It's Brian Petersen and crew John Bankart on Maverick II first into Osaka

Skipper Brian Petersen and crew John Bankart on the New Zealand built sloop Maverick II is the Overall and Open Racer leader. This is the third time Kiwi sailor Brian Petersen has sailed in the 5,000 nautical mile Melbourne to Osaka race. In 1991 he sailed aboard Ikandu and was third across the line. In 1995 on Elliott Marine he recorded a second.

His wife Kei Ko is from Osaka and they met after the 1995 race. Having sailed to a line honours victory on his Elliott 14 metre race Maverick II, he is visiting his in-laws for a month with his wife and children.

The Melbourne to Osaka fleet started off Portsea Pier in Melbourne Australia and now 29 days and almost 5000nm later, the first of the fleet has crossed the finish line.

Its been a difficult passage, punctuated with gales and storms on the edge of Australia's Bass Strait, a glorious trade wind run up towards New guinea, then a difficult time through the doldrums of the Solomon seas, then a long beat north to Japan.

Second in the race is the Victorian entry Kontrol, now only 100 miles behind the leader with an ETA of late tomorrow night. Third overall is the 1999 race winner Jon Sayer in his new Sumo 101 design Team FGI 165 miles further back.

Brian explained last night, 'This was definitely the hardest of the three races I've done. There were a lot of fluctuations in the weather. We had the heavy winds out of Bass Strait, then we flopped around a lot going north before we had that beautiful burst of trade wind sailing up to the Solomon Islands. It was my fastest ever trip through the Doldrums and then the NE trades were lighter than I'd seen before.

The most frustrating part was the last 120 miles. Early Sunday night we were doing 10 knots and were laying course. We were expecting to arrive in Osaka on Monday morning. Then all of a sudden the wind shifted. It was on the nose and rising. We had 30-35 knots and a short sharp sea. It took ages to sail from Muroto Saki past Kamoda-misaki Light, through the Kii-suido entrance against the strong north easterlies.

In the inner bowl, about 20 miles wide, there was less fetch, but we had less breeze and it was still slow going. The channel narrows down to 2 miles between Awaji-Shima and the small islands that guard the entrance to Osaka Bay.

It was a critical time. The tide can run at 3 knots so we had to get our timing right. There is a traffic separation zone and we found we could work up the middle with freighters tracking to our port and starboard. Our navigation lights were working fine, but there was a lot of traffic. I had put new batteries in our hand held torches and we were regularly flashing them up on our sails.

We started through on the narrowest part of the channel on the turn of the tide and just when we needed speed the wind dropped away. Some tiny gusts kept coming; we crept forward and made it. But another half mile on the wind died almost to nothing and we were being sucked backwards again.

I kept thinking of the 1995 race when we lead on Elliott Marine and then we lost the breeze and Wild Thing beat us. Somehow we found just enough breeze to edge over towards the mainland shoreline and we worked the shore.  

There were big container ships at anchor everywhere but we managed to slide past them all and into Osaka after dawn.'

The Elliott 14 metre racer, Maverick II crossed the finish line in Osaka Bay at 6:57:15 AEST 5:57:15 JST.  Her elapsed time for the 4941 mile passage was 29 days 16hs 57m 59s. 

Twenty four hours later the Victorian entry Kontrol, who had closed to within 31 miles of the leader north of the Solomons two weeks was still 13 nm ENE of Kamoda-Misaki Light, 50 miles from the finish.

Kontrol second into Osaka

Sailing teaches patience, but the patience of the two Victorian's Peter and Simon Blake aboard their 14-metre racer was tested again today.

While it was hard on the nose for 12 hours for overall line honours winner Maverick II, with 30-35 knots as she closed on the Japanese coast, it was a tiptoe tour for the Kontrol team who had shadowed the leader for 5,000 miles.

Light southwesterly winds were blowing from their first landfall Muroto Saki, to the coastal city of Wakayama which guards the narrow channel between Awaji-Shima and the small islands at the entrance to Osaka Bay.

Right across Osaka Bay from Kobe in the north to Kishiwada on the southern shore and importantly to Osaka in the east, there has been only a gentle breeze from the southwest at 5-6 knots all day.

Time after time, the wake from the containers vessel easing out of Kobe and then Osaka just about stopped Kontrol dead in the water as she struggled towards the Osaka finish line.

