Andrew McGrath & Ben Thompson have taken out the 2025 edition of the ORCV Melbourne to King Island Yacht Race on board Jeanneau Sun Fast 3300 ‘Unprecedented’ with some incredible tactical maneuvering after passing over the start line at the back of the fleet, to cross the finish line 12th overall.
With an AMS corrected time of 12 hours, 44 minutes and 17 seconds, they took home the King Island Trophy, in a race that was dominated by Jeanneau Sun Fasts in the double-handed division.
Aidan Geysen & Jeremy Walton took out 2nd in double-handed PHS division on board Jeanneau Sun Fast 3300 ‘Streetcar Racing’ less than 30 minutes behind ‘Unprecedented’ on corrected time, with Rod Smallman & Paul Roberts coming home 4th double-handed aboard Jeanneau Sun Fast 3600 ‘Maverick’.
Speaking to ORCV Media after the race, Andrew McGrath commented “We had a terrible start, last across the line, but we clawed our way back going from a J1 to a J2 and eventually going to an A4, taking it all the way through to the finish line,”
“We couldn’t get down to the finish line with the A4 but we ended up about 100 metres away, and at that point we doused the A4, put up the J2, sailed through, and did one gybe to the finish line and in we went,”
“The boat reaches very well – once we put the A4 up our top speed was about 15 knots which pushed us along through the pack,” said McGrath.
Once again the Jeanneau Sun Fast 3300 continues to lead the pack when it comes to double-handed offshore racing!
See full results here
More information on the ORCV King Island Race here
Title photo by Al Dillon/ORCV.org.au