Melbourne to Apollo Bay (M2AB)

Yank that pin!

The 2009 Melbourne to Apollo Bay has been postponed until further notice.

So imagine what it would be like in a little boat then... This is akin to what the 'Spirit of Tasmnia' will be doing tonight.

The 2009 Melbourne to Apollo Bay has been postponed until further notice. Given that the ORCV has a safety first policy, the exceptionally high sea state in Bass Strait presently has been deemed unacceptable for a Cat3 race.

The ORCV Sailing Committee will endeavour to find an alternative time to conduct this race, so please stay tuned for further information in relation to that.

"In consultation with the senior forecaster at the BOM, I have decided to cancel the 2009 M2AB. The wind has not been the main consideration here, as it is still forecasted to be between 20 and 30 knots from the SW in our area of operation. The deciding factor has been the sea state however, with 6-7m swells and a 3m sea on top of it, subsiding to a 1.5 to 2m sea, but still on the 6-7m swell, as the day progresses. They are predicting significant beach erosion and this size of sea has been enough for me to postpone the race for now. All the while remembering of course that the BOM doctrine indicates ‘maximum waves may be up to twice the height', as listed in the forecast", Simon Dryden, the Race Director commented.

"At any rate if you got there and the Harbour Master had closed the port it would have been a bit devastating having to turn around and go home. We looked at delaying the start and the wind was definitely going to abate, but the swells are expected to stay well into Sunday", he went on to add.

The fantastic Donaghys rope prizes will be held over pending getting a race in and we'll all just have to wait for the results in the all important Melbourne Offshore Championship (MOC).

There would have been a lot of this going on from Saturday morning.

By John Curnow

All entrants in the 2009 M2AB have an equal chance to be winners this year

Donaghys are doing something about the GFC. They were so thrilled about the response from the M2KI presentations that they've decided to double up and all entrants in the 2009 M2AB have an equal chance to be winners!

Not one, but two reels will be given to two lucky Skippers and their crews who win the draw this time!!! Now that reely is putting something into the sport! Many thanks then to Daryl Ford of Donaghys for this exceptional generosity in these difficult times.

80m of 8mm Dyneema® core is on offer. Dyneema® SK75 is the world’s strongest fibre, with the ultimate strength to weight ratio for high performance applications - Dyneema® braids include Superbraid and Ocean 12.

"Well this really is something. Donaghys have gone all out here and we are so happy that they feel such a strong affinity with the our club", ORCV Race Director Simon Dryden enthused today. "Good thing we have the ORCV truck to haul it all down in", he went on to add.

So if you're racing to Apollo Bay this year, there's now an added incentive to get there, as if the MOC standings and the seafood at Apollo Bay weren't enough inspiration. Because the weather forecast isn’t going to fill you with joy – let’s face it. Normally, you have to be at the Presentations in order to be in the running, but as there is a chance that Apollo Bay Harbour will be closed, we will place all starters in the running for these tremendous prizes.

By John Curnow

Melbourne to Apollo Bay (M2AB)

Organised Kaos!

She is now known as ‘Matrix' and has had some length cut off to rate better for the Osaka race. Also there are keel, rudder and rig modifications after she ended up on the beach in St Kilda. Not a good way for any boat to finish up (see pics)...

Inglis' were very popular in the era, mostly because they were light (there was an Inglis ‘Wild Thing' for instance). Now there was a gang of 37 to 39 foot boats around, incorrectly referred to as Inglis’, as well. Don Jones has never met Jim Inglis and the facts have unfolded somewhat since initial publication. ‘Topcat’ was the first to be built. The second was ‘Priscilla’ that Mal raced to Osaka and this was the first to have the extension added to the stern (Don tells me that she got another extension prior to the next M2O as well). ‘Medicine Man’ came next and she would ultimately become Peter’s ‘Kaos’. ‘Topcat’ got the stern modification in the end as well. The plug used for all these boats was then turned into ‘Rouseabout’, which received foil improvements in around 2003 (about when ‘Matrix’ played in the sand) and then a larger rig recently and yet another new Don Jones keel just a couple of months ago.

"Why you ask Two Dogs?" I hear you say. Well, it was a long segue, but you see Richard MacGarvie's ‘Addiction' is an Inglis37 (which was effectively the benchmark for ‘Kaos’) and she is in the running for the AMS trophy as part of the ORCV's 2008/9 Melbourne Offshore Championship (MOC). So her result in M2AB is critical.

