king island yacht race

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Ginan wins prestigious King Island Trophy

Main photo: Ginan, overall winners of the 2024 Melbourne to King Island Ocean Yacht Race. Photo Steb Fisher

Turquoise blue skies and seas, local cheeses, freshly caught crayfish and sizzling rib-eye steak greeted the nearly 200 sun-drenched yachties when they finished the 2024 Melbourne to King Island Ocean Yacht Race over the weekend.

The fleet sailed the 114nm race, organised by the Ocean Racing Club of Victoria (ORCV) in partnership with the King Island Boat Club, from Queenscliff to Grassy Harbour to not only savour a strategic and challenging ocean race but to share in the highly sought-after, world-class produce of Australia’s stunningly beautiful island gem, King Island.

There was a lot at stake in the 2024 Melbourne to King Island Race with the King Island Trophy for the winner of the race on AMS handicap up for grabs, as well as PHS and ORC trophies for Divisions One and Two.

ORCV Race Officer David Schuller sent the fleet on their way at 3am on Saturday morning in northerly breezes of 7 to 10 knots, amidst a forecast heatwave for the southeastern states of Victoria and Tasmania.

Photos from onboard the yachts during the race showed contented yachties in t-shirts and shorts, but while the winds may have been light, tactics and strategy were critical for the fleet as they navigated the challenging tides and currents around the island.

This year’s race certainly belonged to the J boats, the double-handers, and the newcomers to ocean racing.

The contest for line honours was tight from the start between the Cookson 50, eXtasea and the multihull, Peccadillo, skippered by Charles Meredith.

Extasea, skippered by Dustin Popp from the Royal Geelong Yacht Club, crossed the finish line at 18:48:19 on Saturday evening, 30 minutes ahead of Peccadillo to take the win.

Extasea had a brilliant race winning on PHS and ORC handicaps in Division 1, and finished second on AMS overall, once again missing out on the coveted handicap win which determines the overall race winner.

The J111 boat Ginan, co-skippered by Cameron McKenzie and Nigel Jones from the Mornington Yacht Club, continued a strong 2023-24 sailing season performance, with the skippers accepting the prestigious 2024 King Island Trophy from King Island Mayor, Cr Marcus Blackie, and claiming the title of overall race winners.

The Ginan team had a great start to the race, leading the fleet through Port Phillip Heads, and adopted a strategy from there to push the boat as hard as they could in what were fabulous but frustrating sailing conditions.

“Our strategy was to get out in front early and to just keep pushing the boat forward.

“It was quite a challenging race in terms of sail trim and tactics…there were lots of park ups…and lots of transitions in the race.

“In those [light] conditions the challenges are to keep the sails optimally trimmed at all times, which can be difficult when there’s a swell running and a bit of slop, and also trying to keep the boat powered up constantly.

“Having the crew trimming non-stop can be tiring …we had a constant rotation, so people weren’t on the trim for too long… to keep them fresh,” said McKenzie.

Ginan was third over the line but, unlike eXtasea and Peccadillo, which finished the race on favourable tides, Ginan had to contend with adverse currents up the coast on the way to the finish line.

“We had it glassing out near the finish… at times the wind was doing 360s… we had a lot of sail changes trying to keep the momentum going… it was very tricky towards the end with very little breeze,” said McKenzie.

McKenzie paid homage to the meticulous preparation of Ginan’s navigator, Greg Patten, and to the delights that await sailors who embark on ORCV destination races like these.

“Tactically this was quite a difficult race…our navigator Greg Patten did a fabulous job reviewing the weather and the weather models leading up to and throughout the race and I think that was one of the areas that we excelled in, just getting the shifts right and being on the right side of them, and that wasn’t by luck, Greg puts in a mountain of work and is one of the best in the business.  

“We also had a first timer onboard the boat this year, Daniel Laverty, a young ILCA (Laser) sailor, this is his first ocean race, he’s quite in awe of getting down here [to King Island] and enjoying the hospitality and the camaraderie of the ORCV community.

“We love the destination races, and the places that we go to, that most people don’t get to see,” said McKenzie.

Joker X2 the J133 boat co-skippered by Grant Chipperfield and Peter Dowdney won the double-handed division from second placed Quest, skippered by Rod Gunther and Peter Tardrew, while Maverick, skippered by Tony Hammond and Rod Smallman, finished in third.

Joker X2 also finished in third place overall on PHS and ORC, with the skippers very upbeat after the race which suited the J133 boat.

“The actual conditions were superb, with light running conditions all day, but there was enough wind to get maximum boat speed which was nice.

“We sailed a relatively straight course down the rhumbline as much as possible until we got to the very end, and then it went pear-shaped in the last three hours.

“It glassed out completely as we approached Grassy and we got caught up in the current as you do down here and ended up taking us two and a half hours more than what I projected we would take to finish, which was a bit frustrating, but apart from that, it was a glorious race.

“It was like sailing in the tropics without the humidity…take it from me, Bass Strait doesn’t get any better than that. 

“Tactically, we sailed a pretty vanilla race, we just managed to soak down inside everyone and basically sailed a straighter course and sailed less distance and that’s where we just popped through.

“We were a little bit deep when we came out of the [Port Phillip] Heads, but we just chipped away during the dark hours and by daylight we were up on the front row of the grid and got better and better as the day went on.

“King Island is just an amazing part of the world, it’s becoming a foodie’s paradise down here, as a destination, it’s a safe harbour, it’s relatively easy to get in and out of, and the King Island Boat Club people…they just turn it on for us which is fantastic,” said Dowdney.

The Joker X2 skippers, like several of the other double-handed teams, were also using the race as a training opportunity for the 2025 Melbourne to Osaka Yacht Race. 

In Division 2, the early race favourite Toecutter, skippered by Rob Hick and Brad Bult, won on AMS and PHS handicap, while Vertigo, skippered by Tim Olding took out Division 2 on ORC.

Race Director David Schuller was happy with the race overall but shared his frustrations with the challenges of sailing into and around King Island.

“The race started in better-than-expected conditions, we had a lot of wind to get the boats going, but as often happens, you get patches of dead spots, so those at the front of the fleet did really well, and got ahead, and we saw our line honours winners, and the rest of the fleet were left to the vagaries of the wind conditions.

“This was really challenging as King Island itself shadows the wind, so we had a lot of boats getting down to one knot overnight, then lifting up and dropping off.

“We had hoped that everyone would get through but what this did was break the fleet into about three different groups with the last group finishing just before 10 o’clock on Sunday morning,” said Schuller.

