Coombs' First 50 Off to Vanuatu

05/07/2010

Beneteau First 50 owner Phil Coombs and his crew from SYC on 51st Project, left Portsea on Sunday to take on nine other yachts in the Melbourne to Vanuatu race.

Over the last six months, they have turned their production boat into a long-distance, Category One yacht, thereby ensuring they were fully organised and ready for a race of this distance and calibre.

"We have a great crew and all of us are looking forward to getting away and having a fantastic sail together. Oh yeah. And getting a bit warmer", said Lex O'Connor, the boat's Navigator.

Sunday's race started in reasonably soft breezes and should be forecasted to stay like this for much of the week, but at this time of year, that is something you would neither wish to bank nor bet on.

Far easier to guarantee are the smiles the fleet will receive in Port Vila, once they have completed their chase across the South Pacific of the container full of humanitarian aid.

Schools and communities throughout the islands of the happiest nation on earth, Vanuatu, will receive all manner of items from books to paper and clothes to generators, which the ORCV, Rotary International and the community at large have collected for them.

Please see orcv.org.au for details and to follow the yachts progress on the tracker.

Article adapted from www.sail-world.com.