With entries for the 10th Melbourne to Osaka Yacht Race set to be capped, more than 125 expressions of interest from 12 countries signal strong international demand for a race that stays with sailors long after they cross the finish line.
For some sailors, this event is a once-in-a-lifetime challenge. For others, completing it only sparks a new ambition: to do it again, and to do it better.
As preparations build for the 10th edition in 2030 and a Q&A roadshow gets underway, entries are anticipated to open in early 2027. Those on the expression-of-interest list will have the first opportunity to confirm their entry.
Duncan Hine, skipper of the Reichel Pugh 66 yacht Alive, is ready to take on the challenge again. Having won the 2025 race, he views the prospect of another race as an opportunity to refine the experience while chasing the finish line and the race record.
Hine expresses, “It’s that once-in-a-lifetime race. Once done, you think of things you could do better next time.” He has been considering modifications to make sailing easier, including adjustments to the sail selection and introducing an electric traveller.
He notes that this race allows sailors to set up their own seaworthy boat without needing specialist equipment or teams, making it accessible to a variety of participants.
Jeremy Walton, who served as Duty Race Director for the 2025 edition, is seeking a different style of yacht race. He describes the Melbourne to Osaka as a non-stop, unassisted, double-handed ocean race that requires two sailors to manage their boat, sleep patterns, and decision-making over an extended passage.
Walton appreciates the camaraderie among competitors and recalls the joy and exhaustion they experience. He reflects, “I wished I was out there too sailing,” even while off duty, he followed the race closely.
He plans to join Greg Phelan aboard his Endurance 44 yacht Salacia, opting for a slower and more comfortable boat. The race’s winner is determined not just by who reaches Osaka first, but by corrected elapsed time, with competitors starting at staggered intervals.
Six competitors with Japanese connections are already on the expression-of-interest list, eager for their chance to compete. Dr Keiichirou Morimura, a competitor from the 2018 edition and Commodore of the Hokko Osaka Yacht Club, emphasises that the race creates friendships and opens unexpected opportunities.
He states, “I became an ocean medical trainer after the race and managed to incorporate my sailing hobby into my work.” For him, the achievement begins long before the starting gun, with most of the work completed by the time he arrives in Melbourne.
The race is recognised for its accessibility, welcoming participants regardless of their professional background. As Dr Morimura puts it, “It’s an international ocean race that anyone can enter. You don’t need to be a professional or an athlete. You just need the passion to do it.”
This challenge of sailing double-handed and non-stop from Melbourne to Osaka awaits those who dare to take it on. They will join an exclusive group of sailors who have tackled one of ocean sailing’s most extraordinary challenges, an event that occurs only every four to five years.
Cyrus Allen, Chair of the Melbourne to Osaka Organising Committee for the 2030 race, explains, “An expression of interest is not a commitment to enter. It places prospective competitors on the list for the first opportunity to take up an entry when invitations are offered.”
For those who have dreamed of making the passage, or who know from experience that one attempt is never quite enough, now is the time to put their name forward.
Expressions of interest and preliminary NoR can be found here: https://melbourneosakacup.com/en/home/
Meet past competitors at the upcoming Question and Answer sessions around Australia:
– Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania: 9th November 26 at 19:00
– Cruising Yacht Club of Australia: 12th November 26 at 18:30
– Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron: 27th November 26 at 19:00
– Hobsons Bay Yacht Club: 27th November 26 at 19:00
– Port Stephens Yacht Club Community Hub Fremantle Sailing Club
– Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron Hobsons Bay Yacht Club
– SA: check back soon for the date in early in 2027.
Story Written by: Melbourne Osaka Media
For media inquiries contact Cyrus Allen on +61(0)459 938153
About the Melbourne to Osaka Yacht Race
The Melbourne to Osaka Yacht Race is a 5,000 nautical mile ocean race from Melbourne, Australia, to Osaka, Japan. First raced in 1987, the race is sailed double-handed, non-stop, and unassisted. This event provides a unique opportunity for sailors, many of whom are Corinthian, to embark on the challenge of a lifetime. The 2030 event will be the 10th edition of the Melbourne to Osaka Yacht Race.
Learn more about the race here: www.melbourneosakacup.com
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