Yachting continues Melbourne’s proud maritime traditions

From a maritime perspective, Docklands is fortunate indeed, uniquely aware of the water and magnificent yachts. No matter if you don’t sail yourself, the exhilarating power of wind and waves can’t help but capture the imagination.

Melbourne as we know it would not have been established without vessels under sail. Imagine the fear when surging through the treacherous turbulence of the Heads past the reefs and followed by the comparative calm wonder of magnificence of exploring Port Phillip Bay, finding the meandering Birrarung/Yarra estuary – and upstream, fresh water!

Around 150 years later, the world-renowned Victoria Port (now known as Victoria Harbour) is home to magnificentvessels harnessing the wind and waves, sailing across the vast oceans, navigating the notorious conditions and obstacles of Bass Strait and the very narrow entry to Port Phillip Bay at the Heads which are one nautical mile (1.6 km), ultimately finding safe haven Victoria Harbour. Modern yachting continues this magnificent tradition.

Make no mistake, ocean sail is in our DNA. We live on the southern coast of an island continent nation. Just last month, Docklands welcomed courageous and skilled yachtswoman Pip Hare who was competing in the Round the World single-handed. Her storm-damaged and de-masted yacht Medallia, limped into the safe haven Victoria Harbour to recover.

Later this month, Docklands will welcome intrepid competitors in the Melbourne-Osaka two-handed yacht race (M2O) – a serious 5500-nautical-mile challenge. Given that it the Heads are distant from Melbourne, competing yachts gather and actually leave from Sandringham Yacht Club between March 9 and 28 at intervals calculated to enable competing yachts to, in theory, arrive in Osaka on the same day. Given, too, that the race is a wild, physically and mentally challenging voyage, who can tell.

Luckily for Docklands, the largest yacht competing in the race, the Tasmanian yacht Alive, is scheduled to leave last on March 28. So, while it waits to start the race, the  magnificent mini-maxi yacht Alive will be sailed to Victoria Harbour and moored at Melbourne City Marina at NewQuay. Its entry into Victoria Harbour beneath the Bolte Bridge promises to be an exciting logistical feat even before the race even starts!

The mast on Alive is actually higher than the Bolte Bridge so it will need to be tilted at low tide to pass under the Bridge – we hope!  We recommend that all in Docklands try to watch this rare event.

Details of this dramatic entree and other M2O events will appear in the media. When moored, daily maintenance in readiness for the tough voyage will be happening.

About Alive

A very successful racing yacht – normally crewed by 12 people so Tasmanian yachtsmen competing in the M2O, Duncan Hine and Glen Myler, will be tested handling this 66ft vessel.

For more detail on Alive and various races see aliveyachting.com. An amusing aside – Duncan Hines’s rather fitting nick name is “Dunk”. Let’s hope not!

About the 9th Port of Melbourne – Port of Osaka Yacht Race (M2O)

A unique race between port/sister cities first held in 1987 to commemorate the 120th anniversary of the opening of the Port of Osaka.

Former City of Melbourne Lord Mayor, the late Trevor Huggard, sailed in the first race.  The City of Melbourne has provided hospitality support to competitors in the past. This is Australia’s longest Category 1 yacht race, the equivalent of eight back-to-back Sydney to Hobart races but with only two crew on board. Double-handed yacht races commenced in the UK in the 1960s and ‘70s. See: melbourneosakacup.com/en/about-the-race

Turning back now to our rich sailing heritage

Melbourne Maritime Heritage Network (MMHN) is seriously aghast by recent moves from Development Victoria (DV) to in effect oust the heritage fleet from Victoria Harbour.

DV continues to ignore strong Docklands community support for the presence of the heritage fleet in Victoria Harbour.

Instead DV continues to pander to the accelerating demands of commercial property developers on North Wharf overriding the modest needs of the heritage fleet valiantly restoring vessels in the unique heritage site Victoria Harbour.

MMHN understands that discussions continue between the heritage fleet and DV. We live in hope that common sense and respect for maritime heritage prevail. •