Container Ship Cuts a Swathe through Melbourne to Hobart Fleet

by Mike Sabey on 27 Dec 2000 Just minutes after the start of this years Indec Consulting Melbourne Hobart, a massive 60,000 ton container ship steaming at 15 knots into the South Channel ploughed through the fleet as it raced to the first turning mark off Queenscliff.

It missed the lead boats but swag of smaller yachts were forced to take evasive action to avoid a collision. One boat just managed to avoid the container ship¹s bow by 40 metres!

James Kellett, skipper of the Farr 36 Colour Solutions said by radio after the incident, 'I am amazed the ship was in the wrong place at the wrong time'.

Despite the incident 70 spectator boats and the 37 boats racing to Hobart and Devonport escaped serious mishap.

Ruthless wins the start
John Geist¹s Northshore 38 Ruthless brilliantly won the start, seconds after Around the World disabled solo sailer Vinny Lauwers fired the starting gun at Portsea.
Most crews racing to Hobart were wearing safety harness as they crossed the start, in contrast to the Cock of the Bay race a day earlier when barely a safety harness was to be seen.

In the 3.5 mile dash to the Queenscliffe Bluff turning mark, Volante (a Devonport Dash entry) skippered by Kevin Bell surged into the lead.
However half a mile from the first mark, Graeme Smith¹s Inglis 47 Wild One put its nose in front and went on to win the Port Phillip Pilots¹ trophy for the first boat through the Heads.

The Alice Springs Yacht Club Elliot 40.3 Spirit of the Alice began conservatively midfield in the fleet, however by the Heads it had sailed through more than 14 boats to be second, just 200 metres astern of Wild One. But the Spirit of the Alice was pointing higher and sailing flatter in the 22 knot south westerly breezes and 4 3 metre seas.


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Winds increase to 35-40 knots
As the afternoon developed on Bass Strait, the wind increased to 35-40 knots and crews were forced to reduce sail further.
Spirit of the Alice said by radio, 'They felt at home with the bumpy conditions on Bass Strait as it reminded them of a corrugated road in the Simpsons Desert.'

When some 20 miles south of the heads, Wild One reported that it lost 60 minutes sailing time when a baton punctured its mainsail and the crew had to lower it to effect repairs.
Robin Hewitt¹s Yoko also reported it had a split mainsail but was able to effect repairs.

At the 40 mile mark into Bass Strait, Spirit of the Alice had opened up a 2 mile lead over Angus Fletcher¹s Adams 12m Tevake followed by 6 boats vying for 3rd place.

Tony Grundy¹s Adams 12 Morning Star, was relishing the conditions racing Jeffrey Otter¹s Cole 43 Ruffian 2 which was in close company with Kevin Curtis¹ Elliot 10.5 Sea Eagle.

On the same latitude Phil Bedlington¹s Boreson 12, Under Capricorn was attempting to overtake Wild One and Yoko.

The next Indec Consulting Melbourne-Hobart radio position reporting sked from the fleet is scheduled for 2115 hrs today.
The first boats are not expected to finish in Hobart until early Saturday.



What: Indec Consulting ­ Melbourne to Hobart Race Start
Start: Wednesday 27th December 2000 at 10.45am from Portsea
Race Record: 1996 PL Lease Future Shock 1 day 23 hrs 15 min 38 sec
Email: sabeyasc@bikepaths.com.au