Come down and watch the finish of the "Cock of the Bay" and the start of the Sydney-Hobart!!
MYC will be running a can bar!!
MYC will be running a can bar!!
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Interest and variety the flavour of the 2023 Melbourne to Hobart Yacht Race
Following the widely successful 50th anniversary race, Melbourne to Hobart Yacht Race skippers and crews are finalising preparations for this year’s event which will once again see several boats in contention for line honours, and the return of the first multihull in 30 years. While the 15-boat fleet is somewhat smaller than last year's 50th anniversary race, the competition will be no less intense with a diverse fleet and both new and experienced skippers testing their sailing prowess in this tactical, exhilarating and challenging race. The race is organised by the Ocean Racing Club of Victoria (ORCV) which has the enviable reputation as the pioneer of short-handed racing in Australia, and this year’s fleet will see some stiff competition across these and the fully crewed divisions. Early predictions for line honours have focused on Nigel Jones and Cam McKenzie’s J111, Ginan, from the Mornington Yacht Club, who will co-skipper the boat on the journey south to Hobart. Purchased in 2022 for the 50th-anniversary race, this boat has unfinished business after finishing second on AMS last year. The boat has been campaigned successfully over the last 12 months, winning several ORCV races and took out the ORCV Coastal Championship last season. Ginan boasts a very experienced crew and with favourable conditions, could see the team take line honours and a handicap win. Ginan's quest for AMS victory after last year's near miss. Photo by Michael Currie But pressing Ginan all the way to Hobart will be Alex Toomey’s Sayer 12, Ryujin, from the Royal Melbourne Yacht Squadron. Ryujin will also be fully crewed in the 2023 race and will be seeking another podium finish after winning the double-handed division with co-skipper Andrew Hibbert, in the 50th anniversary race. Toomey and his team are also in sharp sailing form, winning the ORCV Offshore Championship for 2022/23. Toomey will be hoping for moderate to stronger breezes to give Ryujin the opportunity to spread her wings in conditions that she relishes and fly to Hobart for a line honours win. “The 50th was a flagship event. It’s nice to be part of something that only happens once. This year, with a full crew of experienced sailors, I have got my eye on line honours and think we can do it,” said Toomey. And if things go the way of Ginan, a handicap win is also on the cards. Ryujin sets sights on Melbourne to Hobart victory. Photo by Steb Fisher Other monohulls in contention for line honours include ORCV Sail Captain Paul Roberts’ Sydney 41, Cadibarra, from Sandringham Yacht Club. Roberts is an experienced ‘Westcoaster’ skipper with eight races under his belt including two races in the double-handed division. Cadibarra will certainly be a threat with Roberts hoping to repeat his 2016 success in the previous Cadibarra 8 which won line honours and all handicap divisions. Joker x2, a J133 design and the bigger brother of Ginan, is highly fancied to take out line honours in the double-handed division. Co-skippers Grant Chipperfield and Peter Dowdney from the Martha Cove Yacht Squadron purchased the boat this year to prepare and campaign it for the 2025 Melbourne to Osaka and are getting to know her more and more each race. Dowdney, Australasian Sales Manager for Ronstan, and Chipperfield are great advocates for double-handed sailing, always looking for innovative ways to get the boat moving quicker, and are passionate ambassadors for the Melbourne to Hobart Yacht Race. “We’ve done the Melbourne to Devonport and Sydney Hobart races two up. Grant and I have done enough miles to work our systems out and throw the boat around in any conditions.” “We enjoy each other’s company and sail well together, and there’s plenty of Ronstan on the boat for whacky ideas during the race.” “The other reason we’re doing it is the magnificent and dramatic scenery. It feels like there is no more isolated place in the world,” said Dowdney. The 2023 race will see only the first multihull to contest the event in the last 30 years. Peccadillo, a Chris White 46 Mk Ii multihull will be skippered by Charles Meredith, past commodore of the Royal Melbourne Yacht Squadron. Meredith, sailing his first Westcoaster, is a very experienced multihull sailor who has been racing with the ORCV for about ten years, completing four Melbourne to Devonport and several Apollo Bay races. Meredith is highly regarded in sailing circles for his work in improving the standards and suitability of catamarans for offshore races. Meredith’s ocean racing pedigree is well-established with the skipper competing in five Australian Three Peaks Races, winning it once and holding race records for several legs. Meredith and his seasoned crew will be on the hunt to break Lindsay Cumming’s race record set on Bagatelle in 1988 in a time of 3d 03h 35m 32sec. Peccadillo, the 1st multihull in 30 years, aims for Westcoaster record. Photo by Steph McDonald This year’s race welcomes back father and daughter co-skippers, Tim and Clare Olding sailing Vertigo, their Summit 35, while newcomer Tobias Swanson, will be skippering Dark & Stormy, a Murray- Burns-Dovell 37 on the trip to Hobart. Vertigo will again be in contention for handicap honours with this race missing from the family’s extensive trophy cabinet, while Andrew Neeson’s Runnalls 39, Jaffa, has been