The race saw ten retirements due to the weather conditions with Schuller speculating that the lure of the steak sandwiches may have been too much when the teams were battling soft breezes.

The ORCV race team had a busy time during the race, but their race duties extended to more than simply welcoming boats home.

“We spent just about all of our time at the finishing line listening to the peeps and chirps of the penguins, and there were lots of wallabies coming up, curiously peering into the car when we had the door open just to see what we were doing,” said Schuller.

“We received a lot of help in our preparation from the ORCV sailing community.

“[In this race] we had some good fun and some great conditions, but we also found it challenging at times… it was very tempting to retire from the race, but we are proud that we stayed the course and finished,” said Hosking. 

Beyond the Bay is designed to provide sailors with the information and practical skills to plan and complete an overnight cruising passage or participate in a race, with races like this one a useful stepping-stone to future coastal and ocean races.

For full race results click here

Jane Austin ORCV media

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ORCV 50th King Island Race

MEDIA RELEASE                                                                                         14 th March 2022

Rozinante II w ins slow dance to Grassy in 50 th King Island Race

Rozinante II has won a protracted King Island Race from Melbourne to Grassy at the southern end of the Island, while John Newbold’s Primitive Cool took line honours in the time of 1 day, 3hrs 13mins 11secs, well outside the record he set in 2014 of 9 hours 50mins 21secs.

Competitors will long remember the Ocean Racing Club of Victoria’s 50 th race. On the positive side were the crayfish and steak sandwiches at the end of a very slow race that took nearly double the time it normally would.

Rozinante II’s skipper, Andrew Middleton, joined the race last year as part of the rally, which the ORCV introduced to encourage more owners to step up to Category 2 racing.  Since then, he has gone on to regularly do Cat 3 races, but the King Island Race was his maiden Cat 2 race – and he won.

For the 50 th , Middleton joined forces with Leo Cantwell, who usually skippers Magic Bullet and who also took part in the rally in 2021.

“I’d just like to thank the ORCV for presenting this opportunity. I think the rally was a great thing for us to do,” Cantwell said, clutching the King Island cheese package that formed part of his prize.

After spending much longer at sea than they all expected, Cantwell caused much laughter when he commented, “Some people have said this was a short race, but for me it was bloody long. It was a hard night, but it was a great team effort and I’m very pleased to be standing up here today.”

And a word from the elder statesman of the fleet, Laurie Ford, skipper of Spirit of Downunder), who also produced laughter: “The start was horrendous. I thought, ‘oh god, the boat’s going to get damaged and I’m trying to sell it’. But the latter part of the race was very enjoyable.”

Ford, whose sons Tim and Stuart, along with Paul Beresford, joined him in the Four + Autohelm division, continued: “I think I did my first King Island in 1992 and it hasn’t changed much!”

The 114 nautical mile race started in a 12-14 south/south-westerly under sunny blue skies at 3pm on Friday – glorious conditions. Primitive Cool got through the Heads first. Around midnight the wind dropped out. It remained light to the end and so favoured the smaller and lighter boats.

Some sailed the rhumbline course, while others took an easterly or western route. The east paid dividends.

Normally the fleet would have been finished by around midnight Friday night, and that would have been the case had the forecast from a week earlier held. However, the reality was starkly different and it was a little more than a day later when the first boats trickled in.

From midnight Friday the yachts were floating around in a negligible breeze and by Saturday morning nothing had changed. The scenario was there for all to see on the Blue Water Tracks race tracker. Boats not moving, some going backwards, others going around in circles.

At 8am on Saturday morning, Damien King’s Frers 61, Margaret Rintoul V, was just leading Brian Pattinson’s Don Jones 42, Gusto (being raced double handed by Pattinson and Bruno Carreto), both sailing well east of the rhumbline. Rintoul eventually retired, along with three others.

Extasea (Paul Buchholz), race record holder Primitive Cool (John Newbold), Hartbreaker (Antony Walton) , Ryujin (Alex Toomey) and Carrera S (Gerry Cantwell), were next in the ‘chase’ if you could call it that, for line honours. Newbold was sailing close the rhumbline, while the other two were sailing west of the rhumbline.

On Saturday morning, Rod Smallman said from mid-fleet, “We are in no wind. It’s been like this most of the night. We’ve got 1.2 knots of wind speed. Margaret Rintoul has done well; she’s sailed a good line. I’ve just done a weather route and it has us getting in around 2am.  The crays and steak sandwiches are looking good…

“It’s fun to be out at sea though. It was a beautiful sunrise this morning.”

Meanwhile, the prizes were due to be handed out at 10am. The crayfish were cooked and the King Island Boat Club had the steak sandwiches ready to hit the barby – a paddock of water and no wind standing between the parties.

The 50 th King Island Race brought out many a past entrant, including Ian Lyall, who has competed in more than 20.

Top three results:

AMS Division 1

• Arcadia (Peter Davison)
• Soiree Bleu (Douglas Lithgow)
• Patriot (Jason Close)

AMS Division 2

• Rozinante II (Andrew Middleton)
• Weekend Option (Michael Culhane)
• Vertigo (Tim Olding)

ORC Division 1

• Bandit (Ashley Trebilcock)
• White Noise (Daniel Edwards)

ORC Division 2

• Rozinante II
• Merlion (Eddie Mackevicius)
• Alien (Justin Brenan)

PHS Division 1

• Soiree Bleu
• Hot Chipps (John Chipp)

PHS Division 2

• Foggy Dew (Robert D’Arcy)

Double-Handed

Maverick (Tony Hammond/Rod Smallman)

Gusto (Brian Pattinson/Bruno Carreto

Solera (Stuart Richardson/Jason Boyle)

Full results: https://www.orcv.org.au/results/2021-22/

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Another Chapter crowned in King

Another chapter wins slow dance in melbourne to king island race..

14 March 2023

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Another Chapter , Neil Sargeant’s Beneteau 44.7, has won the Ocean Racing Club of Victoria’s slow and fluctuating Melbourne to King Island Yacht Race, while Paul Buchholz’s Extasea took line honours.

Sargeant can breathe easy now after an extremely close race between the top three overall, decided under AMS. Just 11 seconds decided the winner from Scarlet Runner (Rob Date) and Solera (Stuart Richardson), which placed second and third respectively.