However by 2pm JST Kontrol was 13 miles from the finish, 4900 miles from Melbourne, so close the two Australians could almost smell hot food and cold beer after 30 days at sea.

The welcoming flotilla tooted horns and cheered as they crossed the line at 17:49:48 AEST 16:49:48 JST Their elapsed time was 30 days  3 hours  49minutes and  48 seconds. Second Overall and Second Open Racer.

Team FGI is now 150miles behind her, 101 miles south of Tanabe. She is sailing in the same light southwesterly. While her ETA is 24 hours from now, the soft conditions ahead are likely to mean she will spend another two nights at sea.

Sayer's Team FGI  blitz's Class in Osaka 2003

1999 Melbourne to Osaka winner Jon Sayer and his work and crew mate Joel Berg sailed their 11 metre Sayer designed Team FGI across the finish line in front of the Hoko Yacht Club on Osaka Bay at 18:15:35 AEST (17:15:35 JST)on Friday 17th April Their elapsed time was 31d 4h 15m 35s

Unlike father and son team Peter and Simon Blake from Kontrol who were becalmed for four hours in Osaka Bay, the FGI team sailed the 40 miles across Osaka Bay at an average of six knots in brilliant sunshine..

On this beautiful Friday afternoon, many of the ferries diverted to wave and photograph the crazy Australian pair who had sailed 4,890 miles from Melbourne in their Sumo 101 sports racer. They were clear winners of Racer Class C some 350  miles ahead of their competitors. 

The Blake's and overall winner Kiwi's Petersen and Bankart, all looking well fed and dry were there to cheer Team FGI over the line.

Having just made landfall, David Tait, now long ago out of cigarettes and Peter Tardrew are racing hard aboard Club Marine Wizard to stay ahead of Ryuzo Suzuki's X-45 off Shionomisaki

Club Marine Wizard is now 98 miles from the finish while Lulu is 7 miles further out, closing on the Tanabe shore.

X-Dream is 318 miles from the finish seven miles ahead of Planatronics Duo Pro who are second in Racer Class C behind Team FGI.

Matrix and Funnel Web are converging and are within a 10 miles of each other, while the next duo Beyond Outrageous and TMQ Marine are still 500 miles from the finish line.

Highlights and lowlights

It has been a sensational race, with many dramatic highlights – huge seas and heavy weather after the start, racers jockeying for position up the coast of Australia, and the lack of a box of a matches resulting in cold food aboard Funnel Web!

Some lowlights so far have included the wreck and sinking of Mad Max and the defiant struggle and eventual capitulation of No Fearr. Most importantly, all competitors have come through safe and well, which is uppermost in the sailors minds at the moment, as stated by the crew aboard Fine Tolerance via e-mail:“All have been sobered at the abandonment of Mad Max after hitting a reef. No one wants this to happen to anyone and all are relieved that they have both been picked up,” wrote Philip Hogg, skipper of Fine Tolerance. The crew of Mad Max, James Murchison and Jeff Thompson from Sydney, were helicoptered off the boat and placed on board the Shirase, which took them to Rabaul. Mad Max was abandoned.

All of the competitors are now looking forward to a dry land again, a shower to wash the caking salt off, and in the case of husband-wife team aboard Funnel Web, some hot food!! The couple forgot to bring any matches with them, and having been surviving since on such dishes as raw eggs dropped in orange juice and Scottish sardines.“Most of the fresh food has gone to waste, as we didn’t eat for the first four days due to the rough weather. Boy, are we looking forward to some real stir-fry and a pizza in Japan,” Ivan and Sibylle Macfadyen, crew of Funnel Web, wrote. Funnel Web  has been ‘doing it tough’, with Ivan being crushed between the boom and a winch in the heavy weather early in the race and cracking ribs on both sides.

“The celebrations in Osaka, which will last two months, are centered around Business Partner City activities. There will be a Fashion and Design Incubator featuring young designers, a trade show and of course a celebration of the efforts of our intrepid yachties, “ the Lord Mayor said.

ALL ABOARD FOR THE 2003 TASAKI MELBOURNE TO OSAKA CUP
Press release 9th April 2002

The Tasaki Osaka Cup, the world's longest longitudinal, double-handed yacht race is held every four years and returns in 2003. Entries are now open for this prestigious and unique international yachting event first held in 1987 which celebrates the Sister City and Sister Port relationships between Melbourne and Osaka.

