Melbourne to Stanley Race - Lefty Loosey and Righty Tightey

11:18 PM Fri 30 Oct 2009 GMT

'Soft. - McConaghy Melbourne Offshore Championship' John Curnow

As the McConaghy Melbourne Offshore Championship gets underway with the annual Melbourne to Stanley race, you would not want to be a navigator/tactician.

Conditions are light and variable - variation being a theme in Bass Strait at any time of year - so the question becomes does one go right and tight, as such, off towards King Island and it will be straight into it, but soft with the promise of some eased sheets later as you get to the Tasmanian coast? Alternatively, does one go loose as a goose out East with whatever breeze there is and then work back in later, when the breeze fills in a bit and makes the going a little easier? There's even a little dead patch to ponder over.

Even softer... - McConaghy Melbourne Offshore Championship - John Curnow

Boiled lollies to chocolates and heroes to zeros! You name it. There could be some very lonely souls on the quay here in Stanley, depending on they have fared during the course of their journey.

Now speaking of local, it has been blowing 15 to 20 all day from the NE here in Stanley on Friday and the locals feel it will be NW then SW over the next little stretch. The BOM and their sensational wind charts don't see it the same, however.

One thing we can tell you is that as Saturday morning unfolds and the Champagne is flowing at Flemington for Derby Day, there will be boats going all over Bass Strait, much like the guests in the Member's Car Park, as they flit from one gathering to the next being careful not to spill the expensive contents.

Stay tuned - we'll let you know how it all pans out, how the form guide is looking and how the punters have fared.

Left or right? Time to find out which has paid dividends... - McConaghy Melbourne Offshore Championship - John Curnow

Breeze has filled in nicely. - McConaghy Melbourne Offshore Championship - John Curnow

Great ride home! - McConaghy Melbourne Offshore Championship - John Curnow

ORCV Race Administrator, Dennis Livingston, well and truly had the finger on the pulse this week, wrapping up all the paperwork and calls! - McConaghy Melbourne Offshore Championship - John Curnow

We're here in Stanley, with many thanks to Toll Shipping for carting the race van and a couple of likely souls... - McConaghy Melbourne Offshore Championship - John Curnow

by John Curnow