ORCV Melbourne to King Island 2025
54th Melbourne to King Island Ocean Race
The 54th Melbourne to King Island Ocean Race was one of those events where the conditions aligned, the fleet was competitive, and the crossing of Bass Strait did everything it was supposed to do. Racing aboard Shimmer — Steve Twentyman’s Hanse 505 from Safety Beach Sailing Club — the race gave us a fast, clean passage across the strait and a finish that had us crossing the line third on elapsed time, just minutes behind the lead monohulls.
The fleet departed from Queenscliff, exiting Port Phillip Heads through the Rip. It’s always a striking way to begin an offshore race.
The fleet of 22 boats got away at 14:30 on 7 March 2025, hosted by the Ocean Racing Club of Victoria, in a light easterly of around 11 knots that slowly built to a steady 18 to 20 knots across Bass Strait — conditions that suited the fleet and made for an engaging, competitive race through the night.
Peccadillo, the Chris White 46 multihull skippered by Charles Meredith, dominated outright, leading the fleet from Port Phillip Heads and finishing in 10 hours and 16 minutes — nearly three and a half hours ahead of the nearest rival.
Among the monohulls, the racing at the front was intense. Jac Hoi, the Solaris 47 from the Royal Geelong Yacht Club skippered by Danielle Fraser, was first across the line on elapsed time on what was the team’s very first ocean race — and in a particularly fitting moment, they crossed the finish on International Women’s Day. Ginan (Cam McKenzie, Mornington Yacht Club) finished second on the water, and Shimmer came across third, just 89 seconds behind Ginan after more than thirteen hours of racing.
Race Director Martin Vaughan highlighted the tight battle: “Jac Hoi, Ginan and Shimmer must have had a fantastic battle — it is always more fun yacht racing when you have a rival close by, it pushes you that extra bit.”
The Results
The handicap results told a different story across the divisions.
AMS: Shimmer finished 3rd — a strong result on a competitive handicap against a fleet that included some quick boats. Unprecedented (Andrew McGrath / Ben Thompson, SBSC) took the win on corrected time of 12:44:17, with Ginan second.
MONO PHS: Shimmer placed 7th — mid-fleet but closely bunched, with the top boats separated by relatively small margins on corrected time.
Line Honours: Shimmer placed 3rd — crossing at 01:03:53:39 elapsed (13 hours, 23 minutes and 39 seconds), just 92 seconds behind Ginan and just over 30 minutes behind Jac Hoi.
ORC AP: Shimmer placed 4th — behind Toecutter, Unprecedented and Ginan on the ORC-adjusted handicap.
Grassy — King Island Boat Club
The finish line sits in Grassy Harbour on the south-east corner of King Island, Tasmania — a small working port that becomes the centre of the offshore racing world for one weekend a year. The King Island Boat Club is tucked at the end of Grassy Harbour Road, near the Port of Grassy and not far from the King Island Ferry Terminal, and the ORCV volunteers were on through the night to welcome the fleet as boats came in through the early hours.
By morning, the club’s outdoor tables were filling up with sailors in various states of exhaustion and contentment — the particular kind of satisfaction you only get after a night at sea. The post-race presentation was held at the boat club, in the sunshine, with the whole fleet gathered together. Category winners collected their trophies alongside King Island cheese and local crayfish. There was a lot of crayfish. And Shimmer’s new rule is no crayfish on board the boat. After a 30° day in Melbourne on arrival, the smell was hard to escape from.
The centrepiece of the trophy presentation was the Grassy Perpetual Trophy — presented by the Municipality of King Island to the Ocean Racing Club of Victoria, awarded to 1st Overall Melbourne to Grassy and collected by Andy McGrath and Ben Thompson. This year it sat on the presentation table with a large red crayfish tucked proudly inside the cup. A perfectly King Island image.
Steak sandwiches were on order — local King Island beef, and every bit as good as the reputation suggests. The afternoon stretched out in that unhurried way that offshore race finishes tend to, with sailors from across the fleet sharing stories, swapping race notes, and enjoying each other’s company.
