Testing the stealth of The Jackal in the 2025 Melbourne to Hobart Yacht Race

Entries have closed for the 2025 Melbourne to Hobart Yacht Race with race newcomers and experienced race campaigners going head-to-head as they make the intrepid voyage down the West Coast of Tasmania to Hobart.

The Jackal at the start of the 2025 Melbourne to Devonport Yacht Race / Photo by Al Dillon

The Jackal’s Matt Setton from the Royal Melbourne Yacht Squadron will take the skipper’s role for the first time in the race and will be hoping to mirror the cunning, speed and stealth of the adaptable canine, as the Ker 11.3 vies for line honours and a handicap win.

Formerly known as Aikin and heralding from South Australia, The Jackal has been in Victoria since 2021 where she has undergone extensive updates and improvements including conversion to twin wheels in late 2024.

“We’ve spent the last four years getting the boat to Category 2, the crew ready, and we’ve also added some asymmetric kites to boost the wardrobe,” said Setton.

“It’s been some ten years since I did the Westcoaster on Jazz Player with this year’s race being my first as skipper.

Setton is an experienced ocean sailor with a dozen Sydney Hobarts and two Westcoasters under his belt, but he hasn’t competed in the Melbourne to Hobart for ten years.

Setton launched The Jackal’s offshore racing campaign in 2025 with the boat finishing third on AMS overall in the 2025 Melbourne to Devonport Rudder Cup, a strong achievement in what was a challenging and frustrating race.

“I was very pleased with how the boat and crew performed in the 2025 Devonport race,” said Setton, who feels that the boat will sail well in the Melbourne to Hobart given the right conditions.

“The Jackal is a great reaching and running boat for its length, which should suit the Westcoaster if the conditions are right, and we have winds from a west / south westerly direction.

“She’s [The Jackal] not as strong upwind which is why I see our real competition coming from Faster Forward as she’s a much better upwind boat,” said Setton.

Joining Setton include regular inshore crew and race first timers, Peter Grant and Ronald Piang Ng, along with experienced offshore sailors Jeffrey Whiteside, Nigel Fellowes-Freeman, Robert Buchanan, Stuart Addison and Thor Cembala.

While Setton acknowledges that the competition will be tough, what frightens the rookie skipper most is the River Derwent itself.

“Coming into the Derwent after dusk is perilous when the River shuts down, we are really hoping to avoid that happening,” said Setton.

Matt Fahey on the helm of Faster Forward / Photo by Michael Currie

As Setton alluded to, standing between The Jackal and a line honours win is Matt Fahey’s Sydney 38 Faster Forward, while Justin Brenan’s Lidgard 36, Alien, with her wily skipper and seasoned crew, will heap the pressure on as they look for yet another handicap win.

Fahey, from the Royal Yacht Club of Victoria, is skippering his ninth Westcoaster and describes his team as a “small fleet specialist.”

With over 50 years of experience between his senior crew, Fahey has added a few newcomers to the mix including the Ocean Racing Club of Victoria’s (ORCV) Beyond the Bay graduates, Drew Morgan and John Beardsley.

“We’ve taken on a few newer sailors and first timers on this race, but it’s balanced by experience.

“Both John and Drew showed promise and were adapting nicely as part of the crew, so I’ve given them a slot for this race, especially given we have some experience to balance what they lack,” said Fahey.

Fahey, a latecomer to sailing, started his career at age 36 years, when he was given an opportunity to join a crew back in 2006.

Fahey has paid this generosity back in spades since owning his own boat and is a strong supporter of sailors keen to develop their offshore experience within a safe and supportive team.

“I was given a chance on a boat called Hush back in 2006 having never sailed before but it was something that I had wanted to do from the age of 10.

“The skipper said that if you are as keen as you say you are, then we’ll give you a go.

“I did a race on Port Philip in July of that year, my first race to Western Port in the September and completed my first two Bass Strait crossings in the November, with virtually no experience in heavy weather, and then I was away.

“I’ve since spent the rest of my time giving people the opportunity to go sailing later in life,” said Fahey.

Fahey, who held the prestigious Heemskerk Trophy aloft following his handicap win in 2021, has his competitive eye on The Jackal in this year’s race, but knows you underestimate Alien at your peril.

