Ocean Racing Club of Victoria

Steb Fisher

Notice of Race

Click HERE for the 2012 NOR.

Sailing Instructions

Click HERE for the 2012 BDD SIs. Coming soon

Online Entry

Click HERE for entry to
all categories:

Racing
Sportsboat
Cruising
Trailerable

BYS Arrangements

Click HERE for the berthing and catering arrangements at BYS.

Click HERE to see who's going in the Racing Division.

Click HERE to see who's going in the Cruising Division.

Click HERE to see who's going in the Trailable Division.

Click HERE to see who's going in the Sportboats Division.

RECORDS

In 2010, Gusto established a new race record of 04:40:16

RESULTS

Click HERE for Results when published.

FORMS

Click for Race Documents

TRACKER

This race will not be tracked

SPONSOR

Many thanks to UK-Halsey for their generous support. Contact them on 9597 0857 or visit them at 77 Beach Road, Sandringham.

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BOXING DAY DASH

Bay Race of 36 nautical miles

Race Starts off Port Melbourne, at 1030 hours AEDT on December 26 (Boxing Day) every year.

Description:

Since 1979, the Boxing Day Dash (in the new media age, we just cannot use 'Cock of the Bay' anymore, but the Rooster lives on...) race has been the annual feeder event for the fleet to get down to the bottom of the Bay for the Offshore Start on December 27. It also attracts many entrants not venturing offshore, but who still wish to be part of the grand spectacle, as it starts off Port Melbourne and the winds its way down the Bayside suburbs of St Kilda, Elwood, Brighton and Sandringham, before finishing off Blairgowrie on the Mornigton Peninsula. This is a fleet or all in start, which means over 100 boats all get underway from the one line, at the one time. The Boxing Day Dash is possibly the largest, single day, single start race in the Southern Hemisphere.

Brought to you by:

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2013 Boxing Day Dash. A Favourite Pastime

With 88 boats entered the Boxing Day Dash is shaping to be another spectacular sight when it gets started at 10.30 am on the 26th. A favourite Boxing Day pastime for a large part of the Melbourne yachting community this race also forms the first leg of the series for those boats going on to Tasmania the next day.

The race starts in the vicinity of Station Pier, Port Melbourne and hugs the coast until it passes Sandringham. This means that the fleet is easily visible from the shore at Elwood, Brighton and Sandringham and provides a colourful spectator sight.

Early forecasts are for a warm day with variable northerlies early in the race turning southerly later in the day. This will favour the bigger boats at the front of the fleet.

Last year’s line honours winner Gusto, an Open 66 skippered by Brian Pattinson is once again looking strong for Line Honours in this race. Whilst they are heading for Tasmania the next day with just 2 crew on board they will be fully crewed for the Boxing Day Dash. They won’t have it all their own way at the pointy end of the fleet with strong competition coming from John Williams’ Calm, a TP 52 and Peter Blake’s Farr 52, Goldfinger. The latter is the current record holder for the Melbourne to Hobart East Coast race and is an experienced and well sailed competitor.

The modern fleet includes a large range of 40 footers that will make for a great battle in the middle of the fleet for handicap honours. With a fleet of this size we can expect some close duels taxing the tacticians. Do they go in close to shore or stay out? When will the sea breeze kick in and who will be the first to pick it? It is a long race and requires concentration from the crew which is not always easy after a big Christmas Day.

We can expect a finish in the late afternoon near the Blairgowrie Yacht Squadron, the boats are then prepared for the start of the Tassie Trio races. Many of the Ocean racing fleet will have lightened their boats for the Boxing Day Dash and will spend the evening hauling life rafts, food, water and anchor chains to prepare for the start the next day of the Tassie Trio.

Jennifer McGuigan

More Boxing Day Dash pictures

The Boxing Day Bash was a great precursor to the Tassie Trio of races, and the massive fleet of 93 yachts was an impressive sight departing from the vicinity of Portsea Pier.

Action packed start expected for Tassie Races

The final weather briefing for the Melbourne to Hobart Eastcoaster, Melbourne to Hobart Westcoaster and Melbourne to Launceston has thrown up some challenging weather conditions for competitors.

The Boxing Day results Corrected

There was an error in the Division two results in yesterday's Boxing Day Dash. The results have been corrected and have been posted. Click Here for the results. This error affected the AMS and Performance division so congratulations to those on the podium.

Startline

Gusto finished for line honours in Boxing Day Dash

Brian Pattinson’s Open 66, Gusto has dashed and won line honours today in the Boxing Day Dash race. Finishing at 15:15:58 they are just 5 minutes outside of the race record.