Race competitors must sail without stopovers from Melbourne (Australia) to Osaka (Japan) spanning 5,500 nautical miles (approximately 10,200 km). They travel a unique course experiencing three seasons in reverse, autumn in the Southern Hemisphere, summer around the Equator and spring in the Northern Hemisphere.

Leg One of the official race start is on Saturday March 15, 2003 (from Station Pier, Port Melbourne) with Leg Two departing for Osaka from Portsea Pier on Sunday March 16, 2003. The major objectives of the Tasaki Osaka Cup include showcasing the technological developments in sailing whilst returning to the basic form of yacht racing and most importantly allowing sailors from all around the world to interact with the citizens and cultures of both host Cities, Melbourne and Osaka.

This time, two new classes have been established to enable a wider variety of sailors to participate. The Open Racer Group caters for the most up-to-date racing boats. Race rules do not limit use of new facilitation (ie, water ballast, etc) that improves the yachts' performance. Yachts between 12m to 18m will be classified into two classes with Open 50 and Open 60 class yachts (those used for single-handed round-the-world races).

The new Cruising Fleet category is a non-competitive division specifically designed for sailors who wish to enjoy sailing to Osaka under the supervision and safety of the race rule requirements. These new categories reinforce the race's objectives of enjoying the ocean safely, promoting good seamanship to survive on the ocean, accelerating development of yachts and equipment that suit short-handed sailing, and generally encouraging people to enjoy and participate in sailing.

Entries for the 2003 Tasaki Osaka Cup close on 30 November 2002. Race Entry enquiries should be directed to the Tasaki Osaka Cup Race Committee: Ph: +81-798-33-2100 Fax: +81-798-33-2251 Email: info@osakacup.com Copies of the entry application form, rules, classification of yachts and safety regulations can be downloaded from the official web site at www.osakacup.com

For further media information please contact: Georgina Peake at PR Works (Australia) Ph: (03) 9289 9599 Email: gpeake@prworks.com

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Media Release  
15 October 2001

Enter now for the 2003 Melbourne-to-Osaka Yacht Race

Entries opened today for the world’s only yacht race to traverse the Pacific Ocean non-stop from south to north by crews of two. The Melbourne/Osaka Double-Handed Yacht Race, held every four years, is expected to again attract an international fleet to take on the 5500 nautical mile course.

Melbourne Lord Mayor John So urged the yachting community to start thinking about entering the March 2003 race, which has previously attracted competitors the likes of famed disabled sailor Vinnie Lauwers and 1995 winner Grant Warrington.

“The City of Melbourne is extremely pleased to be supporting this race, which is organised by our Japanese sister city Osaka,” Mr So said. “It is a wonderful opportunity to use a challenging sporting event to bring people of different cultures together – both physically and in understanding.”

Applicants have until September next year to enter, although a discounted entry fee will be offered to those who apply by March. The fee is 50,000 yen (40,000 yen for early entries), which equates to $860 ($665 early entries) at current exchange rates.

For 2003, two new racing groups have been added to the traditional mono-hulled yachts of 10 to 16 metres. These are:

·        Open racing, allowing yachts of up to 60 foot; and

·        Cruising fleet, allowing boats to call at any port along the way.

Cr Irene Goonan, chair of the Melbourne organising committee for the race, said Melbourne would be working closely with the Sandringham Yacht Club, which is again hosting the race along with the Osaka Hokko Yacht Club in Japan / www.osakacup.com.

“We are planning a week of celebrations in Melbourne in the lead up to the start of the race on Saturday March 15, 2003,” Cr Goonan said. “The celebrations will continue on the Mornington Peninsula when the yachts sail through Port Phillip Head the next day.”

Cr Goonan said the race was being planned by the City of Osaka, with help from the City of Melbourne and the Melbourne Port Corporation, which has a sister port relationship with Osaka. She said the organising authority was the Melbourne/Osaka Double-Handed Yacht Race Promotion Council in conjunction with the Japan Sailing Federation. The main sponsor is Tosaka Shinju Company, a Japanese pearl manufacturer and jeweller.

For further information potential competitors should contact Scott Eccleston at Sandringham Yacht Club on (03) 9598 7444 / www.osakacup.syc.com.au.

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