Melbourne-King Island this weekend

As is traditional on the Labour Day Weekend in Victoria, the Ocean Racing Club of Victoria will be running the Melbourne to King Island Yacht Race.

The race starts at Queenscliff just inside Port Phillip Bay and finishes at Grassy on the southern end of King Island. Unfortunately, spectators won’t get a chance to watch the intrepid sailors head out into Bass Strait as the race is scheduled to start at 0100hrs on Saturday morning.

Our yachting correspondent Geoff ‘Middo’ Middleton will be aboard the Cavalier 350 SL Hush for the race which he has competed in “a number” of times.

"The Grassy race is very popular race among Melbourne’s ocean racing fraternity," said Middo. "The members of the King Island Boat Club always give us a warm welcome and many of us say we only do the race for the steak sandwiches they turn on each year."

Of course, King Island is renowned for its beef and dairy industries and many a boat returns to Melbourne with a round or two of Bass Strait Brie and a few kilos of porterhouse for the trip home.

"The people from the King Island Dairy usually send a truck down so we buy some goodies, and if the weather’s good, it’s great to come home with the barbie smoking away on the back of the boat," enthused Middo."

But the Melbourne to King Island race isn’t all plain sailing. "Even though it’s only 114 nautical miles, the race can present its problems. I’ve been in some rough ones which can be nasty if you get a strong sou’wester," said Middo. "But then again, I’ve been in some real drifters which can be frustrating down the bottom of the island when the tides and currents come in to play."

This year, however the crews are looking for clear sailing. "The long-term forecast isn’t looking too bad,” said our correspondent. "It might be a bit light on Saturday, hopefully with a bit of east in it, then it’s turning northerly on Monday for the trip home, which isn’t ideal, but we can always burn some diesel."

"We’re in the second-smallest boat in the fleet, so I just hope there’s some steak sangas left for us when we get there."

For more information or to follow the race go to: www.orcv.org.au