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Discover unbeatable views, great dining, and a vibrant social scene at Mornington Yacht Club – all for just $240 a year (or $360 for couples). Join now and get 1 month FREE!   We had a full house on Sunday with around 70–80 attendees, including many MYC members, a large group from MCYS, and plenty of guests! A big thank you to everyone who came along to support Dave Mac — it was a fabulous afternoon. Special thanks to Jo McKenzie and Catherine Lawlor for their wonderful organisation on the day!
We’ve got some great events coming up:
 MYC's May winter clinic was held on Saturday. Facing the cold conditions, we had 5 ILCA sailors under the guidance of Lachie Weber and Jack Eickmeyer, and a few of our Opti green fleet with James Jackson coaching. Head to our instagram or facebook page to view footage taken by Sean Bly.
 It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Bill Uhe, a valued volunteer of our Sailability Program.
Bill will be fondly remembered for his contribution to the program since 2014. Our thoughts are with Kathryn and their loved ones during this difficult time.  Congratulations to Bill Bennett for being awarded our Club Person of the Year for this season!
Although Bill stepped away from the committee, he’s continued to contribute an incredible amount of time and effort to the club. He’s been a fantastic support to our Commodore and the TAG team, and we truly appreciate everything he does. Thank you, Bill!  Last Friday, we wrapped up the season with a vibrant Mexican-themed presentation night and what a fantastic evening it was! We had a great turnout with around 115 adults and 40 kids joining in the fun.
Congratulations to all our youth and senior members who took home a prize! A big thank you to all the volunteers who helped make the night such a success, you’re truly what makes our club so special. A big thank you to The Rocks for the delicious food, and to James Vincent from Lady & the Tramp for keeping us entertained, it was a fantastic addition to the night! We loved seeing everyone embrace the Mexican spirit, it really brought the night to life! Click here for more photo's from the night! Plenty of newcomers enter 2025 Melbourne to Apollo Bay Yacht Race Competitors in the 2025 Melbourne to Apollo Bay Yacht Race (M2AB) will start this final offshore event of the season under the eerie cover of darkness at 0400 hours on Saturday the 24th of May. The 52 nautical mile sprint is the final race of the Ocean Racing Club of Victoria’s (ORCV) summer sailing program and is also the deciding race in the ORCV Coastal Championship Series and the ORCV Double-Handed Championship. Race Director, Ryan Blackstock, is expecting an exciting early morning start, relatively calm conditions on Port Phillip and a challenging sea state once the fleet is out of Port Phillip Heads. “We have a good-looking fleet with a mix of boats, some new ones, and lots of experience. “I expect we will have a bit of breeze during the race with the lead boats likely to reach Apollo Bay by lunchtime,” said Blackstock. The fleet will be looking for more wind than last year, none more so than the current Coastal Championship leader Ginan, skippered by Cameron McKenzie and Nigel Jones, from the Mornington Yacht Club. The highly experienced and disciplined team will be pushing the sleek 36-foot racing boat hard along the coast in their quest for a third Coastal Championship win in a row. The battle for line honours will be an interesting affair, with several boats in contention. Local legend Damien King is sailing his Frers 61, MRV, in this year’s race, with the elegant 18.5 metre sloop the biggest boat in the fleet and widely tipped to take line honours. The versatile Chris Dare, who sails everything from 20-foot sportsboats to TP52s, is campaigning his new Botin Carkeek GP42, Ambition, in only her second race under Dare’s ownership, and is certain to have an eye on the line honours prize. Dare, representing the Derwent Sailing Squadron, has brought together a Tasmanian / Victorian team of talented sailors, including his son Lockie, to give the highly modified boat purchased from Fremantle only a few months ago, an airing. “We are just keen to put our nose outside the [Port Phillip] Heads to see what she’s like offshore,” said