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9:35 AM Tue 23 Dec 2008 GMT
 | | 'Melbourne as backdrop to the fleet - Cock of the Bay'
John Curnow
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Something is faintly ridiculous if race organisers have a boat race name they can't say in public - here is the Latest Cock of the Bay news release.. apologies to event organiser and sponsors but please stop and think...this really is a c*ck up.
'Boxing Day is not just about Test cricket. At 10.30am in the vicinity of Station Pier, Port Melbourne, 94 yachts will gather for the start of the Entire C*ck of the Bay race.
The Entire C*ck of the Bay race is run close in to shore, following the Bay around from St Kilda past Elwood, Brighton and Sandringham providing great land-based spectator viewing.
The course itself is a marvellous journey down Melbourne's Port Phillip from Station Pier in Port Melbourne to the delightful Blairgowrie on the Mornington Peninsula.
Depending on weather conditions, it can be a straight, warm run, a cold slam or, in no breeze, more like the artful dodger as you weave your way down the shoreline. Hugging the shore may help pick up the breeze but the Bay is shallow and many a yacht has been running hard only to find themselves stopped very quickly.
Of course, at this time of year the weather can vary, so it can even be all of the above and more. Whilst only 34nm (61 km), yachts may need to cover a lot more ground than that as they apply all of their cunning to the tactics of the race.
The Entire C*ck of the Bay is both a feeder for the M2H and M2L races and a Category 4 race in its own right. It is a great way to get a lot of Bay sailors involved in the sport's busiest period. It is also the first leg of the Rudder Cup Series (M2L), The Sovereign Series (M2H West) and The Salamanca Series (M2H East). For the yachts continuing to Tasmania, it becomes crucially important to gain the best points they can from this race.
At the moment, it looks like a light wind start to the day, possibly off the beam, starting to fill in from the south in the afternoon. There are some quick boats in the fleet and it is possible that we could see the record set by Indec Merit in 2003 under threat. Indec Merit set a time of 5 hours, 13 minutes and 10 seconds which is quite a challenge.
Ray Shaw's Reichel Pugh 46, XLR8 from Sandringham will be looking to lead the fleet but he certainly won't get it all his own way. The other Reichel Pugh from Mornington, Shamrock skippered by Tony Donnellan will be looking to set themselves up well for the series, as will Paul Buccholz on his Geelong based DK46 Extasea.
David Currie, fighting for the honour of Royal Brighton Yacht Club in his IY60, Belle will be pushing them along. All the Victorians could come unstuck if the northern raiders get their way.
Matt Short and a good portion of his family have brought their TP52 down from the CYCA in Sydney to show the locals how it is done on the smaller, flatter waters of Sydney Harbour. This is a seriously quick boat crewed by very experienced sailors but local knowledge can make a difference in this often fickle race.
The handicap honours, as always, are difficult to predict with many well sailed smaller boats filling out the fleet. This will be a competitive race to the finish but a warm welcome will meet the fleet at Blairgowrie Yacht Squadron.
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Does anyone genuinely believe this is not a C*ck up? - or it just the latest marketing ploy?
by Sail-World
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