“The Jackal could be the stand-out, it’s a Kerr 11.3 which is a great reaching boat, but Alien is a strong and seasoned campaigner with a solid, mature crew and will be a hard one to beat,” said Fahey.

Vagabond sailor Natalie Reidy and skipper Andrew McConchie all set for the 2025 Melbourne to Hobart Yacht Race / Photo taken onboard Vagabond

Andrew McConchie, skipper of the Beneteau First 47.7 Vagabond, is slowly but surely building his crew and his offshore experience, with the 2025 event his fourth Westcoaster.

McConchie, a strong supporter and volunteer of the ORCV who also offers newcomers an opportunity to train on the boat and to participate in safety at sea events, is keen to take on the 2025 Westcoaster.

“It’s an unusual race, with changing conditions and a race track that offers such variety and the only one that offers true Southern Ocean racing,” said McConchie.

Natalie Reidy is one of the newcomers onboard Vagabond and is excited and apprehensive in equal measure.

“I’m feeling excited and a little nervous in the best possible way.

“It’s a big step into offshore racing, but I feel incredibly supported by the crew and grateful for the opportunity to learn.

“There’s a real sense of anticipation building— this race represents a big personal milestone for me, so I’m feeling determined, open to learning, and genuinely proud to be taking on a challenge of this scale.

“I’m excited about the challenge of the course and experiencing the diverse conditions that come with sailing Bass Strait and the Southern Ocean.

“I can’t wait to contribute … grow in confidence… and of course, cross the finish line in Hobart for the first time with Andrew and the team,” said Reidy.

Justin Brenan, skipper of the Lidgard 36 Alien, has competed in 15 Melbourne to Hobart Yacht Races and is a five-time overall winner.

For Brenan, getting the first stage of the race right can be the difference between winning and losing.

“The Westcoaster is a tactical and interesting race; first you need to get across Bass Strait which is generally windward work, and the strategy and timing to pass between Tasmania and King Island is critical.

“In my view, if you time it right, you are setting yourself up for a win.

“If we get through the gap between Tasmania and King Island and are about halfway in the fleet, we are in with a good chance of winning.

“Although the fleet is small this year, it’s going to be very competitive and will come down to how well your crew work together, especially in light conditions over such a long race,” said Brenan.

Since acquiring Alien, which incidentally was built to withstand the challenges of the Southern Ocean, Brenan has sailed over 26,000 nautical miles across ten years, with largely the same crew.

Onboard Alien for the 2025 race are Michael Noy, Calum Brenan, Ben Tyrrell and Andrew Vincent, who all have over 10 Westcoasters to their name, Glen Cowan, and Katrina Hartman and Allison Wetzels, both “very experienced women in sailing.”

Joan Lorraine expects to be among the action in the 2025 Melbourne to Hobart Yacht Race / Photo by Michael Currie

Peter Garner will be skippering the Beneteau Oceanis 46, Joan Lorraine once again, and will be looking for a better outcome than last year after retiring with a broken boom as they approached Storm Bay.

“Looking back, I think I reacted too quickly and could have jury rigged a boom to finish the race,” said Garner.

Joan Lorraine, named after Garner’s mother who didn’t get to travel much, is generally a cruising boat, but the skipper was keen get into offshore racing as part of his own development.

“I’m largely a cruiser sailor at heart and entered ocean racing to build character, improve my skills and reflect on it being Type 2 fun.

“We aren’t hard core ocean racers but do love to just sail,” said Garner.

The Melbourne to Hobart Yacht Race is the highest-ranking race in the ORCV's Offshore Championship Series.

The 435 nautical mile yacht race from Portsea Pier down the West Coast of Tasmania to Hobart starts at 1:30pm (AEST) on Saturday the 27th of December 2025.

Follow the boats via Blue Water Tracks at https://race.bluewatertracks.com/2025-melbourne-hobart-westcoaster.

By Jane Austin / ORCV Media

On Track Meals ORCV Exclusive Discounts

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OTM has generously offered us these exclusive bundles which will ultimately save you a whopping 15% off!

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These exclusive bundles can only be purchased through the above links.

Spirit of Downunder joins Double-Handed Entries in 2025 Melbourne to Hobart Yacht Race

Spirit of Downunder / Photo by Steb Fisher

Spirit of Downunder has a strong pedigree in ocean racing which skipper Rick Whitehouse will be keen to take advantage of when he races his Cameron Delange designed and built 12 metre yacht across Bass Strait and down the West Coast of Tasmania in the Ocean Racing Club of Victoria’s (ORCV) 2025 Melbourne to Hobart Yacht Race (M2H).