Sargeant, who was surprised when told Another Chapter had won, gave a good synopsis of the 114 nautical mile race that started off Queenscliff at 5pm on Friday, “The worst of it was bobbing up and down going nowhere – and backwards – for eight hours,” he said.

“The best part was coming into Grassy (where the race finishes) on the wind in a nice breeze. The crew was on the rail, we were fully powered up and going like a dream. We finished while it was still daylight (at 7.12pm).”

Paul Buchholz from Royal Geelong Yacht Club got an early jump with his Cookson 50. Extasea increased her lead in the weak and capricious conditions to take line honours at 1.26pm on Saturday. Rob Date’s Scarlet Runner was next, at 4.14pm. Charles Meredith’s multihull, Peccadillo  was next.

Extasea’s result means Primitive Cool’s (John Newbold) now 10-year-old race record of nine hours 50 minutes 21seconds stays intact for yet another year.

“It was a bit slow and painful. We did a couple of 360s and spent an hour and a half going round in circles,” confessed Buchholz, who also won IRC and ORC overall.

“It was fine when we left the Heads, but at 10pm it started to fizz out. By 2am it was all over the place. We just kept going south in the easterly and it paid off for us, because a south-westerly breeze came in. When I say ‘came in’, it was only 3 to 4 knots.”

If you followed the Blue Water Tracks race tracker, the tracks of the yachts were a mass of contradictions, loop the loops, backwards, sideways and sometimes forward were part and parcel of this frustratingly difficult race.

These conditions explain why Extasea sailed 175 nautical miles to complete the 114 nautical mile course with an average speed of 3.8 knots! The rest of the fleet had similar and even more extreme times.

The breeze finally reached some of the fleet before midday on Saturday and at least it was a beautiful sunny day in Bass Strait – and it’s not often you can say that!

Michael Culhane’s Northshore 38, Weekend Option brought the race to a close, crossing the line at 2:37am Monday 13 March.

The King Island Race started off Queenscliff at 5pm on Friday 10 March. At the end of the difficult race, competitors received manna from heaven – sirloin steak sandwiches with the various winners also on the receiving end of prizes that comprised of crayfish and King Island cheeses. Way to go!

Overall Winner:

Another Chapter (Neil Sargeant)

Line honours:

Extasea (Paul Buchholz)

AMS Overall

1st Another Chapter

2nd Scarlet Runner (Rob Date)

3rd Solera (Stuart Richardson)

AMS Division 1

2nd Scarlet Runner

AMS Division 2

1st Aileron (Leo Cantwell)

2nd Foggy Dew (Robert D’Arcy)

3rd Xenia (Koos Theron)

1st Extasea

3rd How Bizarre (Scott Robinson)

ORC Overall

2nd Ryujin (Alex Toomey)

ORC Division 1

Orc division 2.

1st Aileron

2nd Maverick (Anthony Hammond)

3rd Merlion (Eddie Mackevicius)

Double-handed

1st Maverick

Full results and all information here

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Melbourne to King Island Ocean Yacht Race  

Notice of race:.

2024 Melbourne to King Island NoR V1 00  (Superceded)

2024 Melbourne to King Island NoR V1 1  (Superceded)

2024 Melbourne to King Island NoR V1 20  ( Supercecded)

2024 Melbourne to King Island NoR V1 3

Sailing Instructions:

  2024 Melbourne to King Island SI's V1.0 

Notice to Competitors:

  2024 Melbourne to King Island NTC 1 - Amendments to NoR

  2024 M2KI NTC 2 Amendments to NoR

2024 Melbourne to King Island NTC 3 Amendments to NoR

Sked Sheet:

2024 M2KI SKED SHEET

Leave at Home Document:

2024 M2KI LEAVE AT HOME DOC

Mooring Instructions at Grassy Harbour  :

Mooring Arrangements for King Island

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J/111 ‘Ginan’ overall winner of ORCV King Island Race

The Ocean Racing Club of Victoria (ORCV) ocean yacht race from Queenscliff to Grassy, King Island was held 9-10 March. A race that offered many challenges where the leaderboard changed constantly throughout the race. Thank you King Island Boat Club for hosting the ORCV fleet once again.

Congratulations Ginan, the J/111 boat skippered by Cam McKenzie and Nigel Jones who have been crowned the 2024 King Island overall winner and added another trophy to their season’s collection.

Also to J/133 Joker X2 who won the double handed division, skippered by Grant Chipperfield & Pete Dowdney.

About the race: This is a Category 2 race that starts at Queenscliff, Victoria, inside Port Phillip Bay, proceeds across the Bass Strait to the finish off at Grassy Harbour, King Island, Tasmania.

While the race to King Island is one of the shorter ocean races at a mere 114 miles, it presents some unique navigational challenges. Far from being a pushover, this race is one of the hardest to get right, given the currents around King Island.

The race is often won or lost in the concluding stages, depending on where yachts land. Significant gains and losses can occur due to wind and tidal influences on the approach to Grassy Harbour.

The Grassy Harbour offers a safe anchorage in all weather and the legendary hospitality of the King Island Boat Club. The steak sandwiches alone are worth the trip.

This race is part of the ORCV Offshore Championship.

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Line honours contender Scarlet Runner - ORCV pic

Challenges fuel interest in 51st King Island Race

More than 30 boats are set to start the Ocean Racing Club of Victoria’s 114 nautical mile King Island Race, starting at 5pm on Friday 10 March off Queenscliff, with competitors chasing overall honours and the nine-year-old race record set by John Newbold’s Primitive Cool of nine hours 50 minutes 21seconds.

Royal Geelong Yacht Club’s Paul Buchholz is prepping his canting Cookson 50, Extasea, hoping conditions are ripe for record breaking.

Prizes at the end are large crayfish and King Island cheeses. If you don’t win a cray, participants say the steak sandwiches are worth the trip. That and the warm hospitality offered by the King Island Boat Club crew.

Buchholz says, “Having crays as prizes is a great idea. They’re something you can get your teeth into that you can enjoy.”

Getting to the finish first is not a given though. “There are quite a few challengers actually,” Buchholz admits. “Hartbreaker (Antony Walton) and Scarlet Runner (Robert Date) and MRV.”

Choosing overall favourites is complex, as the weather and tides are a major factor in in deciding the outcome in such a diverse fleet. Buchholz agrees.

“It is a difficult race. Very fickle. You have to choose whether to sail close to the island or not. The tides make it hard getting around the island. Navigational wise it really is a challenge,” Buchholz says. “It’s very hard to break the record too. You need good reaching conditions.”