Dare, who is also looking forward to competing in the ORCV DYSC Marine Supplies Winter Series as he prepares for some longer races over summer. Following a successful first offshore race to King Island earlier this year, Danielle Fraser has the Jac Hoi band back together and will be sailing the Solaris 47 short-handed in her first M2AB race, with the boat also tipped to be up there on line honours. Talking from the boat as she finalised preparations for the race along one of Victoria’s most stunning coastlines, Fraser said she put it out to the crew who jumped at the chance to participate in another ORCV offshore race. “We did so well in King Island and thought, well this is the last opportunity this season to do an offshore race, so we added Apollo Bay to our program,” said Fraser. Fraser believes in shaking things up a bit onboard, and for this race will relinquish the helm role to Etchells team mate, Chris Manton, while Fraser will take on bow duties, and Jamie Bennett will be on tactics. Charles Meredith will also be keen to pick up a line honours win on Peccadillo, as the only multihull entered in the race. Meredith sails his Chris White 46 catamaran consistently well and for this race welcomes onboard a new crew member, Chris Edwards, a sight-impaired sailor who has been sailing since he was a kid. The M2AB sprint is a race that introduces newcomers to offshore racing, with the relatively short event offering a taste of the fun and the challenges of ocean sailing. Other new boats entered in this year’s race include Peter McFarlane’s Loch Sloidh 3, Allan Guntar’s ORA, The Jackal, skippered by Matt Setton, and The Kraken Groove, skippered by Ryan Walker. Rod Smallman, skipper of the double-handed entry Maverick, will have a new partner in crime for the race; David Blake. Blake has sailed with international hotshot Gary Jobson in overseas regattas from Antigua to Cowes, and was a crew member on the USA entry, Jubilation, in a Sydney to Hobart Race under American sailing legend, Paul Cayard. “While I’ve done a lot of sailing and had three Melbourne to Hobart races under my belt by the age of 23, I have been looking forward to another challenge with double-handed racing really appealing to me. “In preparation, I’ve completed a few ORCV courses including the Long Range [Radio] Operator Course, First Aid and the Safety and Sea Survival Course, which I think was one of the best courses that I have ever completed. “It will also be the first time I’ve started a race in the middle of the night, that is quite unique for me,” said Blake. Tacticians will need to be mindful of the challenges the stunning Victorian coastline can present, with the area known for stranding boats in holes with no breeze if they venture too close to the dramatic cliffs and headlands. The race record for the Apollo Bay race was set in 1999 by Peter Blake sailing his Jones 37, KAOS, and stands at 5 hours, 24 minutes and 4 seconds.  All smiles for the Ginan crew after the Devonport Race 2024. Photo credit ORCV  Multihull, Peccadillo by Al Dillon  Apollo Bay record holder, 'Kaos’ rounding the bottom mark during the 1999 Melbourne Winter Series - Photo credit John Curnow
AWKR Stories, Laughter & Lessons: An Evening with organiser, Monica Jones, and WOW At our recent gathering, Monica shared her journey through the Australian Women's Keelboat Regatta (AWKR), reflecting on its evolution from a mixed-gender event to a celebrated women’s-only regatta. She recounted first competing at around 22 years old, sailing alongside her dad — and following his every instruction — to later skippering solo, making mistakes, and learning from them along the way. She eventually bought into her own boat, Salamander II, an Adams 10, marking her new chapter of independence on the water. Her stories of camaraderie, fierce competition, protests, and plenty of laughter stricks a chord with sailors of all levels. Monica generously shared a mix of handy tips and hilarious fails — relatable to both the new and seasoned yachties in the room! Perhaps the most important take-away was emphasis on the importance of preparation. Monica outlined some of the ways like understanding key documents as the Notice of Race (NOR) and Sailing Instructions (SIs), as well as other crucial information for any skipper or crew planning to compete. Looking ahead, AWKR 2025 is set to welcome around 30 yachts, across two divisions, with three races each day over the three-day event. Sailing Instructions will be available online soon, and a spectator boat will be available for those keen to come along and support. (Let Mary McCauley know if you're interested!) All in all, it was a thoroughly enjoyable evening — fueled by wine, cheese, and a shared passion for sailing — with plenty of excitement in the air for AWKR 2025, or for some, a solid commitment to join the fun in 2025! Thanks, Mary McCauley [email protected] 0444 595 668 