Whitehouse, a member of the Royal Yacht Club of Victoria, bought the custom-built racing skiff from owner Laurie Ford in 2022 and will be sailing his first M2H, double-handed, alongside fellow Victorian, Marty Bennett.

Spirit of Downunder is already racing against the clock as the boat is readied for the Melbourne to Devonport ‘Rudder Cup’ qualifying race.

“The last time we sailed the boat was in the Melbourne to Devonport in 2023.

“It could be that I just end up doing the Melbourne to Hobart double-handed with Marty Bennett, as well as some other of the ORCV Coastal races.

“Marty and I did a few races together in 2023 before the boat stopped us doing anymore for a while, so after that, we decided to put in an electric motor and do a big upgrade of the electronics which has taken much longer than I thought it would,” said Whitehouse.

While Whitehouse is keen to avoid too much of the spotlight this early in his campaign in case things don’t come together, he is certainly enthusiastic about ocean racing since completing a circumnavigation in the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race on the Chinese entry, Visit Sanya.

There’s no doubt that the Clipper open ocean racing experience coupled with intense training the program provides in advanced sea safety, planning for changing weather conditions, tides and strong currents will benefit Whitehouse when he tackles the challenges that the West Coast and the Southern Ocean can present.

Spirit of Downunder is an instantly recognisable boat with its distinctive graphics which Whitehouse believes is a combination of Indigenous and Aztec artwork. 

The boat, with its fractional rig, is a custom-built, full-size replica of an international one metre radio-controlled yacht designed by Gary Cameron in 1995. She was built in Mornington by Peter Delange and launched in 1997.

While the team’s goals are simple at this stage, “make it to the start line, finish and have fun,” Whitehouse is hoping for the perfect conditions to maximise the boat’s design in this year’s Westcoaster.

“The boat is designed to be very fast down wind and is perfect for this type of racing, although it’s not as quick upwind for me yet, but we’ll be looking for a moderately strong breeze from the north west of 15-20 knots in the race.

Whitehouse has chosen the double-handed option for his first Westcoaster to minimise the hassle of organising a big crew and for the sense of achievement you get from sailing short-handed.

“The advantage of double-handed sailing is that you don’t have to find a full crew, you get to sail periods of the race on your own, and you only have one other person to get along with.

“It certainly got pretty crowded on the Clipper Race with 20 crew.

“Marty and I have the same attitude towards safety, and we have the same attitude to getting things done and sailing the boat.

“I tend to do most of the navigation planning, and even though we haven’t sailed many times together, we are on the same page, with Marty really keen to do more short-handed sailing,” said Whitehouse.

Foggy Dew in the 2022 Winter Series Race 4 / Photo by Dave Hewison

Other double-handed entries received so far include Foggy Dew, sailed by Robert Darcy and Janet Wilks from Sandringham Yacht Club and Alex-Team Macadie skippered by Jock Macadie from the Royal Brighton Yacht Club.

Magellan during the 2024 Melbourne to Hobart / Photo by Michael Currie

Tasmanian sailor Richard Grant co-skippered Magellan to victory with his daughter Megan in the double-handed division in last year’s Westcoaster, and earlier this year finished second on AMS and third on PHS in the Melbourne to Osaka Race.

[Richard] Grant, from Bellerive Yacht Club is keen to see all of the double-handed entries do well in the race down the West Coast and offered some thoughts on things that they find helpful sailing two-up.

“Being familiar with your boat is so important, as is having clear reefing systems that can be handled by one person, to make things as quick and easy as possible and to avoid getting over-powered.

“What has worked for us in the past is to plan our race strategy before the start and set our waypoints conservatively so that we could safely sail the course without having to spend a lot of time at the chart table.

“Safety is always a priority, so we always make sure we do lots of training in our man-overboard recovery techniques and other emergency procedures.

“The ORCV and other sailors in the race offer lots of support to everyone competing which is one of the highlights of ORCV ocean races like the Westcoaster,” said Grant. 

And Grant’s final thoughts about the race?

“Make sure you get as much sleep as possible when off watch, drink lots of water and juices, but most of all, make sure you have fun.”

