Negotiations by Melbourne Osaka Cup race organisers for a shipping container to be sent to Japan prior to the start of the 2018 race are well under way. The cost for the container, customs clearance and storage at the Osaka port will be paid for by the organisers.
With most boats stripped of additional equipment for the race and many crews planning to cruise their way home, being able to ship cruising gear to Osaka has been a welcome support in previous years.
The loading date has not yet been settled (most likely a Saturday in March) and it is planned to have the container delivered to SYC for one day to enable loading. The container will arrive in Osaka prior to the first boat finishing the race. To achieve this and meet Custom requirements – in both Melbourne and Osaka- everyone will need to have items clearly labeled and listed.
It is hoped the container will be delivered directly to the Hokko Marina however this is still being negotiated. Each race entrant will be allocated one cubic meter of container storage and items can include:
- Yacht tenders & associated equipment
- Outboard motors – must be clean & no fuel in tank
- Spare cans – no fuel
- Spare anchor & chains
- Cruising sails & yacht spares
- Ship supplies – no classified type drugs.
Entrants may also consider what gifts they might like to take for visiting the tropical islands communities in the Federated States of Micronesia and New Guinea. In the past, many crews have found the following items have been very much needed and appreciated by the locals:
- School supplies – pens papers etc
- Fishing supplies – fishing line, hooks, snorkel gear, flippers etc.
- Sporting goods – footballs (and pumps) bat balls etc
- Medical supplies
- Food treats
- Clothing & caps
- Spare sails & ropes
- Gardening equipment
In preparing the items, each carton is to be clearly labeled with boat name, owner’s name and a description of the contents. A corresponding manifesto will also be sought with a list of the number of cartons or packages loaded for each yacht.
More details on the availability of the container will be published soon.
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