2010 Melbourne to King Island - Rear Window

4:40 AM Sun 7 Mar 2010 GMT

'Rear Window - 2010 Melbourne to King Island' John Curnow Click Here to view large photo

Like James Stewart in Alfred Hitchcock's movie, it was all about the view from our, rear window, last evening. I mean this really was something very special, as the sun began its inexorable slide into the horizon. And then it just got better!!!

13 boats were home at sunset, which left seven out there. We had hoped to have them all in by 2300hrs. One of our last boats to finish was Full Circle and that goes a long way to describing some of the weather in this specific area and the general zone, which included the violence that hit Melbourne. It had been out of the West for most of the day and then had gone into the SW late in the piece and by dark was from the SE.

A little while ago the wind was dying badly, around the time The Secretary was coming across the line, actually. Anyway, there was enough in it mainly and the current is blissfully running North to South, so maybe, just maybe, we'd get them all in before midnight!

Just the same as the last boat in for the day, Magic, our little fairy penguin friends were also trying to join their friends. They have a huge colony at the end of the breakwater, where the van was parked all day. We ensured we didn't walk near them and turned off the second, lower light, when boats were not near the finish line, so as not to scare them.

Magic ultimately made it in a little after midnight and the King Island Boat Club ensured they were moored, fed and watered with all the usual customary splendour. There arrival also meant that the results tables to could be finalised. In IRC, Geomatic Joker was first, then Jazz Player and Ninety Seven. AMS was won by Jazz Player, then there was Addiction, with Beyond Outrageous in third. In the race for the highly sought after McConaghy Melbourne Offshore Championship flag, Chikara Outlaw took the title with Beyond Outrageous and Addiction in the minor places.

McConaghy Melbourne Offshore Championship flag, Chikara Outlaw - 2010 Melbourne to King Island - John Curnow

One really has to mention Magic Carpet, who won Line Honours over their fully crewed fellow competitors and so collected the Two Handed Division for their efforts, as well.

As for the rear window, well it got very dark in the end, but there were lots of penguins marching past the back of the van. Accordingly, the view never really got worse, just different.