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2023 Melbourne to Hobart Yacht Race Winners

Main photo: Alien wins the Heemskirk Trophy for a fifth time in the 2023 Melbourne to Hobart Yacht Race. Photo by Michael Currie

Alien wins record-breaking fourth Heemskirk Perpetual Trophy and Peccadillo smashes multihull record in 2023 Melbourne to Hobart Yacht Race

After a gruelling last 24 hours of sailing in winds gusting greater than 40 knots and battling 4 to 5 metre seas along the South Coast of Tasmania, Alien, skippered by Justin Brenan from the Royal Yacht Club of Victoria, was victorious in the intense battle for the prestigious Heemskirk Perpetual trophy while the multihull Peccadillo took line honours in the 51 st Melbourne to Hobart Yacht Race.

Justin Brenan, and his seasoned ocean racing crew, flew under the radar for the first part of the race but positioned themselves well for the final run home to Hobart to win the coveted Heemskirk Perpetual Trophy for the overall winner determined on AMS handicap.

The modest skipper and his crew sailed Alien into the record books by winning the Melbourne to Hobart Yacht Race (Westcoaster) on AMS handicap for the fourth time, a record that will take a long time to beat. Brenan also won the Melbourne to Hobart Eastcoaster Race in 2008. 

The battle for AMS honours was on in earnest on the second day of sailing with Ryujin, skippered by Alex Toomey, last year’s runner-up Ginan, skippered by Nigel Jones and Cam McKenzie, and Lord Jiminy, skippered by Jimmy Oosterweghel, primed for a three-way battle for the AMS win, but three-time winner Alien picked up speed overnight and had a great race into Hobart.

Skipper Justin Brenan, twice-crowned the ORCV Offshore Champion, reflected upon the 51 st race to Hobart.

“The winds were warm all the way, we didn’t get any cold weather at all.

“It was an interesting race. Normally we have a beat and then a reach and then we’re running under spinnakers but this year there were no spinnakers really.

“We had good breeze. A 50-knot gust went through and at that stage we only had a double reefed mainsail and a small headsail up and doing 19 knots which was good.

“It’s not every day you can go sailing in the Southern Ocean, in warm conditions and go fast.

Coming across the bottom of Tasmania presented the most significant challenge to Brenan and his crew.

“There was enough wind to make it interesting. Most of the time we had 35 knots and a bit of rain…going through the islands in the dark meant you had to watch your navigation a bit because in the rain you just couldn’t see them.

Brenan has won the race each time on the Lidgard 36 designed boat, which he affectionately describes as an evergreen yacht, which was designed in 1990, built in 1996, and, according to the winning skipper, “still beats some of the most expensive ones around”.

The remarkable achievements of this humble crew bear testament to what can be achieved with a combination of a well-designed boat, a skilful and experienced crew, and excellent seamanship.    

“The other good thing about this race was how close it was. Ourselves, Vertigo [retired] and a few other boats were all within a couple of minutes of each other.

“Coming up the River [Derwent] we knew we had about an hour and forty minutes if we wanted to win so it was pretty close and a good fleet,” said Brenan.     

Peccadillo, skippered by Charles Meredith in his first Westcoaster, was thrilled with his win and relished the heavy conditions.

“Blowy was good for us, we enjoyed that, it was the long upwind legs down to the bottom of Tassie that were not really our favourite, but across the bottom [of Tasmania], in a nice 30 knot breeze, that’s what this boat likes.

“We don’t point the same as a monohull, so we tended to sail bigger angles than the rest of the fleet, but we also wanted to get out further west after King Island so we could get a better angle when the wind came around from the west which worked for us.

“Lord Jiminy followed us after a while as that type of boat sails somewhat similarly to us. It was a good place to be with a nice set of angles coming down the West Coast.

Meredith, a seasoned ocean sailor, was enthralled by the stunning West Coast of Tasmania.

“Travelling the West Coast of Tassie is always something special, whether it’s a cruise, racing or whether you are bushwalking on the land.

