Lucy Jefferies, a competitor in the inaugural 1987 Melbourne-Osaka race, will once again be at the main start on March 16 as a spectator, ready to relive the unforgettable adventure she and her husband, Brian, shared onboard their steel-hulled, aluminum-mast cutter-headed ketch Terra Australis.
Brian had taught Lucy how to sail, and together they had sailed over 60,000 nautical miles, dreaming of circumnavigating the world. When the Melbourne-Osaka race was announced, it was the perfect challenge. Their journey together had already taken them to the Solomons, Papua New Guinea, and, having won that year’s Offshore Championship, they had already qualified.
“The start of the race was superb,” Lucy recalled. “But just two days in, our autopilot stopped working. We couldn’t get it fixed, and parts weren’t available in Japan, so we ended up hand-steering all the way there and back.” She remembered the ingenuity of their journey. “Brian rigged the boat so we could still have a cuppa together each day.”
Shifts on Terra Australis were carefully coordinated. “Brian always took the late shift, being the ‘owl of our relationship,’ while I took the ‘fowl’ shift from midnight to 4 a.m.,” Lucy said with a laugh. “We had sailed together for so long, we each knew our roles. I took care of navigation and supplies, and Brian handled everything to do with the boat and sails.”
Terra Australis was more than just a race boat—it was a cruising yacht, fully equipped with all the mandatory safety gear, and the yellow dinghy on the back was a constant reminder of their goal to eventually cruise home.
“The race was worth it for the journey home,” Lucy said. “Brian and I took our time, cruising back to Australia arriving just before Christmas. We visited the Mariana Islands, Guam, and other Micronesian islands along the way.”
Among their stops, Pagan Island stood out. “Pagan Island was the most amazing,” Lucy said. “There had been a volcanic eruption in 1979, and most of the people had left. The buildings were half-buried, but the fruit trees were still thriving, providing a feast for us.”
“The most emotional part was the finish when we came into the harbour. People were on a boat clapping and waving. We had no wind, and I think they were just wishing us over the line, but it was such a special moment. It felt like a celebration in itself,” Lucy finished.
Join Lucy on the main start on March 16th at Portsea Pier as we commence the 9th running of Australia’s longest North-South race, double-handed and non-stop, the 2025 Melbourne Osaka Cup.
With staggered starts, from Sunday March 2nd through to March 3oth with the main start being March 16th. Come to cheer and wave them off at the start line in Portsea and follow their progress on the race tracker here https://race.bluewatertracks.com/2025-melbourne-osaka-cup-double-handed-race