The yacht of the first two starts have broken free. No longer trapped in the doldrums, Zero, Curious Roo, and Escapade are now riding the steady northern trade winds, their sails full and their spirits high.
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.
The hunt for the elusive Curious Roo continues as the race turns into an offshore tactical battle.
With just four days to go, the crew of 2018 and 2023 Rolex Sydney Hobart handicap winner “Alive” know what’s coming. While skipper Duncan Hine and co-skipper Glenn Myler have taken time off, over the next couple of days, they will get their Border Force clearances and move the boat from its current location at Melbourne City Marina.
In ocean racing, every decision can make or break a campaign.
So here we are, one week into the 2025 M2O on the good ship The Secretary. It’s been great for Dave and me to reflect on the past week—not just this edition of the race, but also the last one in 2018 when we were on such a different boat but the same incredible journey.
Roaring Forty, the Lutra Boc Open 40, owned by Kevin Le Poidevin with co-skipper Darrell Greig, has sadly retired due to a broken boom from the 2025 Melbourne Osaka Cup today.
White Spirit, a Beneteau First 50, thrives in stronger winds, and the race start at Port Phillip Heads played to our strengths.
What a difference a day makes in the race to Osaka. As the fleet continues its journey north, boats are making strategic choices to adapt to changing winds and sea conditions as Curious Roo and Zero make their 17 degree South safety declarations.
Two very different race experiences are playing out on the track to Osaka. Zero, the IMX 40 skippered by Katsujiro Yamada, has hit its stride in the southern trade winds, leading on all handicaps with a solid pace. Meanwhile, Curious Roo, the S&S 34 skippered by Neil McKinley and Peter Garrett, remains hard to chase down, holding a 380-nautical-mile lead over Zero.
Day 2 sees the main fleet taking a small divergence on their route as they round Wilson Promontory.
Twelve yachts have written their names into history, surging across the start line at Portsea (Melbourne) in the highly anticipated main fleet departure of the 9th Melbourne Osaka Cup.
After careful consideration, Race Officials from the on-water management team, the Ocean Racing Club of Victoria, have decided to err on the side of caution after strong winds and heavy seas were forecast for Sunday afternoon.
After a challenging first week, Curious Roo, the S&S34, has found its rhythm, reaching the Southern Trade Winds for a smooth, glamour run, having navigated the Australian Eastern Current with impressive skill.
With two days to go, crews in the 2025 Melbourne Osaka Cup two-handed yacht race are starting to feel the tension building. But even between the two crew members of each yacht, reactions are different.
The race to Osaka is unfolding like a high-stakes game of snakes and ladders, with shifting winds and ocean currents playing a crucial role in the sailors’ fortunes along the Australian eastern coastline.
In a staggered start, the first four boats are now racing on their quest to reach Osaka first ahead of the main start this coming Sunday, 16th March.
The second start of the 2025 Melbourne Osaka Cup is away, with Japanese entrant
With just days until the 2nd start of the Melbourne Osaka Cup, veteran sailor and yacht designer Jon Sayer with co skipper Alan Paris has shared his race insights, emphasising the importance of a strong start and learning to pace yourself.
Sailors in the 2025 Melbourne-Osaka Cup yacht race are stowing their gear and receiving their briefings before starting the most challenging ocean race to start in Australian waters.
The smallest boat in the 9th edition of the Melbourne Osaka Cup double-handed yacht race has embarked on its 5,500-nautical-mile adventure to Osaka. ‘Curious Roo’, an S&S34 skippered by Peter Garrett and Neil McKinley, set off just after the starting gun fired at 4:40 p.m. on March 2, 2025, to the cheers of an enthusiastic crowd at Portsea Pier.
Teams are into last minute jobs readying for the 5500 nautical mile double-handed 2025 Melbourne Osaka Cup – the first yacht, Curious Roo, is due to depart on 2 March, ahead of the main start on 16 March and the final one on 30 March, with others in between.
International entrants for the 2025 Melbourne Osaka Cup, a 5500 nautical mile double handed race from Melbourne to Osaka in Japan, are undergoing final preparations, among them are three Japanese entries and one from New Zealand.
The reality of the imminent 5500 nautical mile Melbourne Osaka Cup double handed yacht race has bitten as crews, many of them family members, prepare for their qualifying races – the Ocean Racing Club of Victoria (ORCV) Melbourne to Hobart and Rolex Sydney Hobart yacht races, ahead of the big race in March.
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