Among the front runners touted for overall honours is Damien King’s Frers 61, MRV and the Scott Robinson skippered How Bizarre, a Sequest RP36.

“MRV does beautifully upwind. Medium wind would be perfect. Downwind is difficult, as old girl doesn’t surf.”

King, who is eyeing of “Ryujin (Alex Toomey) competition wise, had an unsuccessful run at MRV’s first attempt at the race. “Last year we got caught in a weird weather pattern. There we sat for six hours in a hole. We ended up turning round and going home.”

The Victorian said his crew were “the usual suspects, but I have to mention Jon Orr – he looks after catering, trims sails, steers. He does everything. We couldn’t do without him.”

King added, “I’m so pleased the ORCV holds these races, because without them there wouldn’t be offshore races. They’re passionate about racing and keeping us sailors happy.”

On a final note, he said, “We’re looking forward to the steak sandwiches at the end. Fingers crossed for an upwind race.”

Scott Robinson agrees: “You’d die for the eye fillet steaks. They cook through the day and night. It’s a fantastic scene. The reception at King Island is fantastic and the set-up is so good.”

He is praying for an upwind race too. “Our boat suits light weather on the wind. We don’t mind if it gets a bit heavier upwind either. It’s not a long race, so it’s a perfect. It’s nostalgic for me, I did it as a kid around 15 with my father. I did all the offshore races on Solent and Brumby, an Adams Half Tonner. Both were owned by my father and his brother.

“The ORCV has been doing a fantastic job of building the numbers up. It obviously makes the competition better. But at the end of the day, we just want to finish and get at those steak sandwiches – I can taste them thinking about it,” Robinson ends.

A new initiative this year comes courtesy of the ORCV’s ‘Clean Oceans’ activity. The Club will be water sample testing for micro plastics and plankton from two competing yachts. Immediate Past Commodore, Grant Dunoon (Blue Water Tracks) and present Commodore, Cyrus Allen (White Spirit), have been entrusted with this important job.

The King Island Race starts off Queenscliff in southern Victoria, then tracks across Bass Strait and to the finish at Grassy Harbour, King Island, off the north-western tip of Tasmania.

Follow the race on the Blue Water Tracks race tracker at: https://race.bluewatertracks.com/2023-king-island-race

All information at: https://www.orcv.org.au/

Di Pearson/ORCV media

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One of the great experiences that visitors often recall about King Island is that they are able to enjoy community activities while on the island. These are events or activities that are not aimed at visitors but are a part of living on King Island. Each week our tourism association publishes a What’s on guide which includes the scheduled community and visitor activities for the week. The community welcomes visitors to experience our reality of living on King Island. So whether it is joining in at barefoot bowls, visiting the op shop or the library or even going to a yoga or gypsy dancing class, we encourage you to join in. 

Horse Racing Carnival

The King Island Racing Club Inc. are holding eight race meetings in the 2023/2024 season at the North Road Racecourse Complex in Currie. These are being held during November and January with a field of approximately 30 gallopers and 16 harness horses. The meetings are a unique day of racing, with both codes running on the same day. Race Days are relaxed community gatherings with refreshments and food readily available. The King Island Race Club boasts full TOTE and Sky Channel facilities, a bookmaker and race broadcaster. For all upcoming races please visit the website.

The Festival of King Island (FOKI)

FOKI is a celebration of folk, indie, country, blues & roots music held in the natural amphitheatre of Currie Harbour during the first weekend in February. With 2 days packed full of music, a 100m waterslide, raft race, pie-eating competition and other fun activities for the kids it is a family-friendly festival which brings together the islanders, ex-islanders, visitors and Australia's best musicians in what has become a giant musical reunion. When: Friday 2nd and Saturday 3rd February 2024

The King Island Show

King Island Agricultural, Horticultural & Pastoral Society Show. Visit the pavilion for the arts and crafts display. Tasty food is for sale (the donuts are a must!). There is cattle judging, horse riding displays, pet competitions and so much more. When: 1st Tuesday in March Contact: Laura Harvey Telephone: 0472 752 010 Email: [email protected]

Imperial 20 Marathon

King Island is home to one of Australia's unique running events, the King Island Imperial 20, proudly sponsored by Hydro Tasmania. The feature event, the 32 km handicapped run, is supported by several other events which include: a 32 km walking race, a 4 x 8 km teams walking relay and a 4 x 8 km running relay. Each race begins on the Sunday morning at the picturesque seaside hamlet of Naracoopa on the east coast of King Island. The course winds its way across the Island to finish on the west coast at the main township of Currie. When: Sunday March 10th 2024

King Island Football Season

The King Island Football Association runs the only three team competition in Australia which means that you can win the wooden spoon and the premiership in the same season. Bitter rivals Currie, Grassy and North fight it out year after year for the honour of winning the premiership. Games take place in Currie or Grassy and are an integral part of island life. When: Saturday afternoons - May to September Contact: Trevor Stones (KIFA President) Email: [email protected]

Queenscliff to Grassy Yacht Race

The Queenscliff to Grassy Yacht Race was first sailed in the 1970's and since then has become a major fixture on the Australian Ocean Racing calendar. The race is organized by the Ocean Racing Yacht Club of Victoria in conjunction with the King Island Boat Club and sailed on the Victorian Labour Day long weekend in March. Visitors are welcome at the King Island Boat Club during the race weekend and can experience first hand the excitement of finishing yachts sailing into Grassy Harbour, meeting with crew members and locals alike while enjoying great food and refreshments at the boat club. When: March Long Weekend

Wings On King Island

Even though King Island has such an important location and role for birds, we know very little about the conservation status of the land birds of King Island or about how the birds that migrate across Bass Strait use the Island. Long- term, systematic monitoring of land-birds has never been done on King Island! Although there has been useful random monitoring of birds on the Island, its use for conservation management is limited. Winds on King aims to answer these questions by gathering data from identified monitoring sites across the island in differing land usage zones, landscape elements, communities and habitat qualities. It aims to find and tell the story of the birds of King Island. When: November

Pheasant Weekend

Pheasant Season is the Queen’s Birthday long weekend in June. Licenses to shoot Pheasant can only be obtained through Service Tasmania (1300 135 513) outlets or the Internet. The King Island Game Bird Association issue Membership cards at a fee with the Shooter Authority Card – to be endorsed and signed by the landowner or manager to give the shooter permission to shoot on the named properties. These can be obtained on arrival on the Island, or by prior arrangement from the Association. The membership is used to fund the Game Bird Association Breed and Release project; to maintain pheasant numbers in the field. Contact: Nick Cooper – Game Bird Ass. Currie Telephone: 0428 611 254