“As we came in closer to the Coast around Maatsuyker [Island] and the rock stacks – it’s just such a spectacular place, with big seas, and it looks like you are in the Southern Ocean because you are. I’ve never sailed that far South before – that was certainly a highlight,” said Meredith.    

Meredith is keen to defend his multihull record in 2024.

“The ORCV has done the hard work in making it possible for multihulls to enter the race, but because it’s so new, we really need to get the word out a year ahead, and I think there’s potential overseas interest – this really is one of Australia’s great ocean races,” said Meredith.

Peccadillo smashed the previous multihull record set by Bagatelle in 1988 by almost 10 hours, with an elapsed time (which included a time penalty for a course-sailed error leaving Port Philip Heads) of two days, 18 hours, four minutes and one second.

Bagatelle’s previous record on elapsed time was three days, three hours, 35 minutes and 23 seconds.

Rod Smallman and Leeton Hulley, from the Sandringham Yacht Club, co-skippered their Jeanneau Sunfast 3600 Maverick, to win the double-handed division and the overall race on performance handicap.

Ginan was the first monohull into Hobart and was the winner on ORC handicap.

Official presentations for the 2023 Melbourne to Hobart Yacht Race will be held at Race Village, Elizabeth Street Pier at 5pm on Sunday 31 December 2023. 

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

Race results here.

Jane Austin/ORCV media

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Melbourne to Hobart Fleet Ready to Set a Cracking Pace to Hobart 

• Post author By Boating Manager
• Post date 20/12/2022

Media Release 19 December 2022

Melbourne to Hobart Fleet Ready to Set a Cracking Pace to Hobart Skippers and crews from the near 50 boat fleet are counting down the days to the start of the 50th anniversary of the Ocean Racing Club of Victoria’s (ORCV) Melbourne to Hobart Yacht Race and as final preparations are made, several boats are in contention for line honours. One of the top performing boats to watch is Damien King’s Frers 61, Margaret Rintoul V (MRV). King, from the Sandringham Yacht Club (SYC), is certainly in form, taking line honours in the short coastal Apollo Bay Race earlier in the year, sailing the classic beauty to victory in a close race. King, a multiple world and national champion sailor, boasts one of the classiest and most experienced sailing crews in the fleet who are not only hot shot sailors but also lifetime friends of the popular skipper. Mark Byrne is the navigator on MRV and is an accomplished yachtsman in his own right. King will be sharing the helming duties with close friend Grant Allen, and will be looking to America’s Cup campaigner, Ben Morrison-Jack, to give MRV the drive and tactical advantage on the trip to Hobart. “I’ve never competed in this race before, but if it’s anything like the Sydney to Hobart, the race can be won or lost in the River Derwent. Luckily for us we have international sailor Tim Burnell on board. Tim is a local and has sailed on the Derwent for the past 35 years,” said King. Burnell will be hoping for a touch of family luck as he tries to repeat the previous success of his father, Rob Burnell, who won the race on two occasions. Sailing with close friends is important to King. “Apart from Nick [Sayer], we have all grown up sailing together from 14 years of age, and while we are lifelong competitors, we are all the best of mates, so we have plenty of laughs among the serious competition”, said King. Launched in 1996, MRV is widely regarded as one of the finest and most luxurious cruising yachts ever built in Australia. The yacht was built for then Sydney-based sailor, Stan Edward, under the experienced eye of the late international yachtsman Tasmania’s Graeme (“Frizzle”) Freeman, who was appointed to oversee the build and fit out, a task he performed for many successful campaigns. Previous winner and champion offshore sailor Paul Buchholz will push his Cookson 50, Extasea, hard and fast to Hobart with an eye on the 2022 line honours prize while fending off Gerry Cantwell’s Marten 49, Carrera S, and Antony Walton’s Reichel/Pugh 46, Hartbreaker which could also be in contention for first home if the conditions suit them. The prestigious Heemskerk Perpetual trophy will go to the handicap winner on AMS and the field for this is wide open. Rob Date’s Carkeek 43, Scarlet Runner, also from the SYC is in hot contention for the handicap win and, if the conditions are right, could also push the larger boats for line honours. Launched in 2022, she is designed to the Fast 40+ class rule and has achieved outstanding results on the competitive European circuit. Challenging Scarlet Runner will be Victorian entry, Ginan. While an unknown quantity in the Westcoaster, skippers Nigel Jones and Cam McKenzie bought the J111 specifically to campaign her for the 50th race. The skippers have engaged the expertise of a J111 expert who will be onboard for the race and driving the crew for peak performance. Jones is no stranger to success, skippering Paladin to an overall win in the 1990 race and Cadibarra 7 in 1999. Not to be underestimated is Andrew Jones’s Inglis 47, AdvantEDGE from the Port Dalrymple Yacht Club and Brent McKay’s Bakewell/White Z39, Jazz Player, which took line honours in 2009 under the guidance of skipper Andrew Lawrence. McKay has his sights set on a hard and fast sail to Hobart. “To win the race, we need to be smart about how we sail – making the right choice around King Island and making the most of the conditions when we sail up the Derwent. We will be working the boat hard, but one thing we know, when she’s off the wind, she’ll get up and boogie,” said McKay. (In the 2021 race, 80 percent of the fleet went west of King Island including eventual winner, Faster Forward, a rare feat in the race’s history books). The 435 nautical mile Melbourne to Hobart Yacht Race, organised by the ORCV with the cooperation of the Derwent Sailing Squadron, starts off Portsea Pier at 12pm on 27 December.

