirt, she'll be one of the more comfortable rides, just like the Bus (aka Bacardi).

Will it be mild, will it be blowing? Who knows, but don't let it blow too much, or it will blow away the opportunity for some very tight finishing to the season with it.

Yeah, yeah. There'll be more soon. I think.

By John Curnow