Every year on the Labour Day long weekend, the Lake Wellington Yacht Club host the Marley Point Over Night Race (MPONR). This year a boat which I have crewed on for several races is heading down to the Gippsland Lakes, so naturally I'm in!
The race starts at Marley Point on the western shores of Lake Wellington on dusk and travels eastward through the picturesque (well at least in day time hours!) Gippsland Lakes, arriving at Paynesville some time on Sunday morning. Depending upon the boat and the conditions this could be anywhere from midnight to Sunday midday.
The biggest factor in how comfortable the race is going to be is the weather, initial forecasts had a 40 knot SW change - the kind of cold change that blows dogs off chains! - coming through at about the time the race was due to commence. However, since then the weather forecast has changed and it now looks like we are going to have a more sedate 5-15kt easterly breeze. This will also make for interesting times as the 140-odd yachts head into the 80m or so wide channel connecting Lake Wellington to Lake King with the wind on the nose...I guess the weather is really going to be a wait and see!
Anyway, I've set way-points in the GPS, got the wet weather gear ready - so MPONR here we come.
Post race I'm sure there will be some stories and photos to share...
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