The Ocean Racing Club of Victoria’s (ORCV) Melbourne to Port Fairy Race is one of the most technical and challenging ocean races in Australia, with this weekend’s race proving just how difficult it can be, but also how expert seamanship, both on and off the water, is alive and well in ocean racing.
20 boats originally entered the event but only eight made it to the Friday afternoon start line off Queenscliff, with the tough weather forecast influencing the decision-making of several skippers to withdraw from the event.
Race Director Simon Dryden had forecast a fast and furious race, and he was close with his predictions, with the race starting in an 18 knot south westerly before the forecast heavy conditions hit the fleet before they rounded Cape Otway, much earlier than anticipated.
Peccadillo, the Chris White designed 46-foot multihull skippered by Charles Meredith, led the fleet off the start line but lost her staysail south-west of Torquay and retired from the race.
Soon after, the double-handed entry Foggy Dew, skippered by Robert D’Arcy and Janet Wilks, made the call to retire from the increasingly difficult sailing conditions, while another double-handed entry, Alex-Team Macadie, skippered by Jock Macadie and Warren Joel, returned to port with mainsail damage.
With five boats left in the fleet, competition was fierce between the leaders with Scarlet Runner, the Carkeek 43 skippered by Melbourne to Hobart Yacht (Westcoaster) Race winner, Rob Date, and Cadibarra, the Sydney 41 skippered by ORCV Vice Commodore Paul Roberts, as they punched hard into the tough south-westerly wind and 3 metre-plus swell.
Not far behind them were Xenia, the XP 33 skippered by Koos Theron, Lord Jiminy, the double-hander skippered by Dylan Oosterwegel and Kevin Curtis, which was using the race as a qualifier for the 2025 Melbourne to Osaka Cup (M2O), and Dark and Stormy, skippered by Tobias Swanson.
The five soon became four with Dark and Stormy retiring following reports of an injured crew member off the coast of Anglesea, and at this point, Date made the tactical decision to sail Scarlet Runner closer to the shore with the light-weight, dark-hulled boat picking up valuable speed and putting greater distance between themselves and Cadibarra, while Xenia retired from the race citing seasickness.
As the three remaining boats approached Cape Otway in the early hours of Saturday morning, the winds intensified with freshening west to south westerly winds and rough seas providing major headaches for the skippers and crews.
Scarlet Runner then sailed well south of the rhumb line to give Cape Otway a wide berth belting along at 8 to 10 knots, whilst Cadibarra retired and Lord Jiminy retired, electing to continue to sail southeast towards King Island to complete their M2O qualification.
From there it was a lonely, tough race for Scarlet Runner, the only remaining boat, who arrived in Port Fairy just before midday to take out the Port Fairy Overall Winner Trophy.
Scarlet Runner was not only the winner of the race but also was the flagship boat for sustainability with skipper Date combining his sailing expertise with pioneering sustainable sailing technology.
The Carkeek 43 has a unique hybrid propulsion system combining electric drive with a lightweight diesel generator and smart charging system for race preparation.
“We’re excited to continue pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in eco-friendly offshore racing,” said Date.
Reflecting on the 2025 Port Fairy Race, the decision by skippers to withdraw from the event is testament to their prudent seamanship and a culture which prioritises preparation, boat knowledge, crew capacity and safety, especially in the face of a challenging forecast or during a tough race.
While many crews were disappointed to miss out on the opportunity to pit themselves against the course, the elements and each other, safety was their top priority.
Foggy Dew skipper Robert D’Arcy, reflected upon the race and the point at which they decided to retire.
“We were going along quite nicely but it just started getting a bit too big for a little 36-foot boat.
“We put in the third reef which we’ve got red lines on, and we decided that’s our stop point…we were just overpowered, and we thought, this is just not going to get any better, we’d best go home.
“We knew it was going to get worse, with the third reef in and our smallest jib up before we went to the storm jib, which is also red, and if I ever put that up, I am certainly looking for somewhere to go.
“We just thought … let’s turn around and when we did, we also saw Alex [Team Macadie] doing the same thing. I’ve great respect for Jock [Macadie] and when I see Jock do something like that, I feel like I’ve made the right decision.
“It’s a tough decision when you make it and you fight it in your head for a long time, but when you do make it, you make it based on safety, and it’s the right thing to do.
“We’ve all got to think that we are there to have fun and it is a sport, and remember that if we get it wrong, we might be putting ourselves at risk and putting other people at risk who will be coming out to get us, so it’s a bigger decision.
“Running the race was perfectly the right thing to do given the weather forecast and it was up to us to go or not go, so all power to the ORCV, well done,” said Darcy.
Crews are already gearing up for the Melbourne to King Island Race on the 7th of March which is the final race of the ORCV Offshore Championship, and with this win and their success in the Westcoaster, Scarlet Runner is well-placed to win.
The 38 South Yacht Sales Double-Handed Offshore Championship also includes the race to King Island plus the Melbourne to Apollo Bay Race in May.
Words: Jane Austin/ORCV media
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