'Addiction' is in for a shot at 2008/9 MOC in AMS	'Kaos' rounding the bottom mark during the 1999 MWS

The Race Director's report from 1999 indicates that the race started in fresh conditions at Portsea at 00:00hrs on the 26th November. There were South-to-South Easterly winds gusting up to 30 knots, with the small fleet having a very fast ride along the coast. The strong winds saw the fleet cover the 55nm with Ian Ritchie's ‘Bravado' the last yacht to finish, shortly after 07:15hrs. The entrance to Apollo Bay became treacherous with the low tide and big seas creating a surf line over the entrance. After two yachts broached on entering the harbour, the remaining yachts were advised that conditions were dangerous and they should not enter the harbour.

Peter's recollection of events shows this is pretty much on the money. Some of the crew onboard for the race were two of Peter's sons, Simon and Darren, Greg Lowe, Rob Dayes and the very skilled Andy Keep. It was a kite start and ‘Kaos' then blew up their two heavy weather bags (spinnakers) during the dash along the coast, so that they had to cross the line with just a poled out headsail. I know he wouldn't have liked that, but the fact that there were no more bags to put up, meant he would have had a huge smile and laugh as they barrelled along, keeping in front of the opposition. I can see the grin now.

As you can tell, the fleet were all within an hour and forty-five of each other. The next boat was around five minutes behind ‘Kaos'. Peter also remembers that a couple of crew on other boats trying to cross the entrance had a huge dunking as the boats broached and fences went into and under the water. Thereafter, the harbour was closed and the fleet had to turn around and pound home into a 40+knot Easterly - just great after an all night race...Not.

I did an ultra slow M2AB with Peter aboard ‘Kontrol' and I remember the trip home being very different, as we reached along at nearly 10knots to be joined by a pod of around 30 dolphins that looked exactly like silver bullets dancing around in the marvellous full moon.

Please note: This looks worse than it was. What a ride though. 'Supertramp' did have storm boards in at the time and she stood up again very quickly

The ORCV's Guy Dwyer was also there aboard Geoff Henderson's 'Rumbeat'. He recalls that they went in on their side, with someone hanging on for dear life at 90 degrees from the mast - hairy but exciting!!! "If I remember correctly, with the wind change in direction and strength, the finish line ended up in the surf line", he went on to add.

Of course AMS and IMS were in vogue in those days and the fleet was small. 14 boats entered, 13 started and two retired. The largest boat was the Adams15 ‘Bundaberg'. Peter and the crew got AMS in addition to LH, with an earlier-than-present version of ‘Extasea' behind them and then ‘Ruthless'. In IMS it was ‘Extasea' followed by ‘Back In Business' and then 'Ruthless'.

So anyway, back to this year's M2AB. The 52nm dash is now the last race in the annual ORCV offshore calendar. This year, there is a lot of interest in the PHC and AMS Divisions, as their Offshore Championship (MOC) glassware has not yet been determined. It's fair to say that you can expect the fierce competition to continue all the way to this lovely fishing port on Victoria's fantastic Surfcoast. Any one of four yachts could win the AMS Division, based on their result in M2AB - 'Extasea', 'Addiction', 'Spirit of Downunder' and 'Alien' are all within four points of each other, so expect that to be watched very closely. Over in the PHC Division either 'Mirrabooka' or 'Spirit of Downunder' are the likely winners there.

IRC will go to Paul Buchholz and the crew on ‘Extasea' as a mark of their consistent, front-of-field efforts, ever since the season opening Melbourne to Flinders (M2F) last year.

Of course let's not forget just how lovely this part of the Great Ocean Road really is...

Now at 5hours, 24minutes and 4seconds, does ‘Kaos's record look set for another year in the book? (It's around a 9.6kn average BTW) Will the slight Autumnal weather be around for a while, or as seen not too many weekends ago, will it be the whole month's wind in one day? None of the 50foot flyers are entered, so size isn't really going to matter either. You know, I'm absolutely going to fence sit on this one (yeah, yeah, chicken I know...). I do not feel safe predicting anything, other than intriguing racing.

All this in turn, means the smoke and mirrors brigade down in Fantasy Land will really earn their keep for the 2009 M2AB, however. Inshore or offshore? What will be favoured? We'll find out on May 16 from 05:00hrs onwards. If it does turn into a kite start, the sunrise pictures from Point Lonsdale will be worth looking up, I can tell you.

By John Curnow

Melbourne to Apollo Bay (M2AB)

The 2009 NOR now availalble!

The Notice Of Race (NOR) for the 2009 Melbourne to Apollo Bay Race (M2AB) is now published.

Entries Close 12 Noon, May 6 - so don't miss out.

2009 M2AB Notice of Race

By Simon Dryden and John Curnow