Ginan’s perfect start to a Summer of Offshore Racing

It was a clean sweep for co-skippers Nigel Jones and Cam McKenzie on their J111 yacht ‘Ginan’ in the Ocean Racing Club of Victoria’s (ORCV) West Offshore Products Coastal Sprint 2, where thirty yachts enjoyed what could only be described as a perfect summer’s day of sailing in Bass Strait.

After a short delay, the fleet started under spinnakers with a light northerly breeze of 5 knots.

“The race was good preparation for us all in the lead up to Melbourne to Hobart Westcoaster” said McKenzie “allowing us to get into the swing of things, hunting down the bigger leading boats, as we worked hard on sail trim and sailing tactically to the boat polars.”  

“We’d noticed pre-race, that the pin end showed effects of an adverse current, with the tide through the heads still running strongly,” said McKenzie. “Our decision to start closer to the shore and shallows and out of the current gave us a lead over the fleet who stuck to the middle of the channel, as we edged ahead of Walton’s, Reichel Pugh 46 ‘Hartbreaker’ to clear Port Phillip Heads first.”

“The conditions were ideal for the J111, for its ratio of sail to wetted surface area.” McKenzie went on “Soon as we were clear of the heads, we moved to the A1.5 which is great for sub 10 knots and hardened up to the turning mark swapping only to the code zero when the breeze started to move just prior to the mark.”

“We’ve got some great experience onboard Ginan today” said McKenzie “with five of the seven crew sailing together in the 1999 Westcoaster race on Cadibarra 7. A great race and tactics and introduction for my nineteen-year-old son Will to see, for his first offshore race.”

Ginan crew all smiles knowing they have done well.  Photo Ginan Crew.

“A little surprised to claim third on AMS and 2nd on ORC” explained Mark Welsh skipper of the Beneteau First 40, ‘Wicked’.  “Wicked is quite heavy and normally isn’t suited for light wind, reaching conditions.”   “The winds were as predicted, moving from N to NE and finally SE as we changed between spinnaker, code zero and finally to the jib.  We were lucky to reach the turning mark just prior to the winds changing to the SE and building to 15 knots, with our symmetrical spinnaker it was then one gybe as we pushed the angle right to the finishing gate.”

“The well-behaved Bass Strait, gave us that run to ensure everything worked,” said Mark, “as we prepare for the upcoming Westcoaster”.

The results are just “icing on the cake” commented Alex Toomey, skipper of the Sayers 12 ‘Ryujin’ still buzzing after a great race where they pushed hard all day soaking up the joy of just being back on the ocean again and claiming 2nd on AMS.  

Most of the fleet using this last race to fine-tune or complete their qualifying passage.  They now set their sights on the 50th Melbourne to Hobart ‘Westcoaster’ which starts midday on December 27th.

Getting in that Hobart Spirit on Alien photo Glen Cowan

Top 3 Results being: 

AMS 1st Ginan (M111), 2nd Ryujin (1570), 3rd Wicked (SM4) 
ORC 1st Ginan, 2nd Wicked, 3rd Alien (R880) 
PHS 1st Ryujin, 2nd Ginan, 3rd Hartbreaker (B330) 
DH: 1st Xenia (SM1250) 
Line Honours Extasea (G10007)

For all the results https://www.orcv.org.au/results/2022-23/

Vertigo wins ORCV Bass Strait race.

Tim Olding's Summit 35 Vertigo, won the Ocean Racing Club of Victoria (ORCV) 55 nm West Offshore Products Coastal Sprint Race on a perfect sailing day.

Sailing under beautiful sunshine with a 10 knot SE wind, eleven yachts competed in the Bass Strait race that started off Queenscliff just before dawn on Saturday 23^rd April.

John Chipp’s, Dehler 46, Hot Chipps took line honours in 7 hours 37 minutes and 17 seconds crossing the line ahead of Vertigo and Peter Davison’s, Archambault 40 R C Arcadia.

The win puts Vertigo in second position behind Jeff Sloan’s Archambault A35 Archie in the ORCV Coastal Championship Series leading into the final race, the popular 52 nm Apollo Bay race on 14th May.