For more about the race and list of entries, please visit: www.melbournehobart.com

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Melbourne to Hobart Yacht Race

Thick sea fog hits the 2023 melbourne to hobart yacht race.

The 2023 Melbourne to Hobart Yacht Race started in sunny conditions on Port Philip Bay today with competitors set for a quick race to Hobart.

The fleet started the 51st race in a steady 13 knot southerly breeze under blue skies but an eerie sea fog rolling over Point Nepean enveloped the boats soon after the start, reducing visibility for competitors and crews alike, as they made their way to the first turning mark near Shortland Bluff.

Double-handed entrant Joker x2, co-skippered by Peter Dowdney and Grant Chipperfield, representing the Mornington and Sandringham Yacht Clubs (MYC/SYC), had a fantastic start choosing the committee boat end of the start line and relished the benefits of the clear air.

The multihull Peccadillo, skippered by experienced campaigner Charles Meredith from the Royal Melbourne Yacht Squadron, opted for the middle of the line but despite being way back on the start gun, soon found the front of the fleet.

Alien, skippered by Justin Brenan from the Royal Yacht Club of Victoria (RYCV), was the first boat to hoist a kite, with the yellow spinnaker adding some colour to the fleet, but they struggled to carry it at times on the shy reach while other crews opted for code zeros and were able to make a higher course.

As the boats approached Quarantine Station at Point Nepean, Peccadillo maintained her lead and was revelling in the reaching conditions, but an intense battle was under way behind her between last year’s runner-up and handicap favourite for this year’s event, Ginan, co-skippered by Cam McKenzie and Nigel Jones from MYC, Alex Toomey’s Sayer 12, Ryujin and Joker x2, with Ryujin in front at the end of Point Nepean.

Peccadillo was the first boat out of Port Philip Bay Heads followed by the monohulls, Ryujin, Ginan, Joker x2 and Andrew Neeson’s Runnalls 39, Jaffa, from the Royal Brighton Yacht Club.

ORCV Race Director David Schuller was happy with the clear race start and anticipates an exciting race ahead.

“The weather is going to throw a little bit of everything at our competitors in this race which promises to be very exciting with possibilities for a fast race,” said Schuller.

Assistant Race Director, Ray Shaw, also predicts solid sailing conditions across Bass Strait to King Island and a quick trip south to Hobart.

“All weather models indicate that east of King Island is the preferred path for the fleet.

“The fleet can expect a 15 to 20 knot southerly breeze as they cross Bass Strait.