King Island itself is always worth the passage. The hospitality is genuine, the food is exceptional, and the boat club makes you feel like the fleet’s arrival is the best thing that’s happened all year.
| Place | Boat Name | Sail No | Skipper | From | Fin Tim | Elapsd |
| 1 | JAC HOI | G88 | Danielle Fraser | RGYC | 01:03:41:46 | 13:11:46 |
| 2 | GINAN | M111 | Cam Mckenzie | MYC | 01:03:52:11 | 13:22:11 |
| 3 | SHIMMER | SB5005 | Steve Twentyman | SBSC | 01:03:53:39 | 13:23:39 |
| 4 | KIONI | 0477 | Dennis Ward | ORCV/RMYS | 01:03:57:58 | 13:27:58 |
| 5 | TOECUTTER | R1111 | Robert Hick | RYCV | 01:04:01:16 | 13:31:16 |
| 6 | ANOTHER CHAPTER | B71 | Greg Clinnick | RBYC | 01:04:14:09 | 13:44:09 |
| 7 | HOT CHIPPS | SM46 | John Chipp | SYC | 01:04:18:44 | 13:48:44 |
| 8 | QUIXOTIC | R7779 | Andrew Middleton | RYCV | 01:04:32:38 | 14:02:38 |
| 9 | SOIREE BLEU | R34 | Douglas Lithgow | RYCV | 01:04:33:19 | 14:03:19 |
| 10 | ARCADIA | S17 | Peter Davison | RMYS | 01:04:33:46 | 14:03:46 |
| 11 | UNPRECEDENTED | M3300 | Andrew Mcgrath Ben Thompson | MYC/SBSC | 01:04:46:49 | 14:16:49 |
| 12 | FASTER FORWARD | R6155 | Matt Fahey | RYCV | 01:05:00:03 | 14:30:03 |
| 13 | MERLION | H8118 | Brian Rich Eddie Mackevicius | HBYC | 01:05:10:29 | 14:40:29 |
| 14 | STREETCAR RACING | SM3301 | Aidan Geysen Jeremy Walton | SYC | 01:05:11:34 | 14:41:34 |
| 15 | VERTIGO | R935 | Timothy R935 | RYCV | 01:05:15:10 | 14:45:10 |
| 16 | XENIA | SM1250 | Koos Theron | SYC | 01:05:15:45 | 14:45:45 |
| 17 | MAVERICK | SM3600 | Rod Smallman Paul Roberts | SYC | 01:05:24:50 | 14:54:50 |
| 18 | ALIEN | R880 | Andrew Vincent | RYCV | 01:05:28:31 | 14:58:31 |
| 19 | JOAN LORRAINE | R4689 | Peter Garner | RYCV | 01:05:49:33 | 15:19:33 |
| 20 | FOGGY DEW | SM6222 | Robert Darcy Janet Wilks | SYC | 01:05:58:57 | 15:28:57 |
| 21 | WEEKEND OPTION | S313 | Michael Culhane | RMYS | 01:06:52:13 | 16:22:13 |
| RET | SCARLET RUNNER | SM13 | Rob Date | SYC |
Blogs
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Melbourne to Hobart Westcoaster
Sailing down the coast on Rushour during the Melbourne to Hobart Westcoaster was a masterclass in offshore performance. Heavy Bass Strait and Southern Ocean conditions tested endurance, decision-making, and watch management, while the multihull’s record-breaking pace reinforced the importance of disciplined boat handling, smart routing, and protecting both crew and craft over a long, exposed passage.
Belle – IY60
Racing offshore on Belle, a 60-foot IY60, was a high-intensity test of big-boat handling. Loads, sail changes, and manoeuvres demanded precision, anticipation, and clear communication. The ORCV Coastal Sprint format sharpened situational awareness, adaptability, and crew coordination, giving valuable experience in managing a large offshore yacht under pressure while maintaining speed and control.
QuiXotic
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Rushour
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Fast Forward – Sydney 38
Faster Forward isn’t just a respected Sydney 38; for me, it represents the heart of sailing culture. After the Melbourne to Hobart, I was adopted into this tight-knit team, learning that success is built as much through shared dinners and crew camaraderie as it is through miles on the water.
Alex Team Macadie
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Wings
The 1,100nm delivery of Wings from Hamilton Island to Sydney was a lesson in persistence. Most of the trip was spent punched into 18 to 25-knot headwinds and heavy seas. It was a great chance to get some serious hours on the helm at night and see how offshore routing actually works in the real world.
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The Whitsundays definitely showed their teeth during the 2024 regatta. Working the bow on a Hanse 430E, I spent the week wrestling with 30-knot gusts and complex island tides. It was all about staying one step ahead of the next sail change while navigating the narrow, choppy channels that define racing in this part of the world.
Hot Chipps
Club racing on Port Phillip Bay provided the perfect introduction to the Dehler 46 platform. Spending time on this versatile yacht was great preparation for a later coastal delivery, offering hands-on experience with its systems and deck layout. Assisting with a new mainsail setup also gave me a more technical look at the boat’s performance beyond just pulling ropes during a race.
Arcadia
Sailing on this Archambault 40RC across club and ORCV races has been a masterclass in team efficiency. PJ and the crew operate with a calm, quiet precision that makes even complex sail changes look routine. It’s a great environment to observe how a cohesive team relies on clear roles and consistent repetition rather than noise to maintain performance under pressure.