From the Melbourne Osaka Cup news room…
Melbourne to Osaka entrant Kraken, a Sunfast 36, arrived at Sandringham Yacht Club Melbourne at 10.30 am today (Thursday October 19). The trip took the lads 10 days and three hours and was largely uneventful.
Todd and Dubbo reported the strongest breeze of about 35 knots was recorded south of the Great Australian Bight and apart from one tack after rounding Cape Otway the entire 1700 nautical mile voyage was sailed with the wind at their back. Midway on the voyage the four year old boat clocked its 11,000th mile of ocean sailing.
Kraken was met at SYC by fellow Sunfast 36 skipper Rod Smallman from Maverick who was eager to check out the competition and the Meltemi crew also helped tie the lines.
Kraken passed through Port Phillip Heads around 5 am against the tide and a warm northerly but in true Melbourne spirit the wind went southerly as they passed Queenscliff, pushing them up the bay. By the time they docked at SYC the forecast rain had struck helping wash some of the salt from the sails and boat.
A bottle of Mount Gay Rum provided by Rod helped wash the salt from the crew’s throat.
There will be a more detailed report on the trip by shortly.
Ian Howarth