“The winds will pick up on Friday evening as a strong low compresses below Tasmania which will provide more challenging conditions for the crews with strong west to south westerly winds of 30 knots, gusting to 40 knots,” said Shaw.

Cyrus Allen, skipper of White Spirit and Commodore of the ORCV, broadcasting from onboard his boat in amongst the thick pea soup that descended over the fleet, expects the wind to build overnight.

“Tonight, as we go down towards King Island, we expect the conditions to freshen a little bit before we face some pretty decently lumpy winds on the South West Coast [of Tasmania],” said Allen.

Several boats are in contention for line honours with monohulls Ginan, Ryujin, Joker x2 and Lord Jiminy, skippered by Jimmy Oosterweghel from the Royal Melbourne Yacht Squadron, the boats to watch.

The prestigious Heemskerk Perpetual trophy will go to the handicap winner on AMS.

Handicap predictions for the 2023 race include Ginan, Jaffa, Alien and Vertigo, skippered by father and daughter combination Tim and Clare Olding from the RYCV.

Other prizes on offer include the Zeehan Trophy for the Navigator of the Heemskirk Trophy winner, the Wrest Point Abel Tasman Trophy for the winner on line honours, and the City of Melbourne Perpetual Trophy for first on corrected time on the performance handicap.

The Westcoaster, as the race is affectionately known, is one of the world’s great ocean races, covering 435 nautical miles from the start in Port Philip Bay to the finish line in the River Derwent in Hobart.

The race starts with a 125 nm passage across Bass Strait before the fleet sails 200 nm south down the West Coast of Tasmania, past Maatsuyker Island, east to South East Cape then turning northeast towards the more sheltered, but equally challenging waters of Storm Bay and the River Derwent.

Line honours contenders are expected to arrive in Hobart in the early hours of Saturday morning.

The fleet is carrying trackers enabling race followers to track the action from start to finish. To follow the fleet, go to  race.bluewatertracks.com/2023-melbourne-to-hobart-westcoaster

The monohull 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:  www.orcv.org.au/hobart

by Jane Austin/ORCV media

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Father and son killed in house fire in Melbourne's east

A father and his son have died in a house fire in Donvale, in Melbourne's east.

About 30 firefighters were called to the property on Saturday morning.

A father and his teenage son have died in a house fire at Donvale, in Melbourne's east.

Family who attended the scene on Saturday afternoon identified the pair as Calvin Reeder and his teenage son Brendon Reeder. 

Victoria Police said emergency services were called to the property on Craig Road at about 4am on Saturday.

Firefighters found the two-storey home fully ablaze. 

About 30 firefighters were deployed at the site.

Fire Rescue Victoria said the roof of the home collapsed.

The pair was found inside the property once the blaze was extinguished.

The older brother of Calvin Reeder, Mark Reeder, told reporters at the scene on Saturday afternoon his brother had a "heart of gold".

"He'd do anything for anybody, loved his son," he said.

Neighbour Thomas Quinn told reporters he'd known Calvin Reeder for about 10 years. 

Mr Quinn said Mr Reeder was someone who would help others out with whatever they needed. 

"I just can't believe it," he said. 

Another neighbour, Stephen Page, said Mr Reeder had been doing a good job looking after his son, who had autism. 

"We lost a good man," he said.

Police are investigating the cause of the fire but have deemed it non-suspicious.

Police have not yet formally identified the bodies of the pair killed.

They are asking anyone who witnessed the fire or has information about the incident to contact CrimeStoppers on 1800 333 000.

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• Donald Trump to speak at Republican National Convention

Republican National Convention 2024 LIVE Updates: Trump to speak; What time and how to watch in Australia; Obama and Pelosi share Biden concerns

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Hello and welcome to our rolling coverage on Friday, July 18, of the final day of the Republican National Convention. Donald Trump is set to address his supporters for the first time since he survived an assassination attempt. More has been learned about what his would-be killer looked at on his phone in the lead-up to the Pennsylvania Rally. Barack Obama and Nancy Pelosi have privately shared concerns about US President Joe Biden's place in the race.