 Media Release 3rd May 2025 Alive Make Clean Sweep in the 2025 Melbourne to Osaka Cup Osaka, Japan – The Reichel/Pugh 66 Alive, skippered by Duncan Hine and co-skipper Glenn Myler, has made a clean sweep of Line Honours, AMS, PHS and ORCi in the 2025 Melbourne to Osaka Cup. Crossing the finish line in an impressive 22 days, 22 hours, 48 minutes, and 15 seconds, Alive had their sights on breaking the current race record of 21 days, 12 hours, 41 minutes, and 13 seconds, set by Chinese Whisper in 2018. Despite falling short, the Tasmanian-based yacht and crew’s performance was nothing short of exceptional. For skipper Duncan Hine, this race had long been on his sailing bucket list. "It’s been a dream for some time, being the only double-handed race that leaves Australia. I had it down to do in 2018, but life got in the way," Hine said. "You really have to be honest with yourself and fully commit to this race, it's a journey of self-discovery", said Hine, having just finished the race. “I didn’t come into the race to do a clean sweep but had my eyes on having a go at the race record" which is awarded based on elapsed time, not who arrives first into Osaka. Alive started two weeks after the main fleet in the unique staggered start format of the race, where slower boats depart first, with the chase giving them motivation to also push hard as they passed six of the earlier starters before Osaka. The early stages of the race were not without challenges. An intense east coast low system saw Alive play it safe in Bass Strait. "It’s a hard boat to sail with just two crew, and doing it safely was our priority. So we backed off the pace until we cleared the low," Hine explained. The doldrums, with their unpredictable winds, and finding those winds north of the Solomons, which were further north than predicted, added another layer of difficulty. And as they closed in on Osaka, a dying breeze turned the final stretch into a test of patience and persistence. "We were just two hours out and made the finishing radio call multiple times, as the wind completely vanished. It was incredibly frustrating," Hine said. Despite the challenges, Hine believes Alive delivered a strong attempt at the record. "It’s a race where the boat, the weather, and the crew all have to be performing at their peak. I think we gave it a valiant effort." Alive will be remembered not only for their sailing prowess and results but will be remembered by many as the champion team who freely shared their sailing tips and commentary on their sail setups, how to avoid chaffing of halyards and providing us all with theatrics whilst they crossed the equator and a great laugh as ‘cousin Glenn’ meet King Neptune and became a shellback. Never a dull moment for these two lads from Tasmania who did themselves proud, pushing themselves and the boat all the way to Osaka. A humble Hine and Myler accepted the award, acknowledging the competitors and race organisers for the effort it takes by all to put on this amazing race. Top 3 Results being AMS 1st Kate Mitchell Perpetual Trophy – Alive (Duncan Hine & Glenn Myler) and Overall Winner 2nd – Magellan (Richard & Megan Grant) 3rd – Quest (Peter Tardrew & Rod Gunther) PHS 1st Colin Smith Memorial Trophy – Alive (Duncan Hine and Glenn Myler) 2nd – Blue Moon (Ken and Tristan Gourlay) 3rd – Magellan (Richard and Megan Grant) ORCi 1st - Friendship Bowl - Alive (Duncan Hine & Glenn Myler) 2nd – Zero (Katsuhiro Yamada & Masayuki Kobayashi) 3rd – 1122Trekkee (Hajime Nitta & Sonosuke Noda) Line Honours (lowest elapsed time) Alive (Duncan Hine & Glenn Myler) Full results being here https://melbourneosakacup.com/en/2025-race-results/    |
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