ORCV Melbourne to Vanuatu (M2V)

No Go for Gusto.

Despite their herculean effort, Gusto will not be on the start line of Australia’s longest Category One race on Sunday. Accordingly, there will now be ten yachts beginning the epic 3500km Melbourne to Vanuatu race on July 4 at 11:30am EST off the Portsea Pier.

The skiff on steriods and that sensational prodder.

The Ocean Racing Club of Victoria is very sad for this crew of determined and dedicated souls. Rear Commodore, Simon Dryden, was ‘The Committee are very disappointed for the entire crew. Watching them go about their business was literally, inspiring. Regrettably they have not been able to comply with certain requirements of Category One and as such, they have decided to withdraw. With their audits completed, they were looking good, but we understand their situation and believe it is best to stand by our safety policies.’

No-one could have tried harder, so Gusto’s crew are naturally completely devastated and not entirely looking forward to bidding their fellow racers farewell, as they make for the tropics on Sunday. Gusto’s crew spokesman, Jeremy Walton, was able to say that, ‘It’s a real shame and we’re pretty heavy hearted right now, as it only comes around every four years, but we certainly wish each and every competitor a marvellous, safe, fun and speedy journey.’

The start line will now consist of these yachts:

• 51^st Project
• Garisenda
• Ingenue
• Mirrabooka
• Samskara
• Scarlet Runner
• Slinky Malinky
• TevakeII
• The Secretary and
• Turbo

The race briefing took place on Thursday evening and Saturday morning sees the fleet clear customs. The farewell dinner is being held on Saturday night for all the crews, family and friends at Blairgowrie Yacht Squadron, on the picturesque Mornington Peninsula.

Phil Coombs showed us his then brand-new toy, back in January, 2010.

Another crew that has been working hard to ensure they are ready for the start, are the souls from Phil Coombs’ 51^st Project. They took the very first Beneteau First 50 in Australia and turned the production boat into a long-distance, Category One yacht, thereby ensuring they were fully organised and ready for a race of this distance and calibre. ‘We have a great crew and all of us are looking forward to getting away and having a fantastic sail together. Oh yeah. And getting a bit warmer’, said Lex O’Connor, the boat’s Navigator.

The 51st Project under reef, but still blasting through. Pic by Teri Dodds.

Rob Date behind the wheel of his Scarlet Runner. Dave Eichmeyer trimming main, just in front.. Pic © Steb Fisher.

The withdrawal of Gusto places Scarlet Runner firmly as the race favourite. She is a Reichel-Pugh designed, Composites Constructions 52, which given the right sort of conditions, is very much capable of breaking the existing record of seven days, seventeen hours and six minutes. Currently, Sunday’s start looks to be in reasonably soft breezes, but at this time of year, that is something you would neither wish to bank nor bet on.

Far easier to guarantee are the smiles the fleet will receive in Port Vila, once they have completed their chase across the South Pacific of the container full of humanitarian aid. Schools and communities throughout the islands of the happiest nation on earth, Vanuatu, will receive all manner of items from books to paper and clothes to generators, which the ORCV, Rotary International and the community at large have collected for them.

Scarlet Runner under power. Pic © Steb Fisher.

Keep and eye on the fleet through the M2V Tracker, which is HERE.

By John Curnow