- When will Donald Trump speak at the Republican National Convention?

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A stunning scene played out at the Republican National Convention as a group of GOP senators chased Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle through the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, shouting that she has refused to answer questions regarding the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump.

"This was an assassination attempt! You owe the people answers. You owe President Trump answers!" Tennessee Senator Marsha Blackburn shouted at Cheatle, who continued to walk with her head down and ignore the senators' criticism.

"It's stonewalling!" said Senator John Barrasso.

Blackburn later posted a video of the encounter to X, writing: "The American people deserve answers from the Secret Service."

The confrontation came after Trump met with Cheatle on Tuesday to receive a private, in-person briefing about the attempted assassination, a source familiar with the meeting said.

The 20-year-old Pennsylvania man who tried to assassinate Donald Trump had photos on his phone of the former Republican president, President Joe Biden and other officials, including Attorney General Merrick Garland and FBI Director Chris Wray, according to two people familiar with the matter.

Investigators searching Thomas Matthew Crooks' (pictured) devices have also found that the shooter looked up the dates for the Democratic National Convention as well as Trump's appearances, according to the people who spoke to The Associated Press on the condition on anonymity to discuss details of the ongoing probe.

The FBI has been searching for clues into what drove Crooks to open fire at Saturday's campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, in an attempt to assassinate the GOP presidential nominee.

The FBI has said they are investigating the shooting as a potential act of domestic terrorism but have yet to find a clear ideological motive. The FBI gained access to Crooks' cellphone, scoured his computer, home and car, and interviewed more than 100 people so far.

Crooks killed one rallygoer and seriously wounded two others. Trump suffered an ear injury but was not seriously hurt, appearing just days later at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee with a bandage over the wound.

The shooter had also searched for major depressive disorder, according to three people familiar the investigation. But investigators have not yet determined whether he was actually diagnosed with the disorder, one of the people said.

Studies have shown that the vast majority of people with mental illnesses are not violent, and experts say most people who are violent do not have mental illnesses.

On a conference call with reporters earlier this week, Kevin Rojek, the special agent in charge of the Pittsburgh field office, said: "We have no indication of any mental health issues."

US Vice President Kamala Harris says the story Ohio Senator JD Vance, the new Republican vice presidential candidate, told the crowd during his speech at the Republican National Convention the previous day was "compelling" but "not the full story."

"Frankly, what is very telling is what he did not talk about on that stage," Harris (pictured) said during a rally in North Carolina, referring to former president Donald Trump's running mate.

"He did not talk about Project 2025, their 900-page blueprint for a second Trump term," Harris said. She added: "He did not talk about it because their plans are extreme."

She also criticised Vance for his party's stance on abortion, the economy, and the Republican Party's call for unity in the wake of the attempt on Trump's life last weekend.

"Here's the thing: If you claim to stand for unity, you need to do more than just use the word," she said.

"You cannot claim you stand for unity if you are pushing an agenda that deprives whole groups of Americans of basic freedoms, opportunity and dignity.

"You cannot claim to be for unity if you try to overturn a free and fair election and threatened to terminate the United States Constitution."

Project 2025 is a policy blueprint for the next Republican president produced by a conservative think tank, The Heritage Foundation. Trump has attempted to distance himself from the document, but at least 140 people who worked in his administration had a hand in its creation, a CNN review found.

The final official session of the Republican National Convention, at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, will run from 5.45pm to 10.30pm local time on Thursday.

That equates to between 8.45am and 1.30pm Friday, AEST, 8.15am-1pm in the Northern Territory and South Australia, and 6.45am-11.30am in Western Australia.

There is no specific time set aside for Trump to speak in that period, however, as presidential nominee, he's likely to pick a climactic moment to address a fervent crowd.

READ MORE HERE

Hello and welcome to our coverage of the last day of the Republican National Convention.

It's arguably the biggest day of the event because Donald Trump, after his VP pick JD Vance spoke yesterday, will address his supporters.