Vertigo crew in hot pursuit Photo Vertigo crew

Olding commented “We had a really good upwind leg, having taken a gamble to head left and inshore to maintain boat speed. We led the fleet at the bottom mark but couldn’t hold Hot Chipps on the 2^nd downwind leg, with an extra eleven feet of water length, they just took off.” 

Olding went onto to say “I share the helm now with my daughter Clare. We really like the Coastal Sprint format as it’s great for building crew confidence and identifying sea sickness and how crew operate before embarking on a longer ocean race. In preparing for the upcoming 50^th Melbourne to Hobart ‘Westcoaster’, these coastal races in Bass Strait are great training for us. Racing in Bass Strait is sometimes challenging, but always a lot of fun.”  he went on to say, “We head to Queenscliff on Friday afternoon and have a great pub meal and good night’s rest which is key when ocean racing.”

Onboard Vertigo, just perfect sailing conditions.  Photo Vertigo crew

There was also good news for the growing Victorian ocean sailing fleet with Garry McCarten’s, Jeanneau 44 DS Skullduggery joining the race.  With a couple of new crew members McCarten commented “these races really do extend the fun and provide a great experience for our cruising type boat outside the bay.  We used the Code 0 in the first leg and were really happy with how that worked making good ground against Robert D’Arcy’s, Northshore 369 Foggy Dew, that was until we needed to duck a ship.” 

McCarten added with a smile on his face “We’re not always competitive against the pure racing boats, but we really do enjoy the experience of ocean sailing and we do really like that we’re home Saturday night.”

Garry McCarten all smiles after a great race on the Skullduggery Helm Photo David Schuller.

A fleet start from Queenscliff just on dawn.  Photo Rohan Williams

Top 3 results for Race 3 of the West Offshore Products Coastal Sprint

• AMS 1st Vertigo, 2nd Archie, 3rd Alien
• ORC 1st Archie, 2nd Maverick 3rd Alien
• PHS 1st Vertigo, 2nd Archie, 3rd Maverick
• DH Maverick
• Line Honours: Hot Chipps

Full results https://www.orcv.org.au/results/2021-22/2021CostalSprint/series.htm?ty=41193

About ORCV Coastal Sprint Races

An initiative by ORCV in response to skippers wanting more Category 3 races. The races have been designed as short distance ocean races to provide a crew development pathway for longer ocean races and as a stand-alone coastal racing program. Each race is approximately 55 nm and aims to have skippers and crew home Saturday evening.

Dear Coastal Sprint Crew

With the sailing instructions in place, handicaps done, we hope the below helps you get ready too for this weekend’s race.

Use these GPX file on Navionics, Predictwind and on you boats plotter.

The ORCV is bring a new feature to the sport of Ocean racing, so rather than all of us entering data and potentially making mistakes we now have solved all your problems by providing you with electronic files.

We have upload 7 GPX files below 6 of them are the courses and one is all the marks. If you download the six course files you will be able to upload them into Predictwind, Navionics and if you load them on a SD card you can upload them to your plotter. If you need help the Google has your answers. Those of you who attended the webinars already know how to do this.

Coastal Sprint Central[1]

Coastal Sprint Western[1]

Coastal Sprint Eastern[1]

Coastal Sprint Short Eastern[1]

Coastal Sprint Split Point[1]

Coastal Sprint Westernport[1]

f you’re not an ORCV member, on Monday we will be invoicing you for crew fees. Join before Sunday night to avoid the administration on your skipper and the ORCV.

Membership starts at $125pa. www.orcv.org.au/join

Help us record a race memory as we celebrate the opening of our season. 

It’s great to be able to race again. Let us be part of your adventure by sharing your images with us. Please take crew photos, scenery, on water action shots either on your way to the start or if conditions allow during the race. You can share them with us via email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Yes, we are running "a best photo" competition again with the winner being able to select $75 towards a training event or ORCV merchandise. Entries must be to us by 5pm on Sunday 28th November. Don't forget to include your name. We would like to use any photos to build the sport, increase participation, on media releases and talking about your great results of boat finishing posts. If you are posting to social media, please include #orcv too.