King Island Golf Open

Situated in Currie, set amid coastal dunes meeting the Southern Ocean, King Island's links have been described as resembling St Andrew's of Scotland, with rolling fairways carved from the natural undulations. The King Island Open, a 36 hole event for men and lady golfers is held over the Northern Tasmanian Recreation Day / Melbourne Cup long weekend. This event is open to any golfer with an AGU handicap. The event commences on Friday with a 9 hole Chicken Run held in conjunction with a 18 hole 4BBB stableford (arrange partners). Championship rounds of 18 holes are held on both Saturday and Sunday concluding with a Presentation Dinner at the clubhouse on Sunday evening. When: November Long Weekend

POKI Markets

Held in Currie township on a Saturday 10am - 12.30 these monthly markets showcasing King Island produce and items made & grown on King Island. For more information on location and dates look for the easel in the Main Street of Currie. When: Every 2nd month Telephone: 03 6462 1128

Community Events

One of the great experiences that visitors often recall about King Island is that they are able to enjoy community activities while on the island. These are events or activities that are not aimed at visitors but are a part of living on King Island. Each week our tourism association publishes a What’s on guide which includes the scheduled community and visitor activities for the week.

Blue Water Tracks

Yacht race tracking.

Yacht racing and rally organises now have a very cost effective way to provide a public race map. Families, friends and the media can follow along with the action, including replays, boat and crew bio's with hero photos. Through the Blue Water Tracks portal, race and rally organiser have a full management dashboard that enables them to quick setup and easily control every aspect of the tracked progress along with the public map showing leaderboards and race statistics.

Crew Manage crew photos and bio

Graphs Compare boat performance

Leader Boards Display the boats race position

Boat Manage boat details and photos

Trackers Use low cost trackers

Handicaps Unlimited handicaps

Replay Replay the race

Admin Simple administration and full control of the race

Race page Public race page

ADMIN INTERFACE

Public race page.

GETTING STARTED

Purchase your inReach trackers from Amazon . If using the phone app, go to step three

Activate your inReach device with Delorme

Sign up for your race organisers account account here

Add your trackers, crews and boats into your Blue Water Tracks account

Create a race and assign each boat a tracker

Publish the public race page link

Once the the race is set up, Blue Water Tracks will collect the positions and vector data from each tracker and display the boats progress through the live public race page.

List of current races

The Blue Water Tracks service is provided free of charge to yacht racing organisations. The service is funded by the philanthropy of the Dunoon Family Trust to ensure the highest level of infrastructure and service quality. Significant resource has been made available in the development of this service, ensuring that every race organiser has the tools needed for an effortless race tracking experience that enhances safety for all competitors.

Grant Dunoon

Grant Dunoon founded Blue Water Tracks to deliver a service to yacht racing organisation and at the same time make safety affordable for every competitor.

In 2012 Grant was the skipper who rescued 6 crew when their yacht sank suddenly after the loss of their liferaft just before midnight during a devastating storm that wiped out the Melbourne to Port Fairy yacht race. Read more about it here .

Grant has be honoured with the Queen's Group Bravery Award, Australian National Search and Rescue Council Award, Yachting Australia (Australian Sailing) SOLAS Trust Award, Yachting Victoria's President's Awards, Royal Bright Yacht Club's Commodore's Awards. ORCV Ocean Racer of the Year.

Raju Maisnam

Dmytro Hrytsenko

Bhargav Konkathi

Ilya Alekseev

Documentation

Margo Kerdikoshvili

Graphic Designer

TESTIMONIALS

“We have found the service to be very reliable and the management portal simple to use. It has and is saving our club thousands of dollars each year and at the same time delivers an invaluable service to our members."

Simon Dryden

Ocean Racing Club Victoria

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Regional Sailboat Races in the USA

By: Zeke Quezada, ASA Destinations , Sailing Races

Let’s set sail into the thrilling world of regional sailboat races! These competitions offer a unique and exciting twist on the traditional sailing experience.

Regional races center around sailboats vying for supremacy in specific corners of the world, be it a coastal paradise or a cluster of enchanting islands. These events serve as a rallying point for local racers, as sailors hailing from nearby towns and yacht clubs come together to showcase their skills. 

What’s particularly enticing about regional races is their inclusivity. Whether you’re piloting a nimble dinghy or commanding a majestic yacht, these races often welcome boats of all types and sailors of all levels. Whether you’re a seasoned sea veteran or a novice setting sail for the first time, there’s a class tailored to your needs at most of these local sailing races.

It’s not all about the competition! Regional races transform into grand sailing events, where communities burst to life for multiple days of festivities while showcasing their local flavor. Sailors gather, forge new friendships, and revel in their shared passion for this incredible sport.

Moreover, these races often offer affordable entry fees, ensuring accessibility to aspiring racers of all backgrounds. Some races may be shorter and less arduous than epic ocean crossings, making them ideal for sailors looking to refine their skills. Regional sailboat races are all about honoring the sport of sailing and the remarkable community it nurtures.