It will be his first speech since the assassination attempt at his Pennsylvania rally at the weekend.

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Melbourne to Hobart and Devonport yachts ready to race

Yachts will set sail from Portsea on the afternoon of December 27 to Hobart and Devonport.

Preparation for long distance ocean races, particularly those that start in Bass Strait, is onerous in any year. In 2021, with multiple lockdowns and travel restrictions, it has been nearly impossible for many. However, some have managed to maintain and prepare their yachts and crew and eager to meet the challenges of sailing in Bass Strait.

Race officials are closely watching two high pressure systems that are set to dominate the early part of the races.  As the fleets enter Bass Strait, the predicted wind will be strengthening to 22 knots and then as the sun sets the fleet will be experiencing light winds.  Skippers and tacticians’ skills will be tested as the route plotted at this point will determine where you finish.

Brian Pattinson is a veteran of ocean racing, having completed multiple Tasmanian Melbourne to Osaka, Melbourne to Vanuatu and Melbourne to Mackay races.  He is in the early days sailing his new boat Gusto Solo, a Don Jones 42, and will be sailing double handed with his son Tristan. 

Pattinson said, “It is a very exciting boat nothing like the previous two Gusto’s. We haven’t had much sailing time together between COVID restrictions and, when we have tried to hit the water, we have had some big blows that have stopped us.” He continued, “Unlike the other two boats it is lighter and comes up to speed more quickly.”

It is hard to see Pattinson and son Tristan not being the first yacht across the line in Devonport.  If they have a challenger, Alex Toomey in his Sayer 12 Ryujin would be it.  Toomey is sailing Ryujin fully crewed, but this boat was designed to be sailed short-handed on long ocean races and in the light air can be ‘driven’ with minimal crew movement.

Weather for the Hobart race is a little harder to predict this far out from the start. Naturally, they will benefit from the good starting conditions and, as they track closer to King Island, the prediction is that the wind will stay in for them longer.

Race Director Jeremy Walton even quipped, “Maybe this is the year to go to the west of King Island,’ a course that has been pursued in the past without good results.

“At the moment, the weather on the North part of the West Coast shows some good promise but with a lighter ‘hole’ towards the middle of the Coast around Strahan. Always a very tactical race the lighter breezes will challenge the crews, questions of whether to stay in and ‘rock hop’ the coast versus head out and hope for the change to push you back across to make the turn at Maatsuyker Island.”

Looking at the Line Honours possibilities, the Double Handed yacht, Alex-Team Macadie, a Jones/Hart 14 is one of the front runners. Jock Macadie is not just an experienced double handed sailor but indeed one of its pioneers and greatest proponents. For many years, his crew was his son and the two were a formidable force in every race they entered.Jock’s son has been in the USA for some years now and a new crew was not always easy to find.

Lord Jiminy, an Open 40 which is sailing shorthanded as ‘Four crew plus Auto Helm’, will be quick and dangerous. Skipper Guillaume Leroux is a wily competitor, and nobody can afford to let them out of their sight.

As much a sentimental favourite as beautifully sailed by an efficient team is Tevake ll. Both Tevake l and Tevake ll were fixtures of the ocean racing and club racing scene for decades.  Fletcher was the Commodore of the ORCV from 2004 – 2006 and was Ocean Racer of the Year in 2020.  Unfortunately, we lost Angus early in the year. Fletcher’s wife Holly has always been a fixture of the essential ‘ground crew’ supporting Tevake and she has supported this tight knot crew to continue in Angus’s memory.

Skipper Paul Neilson said, “It’s weird to be sailing without him. We now know how much paperwork is involved in Ocean Racing.  We have been so well supported by Holly.  She has had new rigging put in. She wants the boat raced and campaigned properly.

“We will be racing in Angus’ honour but it’s never going to be the same. We don’t really like the light weather that’s showing.  We would prefer the heavy stuff, but we will be giving it everything.”

No matter who is first across the line, all crews are grateful to have the opportunity once again to do what they love – ocean sail.

By ORCV media

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