refitted with the crew quietly confident for this year’s race. Justin Brenan and his Lidgard 36, Alien, will also be one to watch with the skipper having notched 14 Westcoaster races on his belt, winning the Heemskirk Trophy for overall winner [on AMS] of the Westcoaster three times and featuring on the race podium in several more races. The race leaves Portsea on the outgoing tide on Wednesday at 12 noon with the fleet making the dash to Port Philip Heads before taking on the 125 nautical mile Bass Strait crossing. There are lots of gains to be made from the right call around King Island with the tidal flows between the top of King Island and Northwest Tasmania always a challenge for new and top-notch navigators alike. The fleet will carry trackers enabling race followers to track the action from start to finish. To follow the fleet, go to https://race.bluewatertracks.com/2023-melbourne-to-hobart-westcoaster The race record of 1 day 17 hours 28 minutes 59 seconds was set by Shortwave in 2008, winning the race with an average speed over the course of 10.49 knots. The race is run with the cooperation of the Derwent Sailing Squadron. For Entry, Notice of Race and List of Entries, please visit: https://www.orcv.org.au/hobart Everyone who was involved in the MYC 70th anniversary will remember David. David became involved in the making of the 70th anniversary DVD, by using his great talent as an Australian Film Maker to put together the wealth of pictorial information gathered by the Committee to celebrate 70 years of the MYC. The film was a great deal of work. David worked quietly and respectively, compiling a most interesting DVD. David had a great talent and was honored by the MYC for his work being included in the group of people in the Historical Committee as Club person of the year 2016. Well done David. The DVD will be shown at MYC's members bar in David's memory this coming Thursday before and after sailing. Our thoughts are with Natalie his wife and his son at this time. May he Rest in Peace.   Patriot Is a J 133 race yacht owned and skippered by Jason Close and based at Martha Cove with crew members from both Sandringham and Mornington yacht clubs and is competing in the 2023 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race.
It Is Patriots 4th Sydney Hobart with a Divisional win In 2019 whilst also finishing 9th overall from 157 boats, with the right weather conditions and a bit of luck, Patriot could be in the mix for overall honours in this year's event. The Patriot team Is proud to partner with Speak & Share. WHO WE ARE: Speak & Share Is a Not For Profit Mental Health Organisation who encourages the tough conversations and challenges the stigma associated with mental health. Through our preventative proactive approach, we facilitate school, corporate and sporting club programs, as well as local events to connect community and raise awareness to positively Impact mental health awareness. OUR APPROACH Drawing on our own personal experiences, we have identified that there is a need to positively Impact our commonly. We have a story to share and are willing to show our vulnerability to lead the way for others to follow. For too long now, mental health has been the elephant In the room. However, through our unique approach we aim to normalise speaking & sharing for everyone. HOW WILL YOUR DONATION HELP US? 100% of our profits are directed towards developing and delivering our message via community events, school, and sporting club programs.
A HUGE BIG Thank You goes to everyone that came down to the club last Thursday night to support Glenn raise funds for the Stroke Foundation. Glenn did an amazing job in sourcing fantastic raffle prizes, which raised over $1,000. Then we had the 3 auction items that raised $1,700 in total thanks to our sponsor Brett from Belle Property who managed this with his fantastic auctioneering skills! Thank you to the local businesses for donating towards this great cause: Lindens meats Benton’s Square Henry’s Mercetta Benton’s Square Autobarn Mornington Rosy’s appliances Mornington home maker centre Gazman Mornington Le Manna & Sons South Yarra Sport Phillip Marine The band, who also donated their time to the event were amazing and a big thanks goes to their followers for coming along who danced the night away with Brigitte Swallow leading the way!! (as normal!) :) It was great to see 2 members of the Stroke Foundation here supporting Glenn and his evening which raised a total of $3,301 via door entry, raffle, auction prizes & the proceeds from the BBQ. Following on from the email sent to members on Friday the event raised over $5,000 - thank you to those of you who donated directly to the foundation - it is not too late if you wish to donate. CLICK HERE > to donate directly to the STROKE Foundation and receive a tax deductible receipt. Thank you again for your support. Congratulations to all MYC members who participated in Sail Melbourne at the weekend:
The Opti's joined in this year and MYC's Josie Lott won the Opti Intermediate! In the ILCA 4 Jack Vermeer came 3rd The older youth were battling Olympians, a shout out to the new Jackson Sibling Team getting a 2nd in the last 470 race of the series. Lily Richardson filled in as a 470 skipper for the World Champion Crew from NZ on day 1 & 2 scoring some terrific results as well. Jack Eickmeyer and Lachie Weber fought a long hard battle in ILCA 7’s pushing through four big wind days. We also had Leigh Harvey and Louis Coates in the Optis - Well done Team MYC!! |
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