• Website: Marblehead to Halifax Ocean Race
• Description: The Marblehead to Halifax Ocean Race is an offshore yacht race that takes participants from Marblehead, Massachusetts, to Halifax, Nova Scotia. It’s a challenging long-distance race across the North Atlantic.
• Website: Figawi Race Weekend
• Description: Figawi Race Weekend is a popular sailing event that includes both a race and a weekend of festivities. It starts in Hyannis, Massachusetts, and ends on Nantucket Island.
• Website: Block Island Race Week
• Description: Block Island Race Week is a biennial event that takes place on Block Island, Rhode Island. It features a series of races over the course of a week and is known for its lively social scene.
• Website: Vineyard Race
• Description: The Vineyard Race is an offshore race that starts and finishes in Stamford, Connecticut, with a course that takes sailors around Martha’s Vineyard. It’s known for its scenic course and challenging conditions.
• Website: Newport to Bermuda Race
• Description: The Newport to Bermuda Race is a classic offshore race that starts in Newport, Rhode Island, and finishes in Bermuda. It’s one of the most prestigious ocean races on the East Coast.
• Website: Ida Lewis Distance Race
• Description: The Ida Lewis Distance Race is a coastal race that starts and finishes in Newport, Rhode Island. It offers a variety of courses, including offshore and overnight racing.
• Website: Camden Classics Cup
• Description: The Camden Classics Cup is a regatta held in Camden, Maine, that celebrates classic and vintage sailing yachts. It’s a showcase of timeless sailboat designs.
• Website: Nantucket Race Week
• Description: Nantucket Race Week is a week-long sailing event held on Nantucket Island, Massachusetts. It includes a variety of racing classes and social activities, making it a family-friendly event.
• Website: Boothbay Harbor Regatta
• Description: The Boothbay Harbor Regatta is an annual regatta held in Boothbay Harbor, Maine. It features a mix of sailboat racing, social events, and onshore activities.
• Website: Annapolis to Newport Race
• Description: The Annapolis to Newport Race is a classic offshore race that starts in Annapolis, Maryland, and finishes in Newport, Rhode Island. This classic race takes sailors between two of the USA’s sailing epicenters.
• Website: Charleston Race Week
• Description: Charleston Race Week is a premier sailing event held in Charleston, South Carolina. It’s one of the largest regattas in the United States, featuring a wide range of sailboat classes and competitive racing.
• Website: Around Long Island Regatta
• Description: The Around Long Island Regatta is an annual offshore race that circumnavigates Long Island, New York. It’s a challenging race known for its variety of conditions and scenic views along the course.
• Website: Around Martha’s Vineyard Race
• Description: The Around Martha’s Vineyard Race is a sailing race that circumnavigates Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts. 
• Website: Conanicut Yacht Club
• Description: The Around Jamestown Island Race is organized by the Conanicut Yacht Club and takes place in the waters around Jamestown Island, near Newport, Rhode Island. It’s a local race with stunning views of the Newport area.
• Website: Atlantic Cup
• Description: The Atlantic Cup is a premier Class 40 offshore racing series held along the East Coast of the United States. It features multiple legs and attracts international competitors. The race promotes sustainability and ocean health.

• Website: Rolex Big Boat Series
• Description: The Rolex Big Boat Series is a prestigious sailing event held in San Francisco, California. It’s known for attracting top sailors and a wide range of sailboat classes, making it a highlight of the West Coast racing calendar.
• Website: Pacific Cup
• Description: The Pacific Cup is a biennial offshore yacht race that takes participants from San Francisco, California to Kaneohe, Hawaii. It’s a challenging race known for its long-distance and unpredictable conditions.
• Website: Newport to Ensenada International Yacht Race
• Description: This is one of the largest international yacht races, starting from Newport Beach, California, and finishing in Ensenada, Mexico. It features a wide range of sailboat classes and attracts sailors from around the world.
• Website: Baja Ha-Ha
• Description: The Baja Ha-Ha is an annual cruisers’ rally that starts in San Diego, California, and ends in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. While not a traditional race, it’s a popular event for sailors looking to cruise along the Baja California Peninsula.
• Website: Swiftsure International Yacht Race
• Description: The Swiftsure International Yacht Race is held in the waters off Victoria, British Columbia. It offers a variety of race courses, attracting both local and international sailors for a challenging competition.
• Website: Round the County Race
• Description: The Round the County Race is a sailing race that takes place in the beautiful San Juan Islands of Washington State. It offers a picturesque and challenging course for sailors.
• Website: Santa Barbara to King Harbor Race
• Description: This race starts in Santa Barbara, California, and finishes in Redondo Beach, California. It’s a popular offshore race along the Southern California coastline.
• Website: Southern Straits Yacht Race
• Description: The Southern Straits Yacht Race is a challenging overnight race that begins and ends in Vancouver, British Columbia. It’s known for its strategic and tactical sailing.
• Website: Long Beach Race Week
• Description: Long Beach Race Week is a multi-day regatta held in Long Beach, California. It features a variety of racing classes and attracts sailors of all levels.

Gulf of Mexico

• Website: Harvest Moon Regatta
• Description: The Harvest Moon Regatta is a popular offshore sailing race that takes participants from Galveston, Texas, to Port Aransas, Texas. It typically takes place in October and is known for its festive atmosphere.
• Website: New Orleans Yacht Club
• Description: The Race to the Coast is a sailing race that starts in New Orleans, Louisiana, and finishes in Gulfport, Mississippi. It’s organized by the New Orleans Yacht Club.
• Website: GBCA Performance Cup Series
• Description: The GBCA Performance Cup Series is a series of sailboat races organized by the Galveston Bay Cruising Association (GBCA) in Galveston, Texas. It includes various races and regattas throughout the year.
• Website: St. Petersburg Yacht Club
• Description: The St. Petersburg to Havana Race is an offshore race that starts in St. Petersburg, Florida, and finishes in Havana, Cuba. It’s organized by the St. Petersburg Yacht Club.
• Website: Clearwater Yacht Club
• Description: The Clearwater to Key Largo Race is an offshore sailing race that starts in Clearwater, Florida, and finishes in Key Largo, Florida. It’s organized by the Clearwater Yacht Club.

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The most boats ever will compete in the 100th Bayview Yacht Club race to Mackinac Island

B illed on its website as the “world’s longest continuously run long-distance freshwater yacht race,” the 100th Bayview Mackinac Race is set to start Saturday.

A record-setting 334 boats have registered for the 100th year of the race, shattering the record of 316 in 1985 and a huge contrast compared with the 200 boats that raced last year, said David Stoyka, spokesman for the Bayview Yacht Club, which puts on the race.

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Bayview Yacht Club says boats start leaving the Black River in Port Huron around 8 a.m. on race day and will continue leaving until around noon. From the Black River, they will proceed up the St. Clair River, under the Blue Water Bridge, into Lake Huron.

The first scheduled start time in Lake Huron is 11:30 a.m., with starts every 10 minutes until approximately 1:30 p.m. The starts may be delayed due to weather conditions.

This year, for the 100th running, the race will follow the original 1925 route and span 204 nautical miles. From the starting point, the boats will head north along the Michigan shoreline, passing south of Bois Blanc Island, sailing west to east at the finish line between Round Island and Mackinac Island, organizers said.

The range of boats are expected to finish in between 30 and 60 hours.

The sailors

Teams at all skill levels have entered the race, which draws competitors from around the world.  The highly skilled racers know they will cross the bow of competitors within inches. Still, there's always risk of a crash with the slightest miscalculation.

"Everybody recognizes this is super intense," said champion sailor  Tim Prophit , 65, of St. Clair Shores, past commodore of Bayview Yacht Club and owner of Fast Tango, a North American 40 sailboat.

