2025 Melbourne Osaka Cup Race: Alive launches - full speed to Osaka
by Melbourne Osaka Cup media 31 Mar 11:52 BST
31 March 2025
Alive setting up for a quick start - 2025 Melbourne Osaka Cup Race © Al Dillon
After a 24-hour delay, Alive crossed the start line at Portsea in pursuit of the fleet and marking the last start of the 5,500-nautical-mile 2025 Melbourne Osaka Cup yacht race.
Alive the Reichel Pugh 66 skippered by Duncan Hine with co-skipper Glenn Myler is hoping to break the record of 21 days, 12 hours, 41 minutes and 13 seconds set by Chinese Whisper in 2018 and needs to average just under 11 knots for the duration of the race.
It's a long race where the winners are awarded based on elapsed time for both Line and Handicap honours, with the staggered start aimed at having all boats arriving in Osaka within a two-week window.
The crew will be working hard to challenge the current record while aiming to catch the front runners, where some are almost halfway to Osaka, starting almost 1 month after the first starter, an S&S34 Curious Roo.
Alive's Skipper Duncan Hine paid tribute to the current race record holder set in 2018 by Chinese Whisper, "Rupert Henry and Greg O'Shea are very competent sailors and had done a few more modifications," with Hine adding, "We're going to give the record a fair crack."
Hine and co-skipper Glenn Myler have put considerable thought into making this big, lightweight rocket ship practical for two people to sail.
"The biggest issue being double-handed is safety" explained Hine "We need to really think before we tack, especially when going into a confined area"
"As it's a very narrow boat, we've reduced the size of the headsails and put them on hanks, which means it's easier to just drop them on the deck for one person." with Hine adding "I'm very pleased we finally got there with being able to put in two reefs and shake them out without leaving the cockpit."
Ocean Racing Club of Victoria (ORCV) On Water Managers stated that with an East Coast Low forming off the NSW coast, the decision to delay the start by one day was made as a matter of safety, allowing the Low to move away from the coast and conditions to settle.
"With all the competitors now started, this marks a milestone for the race and supporting team", said ORCV Rear Commodore David Schuller.
Alive set off today heavily reefed, prepared to pace itself through headwinds until reaching Wilsons Promontory. From there, the crew plans to follow a more scenic coastal route, staying inshore to avoid the stronger offshore winds before Eden.
There's no pressure onboard the yacht but an optimistic crew, just glad to be finally on their way to Osaka and the dream of competing in the world longest double handed north south yacht race.
Follow their progress as they aim to beat the record and catch up with the earlier starters via the race tracker here.