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12 April 2024


2024 Prelude
Race Start: Saturday 20 April 2024 at 0000 UTC
(1000 AEST Melbourne time).

Sailonline.org is pleased to once again team up with the organising authority of the Melbourne Osaka Cup Double-Handed Yacht Race 2025 to introduce a 2024 'Prelude' of the real race. With Sailonline's almost real time weather downloads from NOAA, this is intended to give prospective entrants in the real race next year a great opportunity to test their weather navigation skills. The 'Prelude' is timed to run at a similar time of the year as the real race so weather patterns may be similar.

The Melbourne to Osaka Yacht Race is a 5,500 nautical mile 2 handed yacht race - one of the longest two handed yacht races in the world and the only one running from the southern hemisphere to the northern hemisphere. It encounters multiple weather systems and seasons as it crosses the Pacific ocean. The course takes the competitors into Bass Strait, up the east coast of Australia into the southeast tradewinds then through the ITCZ (Inter Tropical Convergence Zone – the Pacific Ocean Doldrums) on the equator. It then heads into the northeast tradewinds to the finish in the port of Osaka.

The race, first held in 1987 to commemorate the 120th anniversary of the opening of the Port of Osaka, is held approx. every four years to celebrate the City of Melbourne and the City of Osaka sister city relationship.

The 2025 event coincides with major events in both Melbourne and Osaka. 2025 will be the centenary of the visit of the US Navy’s Pacific Fleet to Melbourne in 1925 and it is anticipated that a substantial fleet will return to acknowledge the continuing close ties between Australia and the USA. The fleet may be in Port Phillip at the time of the Melbourne Osaka Cup start, so you never know who or what vessel may turn up to be the start boat. Also in 2025, the eyes of the world will be on Osaka as Melbourne’s sister city hosts World Expo 2025. The Expo 2025 site will be on Yumashima Island in Osaka Bay adjacent to the Osaka Hokko Yacht Club and the finish line will be nearby,

The Melbourne Osaka Double Handed Yacht Race Ltd, is the Organising Authority for the event, with the co-operation of the:

Ocean Racing Club of Victoria – on-water race management

Sandringham Yacht Club – host Club in Melbourne

Osaka Hokko Yacht Club – host Club in Osaka.

For the virtual M2O Prelude, Sailonline will be using the polar of a Beneteau First 40 yacht, a popular design sailed in waters all over the world. This virtual design has been chosen as it is representative of the majority of the yachts entered so far.

The Sailonline race opens for registration and practice on Saturday, 13 April 2024 at 0000 UTC (1000 AEST) to enable everyone, especially newcomers, to learn the ropes in time for the start.

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The start time for this race may change at short notice to align with the real race. The confirmed start date and time will be announced via an in-race “L” flag message — Please monitor race communications closely.
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