The M2H starts off Portsea at 1:30pm on Saturday the 27^th of December 2025 with the race taking the fleet through Port Phillip Heads, across Bass Strait, down the West Coast of Tasmania, past Maatsuyker Island before heading east to Storm Bay to the finish at Battery Point in the River Derwent in Hobart.

The Westcoaster is part of the ORCV Offshore and Double Handed Championship and is open to monohull boats racing fully crewed or 4+autohelm or double handed, and multihull boats racing fully crewed or 4+autohelm.

Early bird entries close on Monday the 10th of November with final entries closing on Monday the 24th of November 2025.

Enter the 2025 Melbourne to Hobart Yacht Race here.

By Jane Austin/ORCV Media

Entries open for 2025 Melbourne to Hobart Yacht Race and New Premium Partner Announced

Entries are now open for the Ocean Racing Club of Victoria’s 2025 Melbourne to Hobart (Westcoaster) Yacht Race.

The 435 nautical mile yacht race from Portsea Pier down the West Coast of Tasmania to Hobart starts at 1:30pm (AEST) on Saturday the 27th of December.

The M2H is a prestigious and challenging blue-water ocean classic often described as one of the world’s best ocean races, and affectionately regarded as the people’s race.

The Westcoaster offers passionate skippers and crews an opportunity to pit their race-ready boats against wild and spectacular sailing conditions, from reaching down one of the world’s most stunning and unique coastlines to conquering the bucket list seas of the Southern Ocean.

ORCV Commodore Cyrus Allen, a M2H race veteran and 2025 Melbourne to Osaka competitor, holds the race in high regard.

“The Westcoaster is about grit, seamanship, and the raw beauty of Tasmania’s untamed West Coast.

“It’s a real race for everyday sailors chasing real adventure, not champagne at the dock.

“The Ocean Racing Club of Victoria is proud once again to welcome competitors to experience this iconic and uniquely challenging event,” said Allen.

The race is expected to attract yet another strong fleet of fully-crewed monohull and multihull boats (including four+ autohelm) along with a strong contingent of double-handed entries, while the new race record set by the multihull Rushour in last year’s race will also be up for grabs.

Early registrations include Alien, the Lidgard 36 skippered by the highly acclaimed Justin Brenan from the Royal Yacht Club of Victoria (RYCV).

Brenan, a stalwart of the ORCV racing program for over 20 years, is a five-time overall winner of the race.

This year’s fleet also sees the return of the Spirit of Downunder, skippered by Rick Whitehouse from the RYCV.

Expect to hear more about this 12 metre Cameron De Lange boat which has taken line honours twice in the race and won on performance handicap in 2008, the same year Matthew Short skippered Shortwave to a new race record which stands to this day.

The ORCV is delighted to welcome yet another race supporter with On Track Meals announced this week as a premium partner for the 2025 race.

On Track Meals joins other race sponsors including Grace Removals, Strait Link, National Pies, and the Tasmanian Government (Events Tasmania), in their support for the 53rd race to Hobart.

Erin Wyatt, Co-owner of Australian-owned and made On Track Meals, is excited about the partnership and the alignment of their products with the spirit of the Westcoaster.

“For us at On Track Meals, being the official meal partner of the Westcoaster is about more than just putting food on boats.

“Offshore racing is demanding, both physically and mentally, and we know how important it is for sailors to have meals they can rely on when the conditions get tough.

“This partnership is a chance for us to support the sailing community we admire, to make life that little bit easier when crews are pushing themselves and their boats to the limit.

“We’re hoping that when sailors open one of our meals mid-race, they feel reassured, fuelled, and ready to keep going.

“That’s what this is about for us — keeping people strong, safe, and able to enjoy the incredible adventure that is ocean racing,” said Wyatt.

The diversity of conditions throughout the race necessitates the use of handicapping systems to level the playing field for different boat designs and performance capabilities, with yachts competing for the prestigious Heemskerk Perpetual Trophy, decided on AMS handicap, alongside the (almost) equally prestigious yellow Westcoaster cap.

The Melbourne to Hobart Yacht Race is also the highest-ranking race in the ORCV's Offshore Championship Series.

Early bird entries close on Monday the 10th of November with final entries closing on Monday the 24th of November 2025.

Enter the 2025 Melbourne to Hobart Yacht Race here.

Photos provided by On Track Meals

By Jane Austin/ORCV Media