CONGRATULAZIONI ITA_4_Aaron!!! GRATULUJEME PetrM!! CONGRATULATIONS Hirilonde!

Aaron (AGage) used to sail with 100% intensity, until he fell asleep, and so the SOL fleet is dividing itself into two - those who give 100% and reap the rewards and those who sleep. It is nice to think, then, that we are all a little like Aaron. The forecast winds for this leg weren't nearly as interesting as those the fleet encountered so many were lulled into thinking it was a fairly straightforward affair - MEL to HOB - but it was anything but! With 34 boats arriving in the first hour, the competition for a top spot was intense. BRAVO podium!

RACE INFO:

It's time for Leg 2 of SOL's race around Australia in memory of and tribute to SOLer AGage.

Australian yacht races seem to have great pubs at the start and finish and this race is no exception. The legendary Portsea Pub just happens to overlook the Portsea Pier and is a great spot to watch the start. If you have Google Earth, zoom in and check it out.

This is a IRL race run by the Ocean Racing Club of Victoria starting on the 27th of December each year.

Arguably Australia’s most physically challenging ocean race, the Melbourne to Hobart Westcoaster turned 40 in 2011. So it is the same age as AGage.

The race starts off the Portsea Pier in the south of Port Phillip Bay. The course takes the boats out of Port Phillip Heads, across Bass Strait, then down the rugged west coast of Tasmania, around the Southernmost tip of Australia, past Maatsuyker Island, before heading up the Derwent River to the finish in Hobart.

Weather patterns will be similar to Leg1 so be prepared to beat into a cold south westerly blast or have the kite flying in a nor-wester.

The ORCV say this is a race run for yachties by yachties. It presents an amazing challenge to the participants and is run with a level of spirit and camaraderie not often seen. There are no "fat wallet" boats here, just great sailors working hard. The sort of race AGage would enjoy.

/Tyger
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