The teams are vying for trophies and flags to show their accomplishments.

The J.L. Hudson Trophy is awarded to the boat with the best corrected time in Division I, and the Canadian Club Classic Trophy is awarded to the boat with the best corrected time in Division II.

How can spectators follow the race?

Spectators can go to bycmack.com during the race and click on “RaceTracking” link to watch real-time GPS positioning of all the race boats, or, on your mobile device, download the free app YB Races and select the current race.

Boats will start arriving at Mackinac Island on Sunday afternoon and continue until Monday evening, all dependent upon the wind.

Finishes can be seen from Windermere Point on Mackinac Island at the south end of Main Street.

Sailors who have completed 25 Bayview Mackinac races are called “Old Goats,” according to the club, while those who have completed 50 are called “Grand Rams.” 

"Double Goats" are sailors who have completed 25 Bayview Mackinac races and 25 Chicago Yacht Club race to Mackinac races. This year’s Chicago to Mackinac race encountered strong winds in Lake Michigan , snapping some boats’ masts and tossing one sailor overboard. No one was hurt.

Volunteers who have served for 15 years on the Race Committee are honored with the title “Old Forts,” as designated by the Race Committee.

This story includes material from a staff report by former Free Press reporter Phoebe Wall Howard and from the Bayview Yacht Club.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: The most boats ever will compete in the 100th Bayview Yacht Club race to Mackinac Island

Sports | Photos: 115th Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac

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Crews hope the weather is favorable for record-breaking year of fast finishes for boats competing in this weekend’s 115th Chicago Yacht Club Race To Mackinac. People come from all over the world to compete, departing a few miles out from Chicago’s Navy Pier. The finish line is between the lighthouse on Round Island and the race committee trailer on Mackinac Island, both in Michigan.

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• St Barts Bucket Race
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St Barts Bucket Race has 7 Photos

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The St. Barts Bucket Race

Contact us here for a St Barts yacht charter.

One of the most popular and prestigious invitational sailing yacht races is St. Barts Bucket race in the Caribbean , generally held in March. During this event, you will see a variety of beautiful sailboat brands, luxury yachts and superyachts – all in one place, which makes quite a spectacle. Perini Navi, Pendennis, Fitzroy, Dubois, Alloy Yachts, Holland Jachtbouw, Baltic, Palmer Johnson, Farr, Vitters, J Boat, Royal Denship, Royal Huisman – you name it, classic and contemporary, all the yacht designs and builds can be seen at the race. The invitational regatta is held along the island of St. Barthelemy or St. Barth in French or St. Barts in English for short.

CharterWorld provides the direct opportunity to rent a St Bats Bucket yacht charter boat to accommodate you and/or your family, friends and associates at this important sailing event. Please contact us here at your earliest to ensure you have access to the best luxury yacht charters available.

St. Barts Bucket Race is an invitational regatta and is especially known for the spirit and demeanor the racers almost automatically take on during the race: they race merely for the love of sailing yachts. The race usually limits its participants to a maximum of 30 yachts and each one must have a length over all (LOA) of a hundred or more feet. But being a bucket regatta, whose foremost concern is fun, authorities usually forego the fastidiousness of formal LOA measurements and often make allowances for the inputs in the Velocity Prediction Program (VPP) of participants. This is a truly fun and carefree yacht race where yacht owners and crews can experiment on the capabilities of their yacht without worries. For this event, you can charter yachts or bring your own. The entire event is chiefly 3 full days of sailing where the starting point is usually held at Port Gustavia, which at the time of the event will be exclusively reserved for the yachts to dock on.

Interesting Rules: • Essentially, this regatta is a pursuit race so some slower yachts may start first. Of course, the first yacht to cross the finish line is the winner. • In starting, all yachts will have to rely on sail power only (except when power is needed to steer clear of other yachts). • If any yachts start ahead of time, 5 minutes will simply be added to their elapsed time because recalls are not allowed. • Those who maneuver and handle their yachts out of the congenial spirit, meaning they are being too competitive and aggressive, will be excluded from the race. • Teams and crews can make protests especially as long as it will come with champagne! This year’s bucket race ended with three yachts finishing almost at the same time. Just like in the race conclusions of the past three years, it ended with party, party, party while giving charity concert and a large donation to the island’s hospital.

Below is a selection of superyacht available for charter in St Barts in the Caribbean. For more details and a personalised Caribbean yacht itinerary, please contact us here .

• Asia Superyacht Rendezvous
• MIPIM Yacht Charter
• China International Boat Show (Shanghai)
• Singapore Yacht Show
• The London Yacht, Jet & Prestige Car Show
• Antibes Celebrates Yachting
• Malaysia Yacht Show
• Indonesia Yacht Show
• CNR Eurasia Boat Show

• Fort Lauderdale Boat Show (FLIBS)
• BVI Charter Yacht Show
• Miami Yacht Rendezvous
• VICL Fall Yacht Show
• VIPCA Charter Yacht Show
• Sydney Hobart Yacht Race
• New Zealand Millennium Cup
• Superyacht Challenge Antigua
• Thanksgiving
• St Barts Music Festival
• Loro Piana Regatta
• RORC Caribbean 600 Antigua
• Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
• The Australian Open
• Chinese New Year
• Monaco Historic Grand Prix
• Commonwealth Games
• Cannes Lions
• Ocean Reef Vintage Weekend
• Tax Free World Exhibition
• Art Basel Miami
• Asia-Pacific Superyacht Association (APSA)
• The East Mediterranean Yacht Show (EMYS)
• Club Vivanova Luxury Lifestyle Gala Dinner
• Thailand Yacht Show
• Croatia Boat Show
• Monaco Yacht Show
• Palm Beach International Boat Show
• Hong Kong Yacht Show
• Monaco Grand Prix
• Americas Cup
• Cannes Film Festival
• The Palma Superyacht Cup
• Antigua Superyacht Cup
• Les Voiles St. Tropez
• Moscow Boat Show
• Dubai International Boat Show
• Christmas New Years
• Louis Vuitton
• The London Boat Show
• China Rendez-Vous
• Cannes Yachting Festival

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OCEAN'S SEVEN | From US$ 145,000/wk

SERENITY | From US$ 145,000/wk

St Barths Superyacht News

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Charter yacht disclaimer.

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Fast conditions forecast as 115th Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac gets underway

• Updated: Jul. 13, 2024, 12:49 p.m.
• | Published: Jul. 13, 2024, 12:37 p.m.

