As the Melbourne Osaka Cup enters its fifth week, the distance between the first and last starter has narrowed to just over 2000 nautical miles, with all now outside Australian waters.
In a striking contrast, Zero the Imx40 skippered by Yamada, which started the race on March 9th, has just over 1,000 nautical miles to go to reach Osaka. Meanwhile, Alive, which only began its campaign on March 31, has already covered more than 2,000 nautical miles, is averaging 11.4 knots and is on track to challenge the race record (based on elapsed time).
Another standout performer is 1122 Trekkee, the Roger Class 40 skippered by Hajime Nitta, the dark horse of the fleet, which has broken away from the main start pack and opened up a 400nm lead on the group still grappling with the equatorial doldrums and slow progress north.
One of the most strategic moves came from the J133 yacht Joker X2, which deviated from the main start fleet’s path by heading through the Solomon Islands via Manning Strait. We checked in with co-skipper Grant Chipperfield to see if the gamble paid off:
“I think it certainly has, although we were hoping to be a bit further ahead,” said Grant.
“Once we left Manning Strait, we didn’t get the pressure that was predicted, but we stayed east deliberately to stay in the breeze and work closer to the trades. We’re now just below our rhumb line, not the tracker’s, and we’ve closed in on boats like White Spirit, who were nearly 100nm ahead. Looking back, I don’t think we’d change our decision.”
Joker’s crew has also been experimenting with sail configurations, trying to squeeze every ounce of speed from the boat.
Breaking free of the doldrums has been difficult for this tightly grouped of main starters. After nearly three weeks, there’s still only around 200 nautical miles separating seven of the eleven starters.
From the Beneteau 50 yacht White Spirit, co-skipper Lillian Stewart shares a glimpse of life onboard today:
“We’ve had consistent 6–12 knots over the shoulder, which has been fantastic—cracking sheets and flying the kite. So far, it hasn’t died!”
“Though the squalls continue to surprise us, and we continue to learn how they behave, typically they’ve brought gusty conditions for short bursts; however, today it was the total opposite, just drizzle and a real light patch, despite similar appearance to the more intense ones”
“After a day or two of not a single wind model giving an accurate ‘guess, ‘ we are moving towards what feels like the predicted SE. Better late than never!” Lillian finished
As crews continue to rotate through watch schedules and ongoing repairs, they break up the days and share with us their newfound culinary skills, mastering bread baking and enjoying an Alive homemade chilli con carne; creativity is helping keep them sane.
As the main starters approach the Equator, there’s hope for this group that they can soon be free of the oppressive heat and fickle doldrums and able to get back to the joy of sailing.
Melbourne Osaka Media
Follow the fleet as they race towards Osaka via the race tracker https://race.bluewatertracks.com/2025-melbourne-osaka-cup-double-handed-race
Learn more about the race and competitors via the Melbourne Osaka Cup website https://melbourneosakacup.com/en/home/
Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Osakacup2018/
About the Melbourne Osaka Cup:
Melbourne Osaka Double-Handed Yacht Race: The World’s Longest South-to-North Sailing Event, is about to kick off, attracting both international and local sailing talent.
Competitors sail non-stop and unassisted on their own boats with just two people onboard, navigating four weather systems over 32 to 35 days.
This event provides a unique opportunity for sailors, many of whom are Corinthian (non-professional and self-funded), to embark on the challenge of a lifetime. While major shorthanded races like the Vendée Globe and Transat Jacques Vabre feature professional teams, large shore crews, and significant budgets, the Melbourne Osaka Race stands apart by offering accessibility to sailors who do not rely on extensive support teams.
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