The 115th Chicago Yacht Club to Mackinac Race is this weekend. The Cruising Division got underway on Friday. Photo provided by Barry Butler, CYC Race to Mackinac presented by Wintrust Barry Butler, CYC Race to Mackinac presented by Wintrust

• Tanda Gmiter | [email protected]

CHICAGO - If weather forecasts hold up, this could be a record-breaking year of fast finishes for boat crews competing in this weekend’s 115th Chicago Yacht Club Race To Mackinac.

About 250 boats are participating in this classic Lake Michigan race this year. It stretches 333 miles from Chicago to Mackinac Island. This year, 2,200 sailors are on board - and about 20% are first-timers to the race known as America’s Offshore Challenge.

The festivities kicked off Friday in Chicago, with the Cruising Division boats getting their start. Today, the Racing Division boats kick off their part of the contest. The Chicago-to-Mackinac race is heralded as the longest freshwater sailing race in the world.

You can check the progress as the competition tracks up the spine of Lake Michigan. Each entry is equipped with a satellite tracker that sends information on speed, location and direction every 15 minutes. This race tracker gives you a color-coded map .

Michigan’s Best Tip: If the winds have the competing sailboats hugging the Michigan side of the Lake Michigan coastline during the race, beachgoers in West Michigan and Northern Michigan can get an eyeful of these beautiful boats as they pass. If you’re headed to the beach, bring a pair of binoculars.

“We’re expecting a very fast race this year with possible records being broken,” race staff said on social media today. “There’s a forecast for perfect downwind conditions that accelerate the further up the lake you look.”

The race starts near Chicago’s Navy Pier, heads up Lake Michigan, rounds the top of The Mitten and sails under the Mackinac Bridge before approaching the finish line near the Round Island Lighthouse alongside Mackinac Island. The fastest boats could reach the island later Sunday.

And once the boat crews step onto Mackinac Island, it’s party time.

Many of the boats will post individual updates, photos and videos during the race. You can follow the race on social media: #CYCRTM

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(LifeWire) -- Fifty years ago this Saturday, Laika -- a sweet-tempered stray plucked off the streets of Moscow -- was thrust into the global spotlight when she became the first living creature sent into space.

A Newfoundland, like this champion named Josh, saved the life of Napoleon Bonaparte.

When Sputnik 2's canine passenger (nicknamed "Muttnik" by the media) hit orbit, the Soviet Union grabbed the edge over the U.S. in the space race, a crux of competition during the Cold War.

Sadly, Laika's history-making voyage ended prematurely: In their rush to be first, Soviet scientists had made no provisions for her safe return.

"She died before reaching orbit, and before any real data was gleaned about sustaining life in that environment," says Dr. Stanley Coren, professor of psychology at the University of British Columbia and author of "The Pawprints of History: Dogs and the Course of Human Events."

But if little scientific knowledge was gleaned from Laika's journey, her mark on world events is undeniable. "We were behind the Russians," says Coren. "The U.S. quickly switched focus to putting a living being on the moon."

Laika is just one of the many canines to have left a furry legacy behind. Coren names 10 other dogs and the roles they played in history.

Nos. 1 and 2. Strelka and Belka's successful orbit

Laika was the first dog sent into space, but Strelka (Little Arrow) and Belka (Squirrel) -- launched on Sputnik 5 in 1960 for a one-day mission -- were the first to return alive. As a result, much more was learned from their mission. Strelka later gave birth to a litter of puppies, one of which, Pushinka, was given to President John F. Kennedy's daughter, Caroline.

No. 3. How Peritas saved civilization

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Without his dog, Peritas, Alexander the Great might have been Alexander the So-So. When the warrior was swarmed by the troops of Persia's Darius III, Peritas leapt and bit the lip of an elephant charging his master. Alexander lived to pursue his famed conquest, forging the empire underlying Western civilization as we know it.

No. 4. Charlie, Kennedy's Cuban Missile Crisis companion

At the height of 1962's Cuban missile crisis, President Kennedy had his son's Welsh terrier Charlie summoned to the chaotic War Room. The president held the terrier in his lap, petting him and appearing, by all accounts, to relax. Eventually he announced that he was ready to "make some decisions" -- those that de-escalated the conflict.

No. 5. Jofi, the first therapy dog

No. 6. Urian bites Pope, separates church and state

Henry VIII sent Cardinal Wolsey to meet with Pope Clement VII, hoping the pontiff would grant the ruler an annulment of his marriage to Catherine of Aragon. When the pope extended his bare toe to be kissed (as was the custom) by Wolsey, the Cardinal's dog, Urian, sprang forward and bit the pope. Clement flew into a rage, the divorce was off and Henry -- to ensure the annulment the Catholic Church refused to grant -- later established the Church of England.

No. 7. Newfoundland saves Napoleon

Napoleon Bonaparte owed his life to a nameless Newfoundland. As Bonaparte fled the island of Elba in 1815, where he was exiled, choppy seas pitched him overboard. A fisherman's dog jumped in after the drowning despot and kept him afloat. Napoleon lived to experience his own defeat at the Battle of Waterloo.

No. 8. Nixon professes love for Checkers

In his 1952 "Checkers speech," Richard Nixon -- then a candidate for vice president who was accused of pawing $18,000 in illegal campaign contributions -- admitted to accepting an American cocker spaniel, Checkers, as a gift.

"And you know, the kids, like all kids, loved the dog, and I just want to say this, right now, that regardless of what they say about it, we are going to keep it," Nixon said during his famous speech.

His heartfelt proclamation swayed public opinion and prolonged Nixon's political career.

No. 9. Peps, Wagner's harshest critic

Without Peps, composer Richard Wagner's Cavalier King Charles spaniel, that helicopter scene in the film "Apocalypse Now" (scored to "The Ride of the Valkyries") might sound very different. Wagner would have Peps sit on a special chair as he played his latest compositions and, based upon the dog's reactions, he'd keep or toss each passage.

No. 10. Donnchadh and the American Revolution

In 1306, when Edward I of England sought to bring down Robert the Bruce (and his ploy to rule Scotland), his men used Robert's own dog, Donnchadh, to find him.

Though the animal led them to their target, he then turned and defended his master, who lived to become king of Scotland and produce a daughter who married into the Stuart family. Many generations later, the irrational actions of Robert the Bruce's direct descendant, King George III, would cause the American colonists to rebel.

LifeWire provides original and syndicated lifestyle content to Web publishers. E. Bougerol is a writer and editor who lives in New York City.

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