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SIMRAD Barrier 100 - On board Hard Labour Cameron Thorpe reports: The race report from Race 2 finished off with something about the boat insisting on living up to it’s name and also the need to use every trick in the book to pull of the combined elapsed time win…
Well sadly the boat still insists on being “Hard Labour”, although this time was more than a little self inflicted. Before the race we needed to do a little maintenance so the boat was booked to come out of the water. Unfortunately over Friday night was the only option…(would be a big problem if anything unforeseen needed to be fixed). Anyway we worked away on Friday and got everything sorted and had arranged to meet to put the boat back in the water at 7:00. I was wondering why Steve hadn’t showed up so called him to find he was still at home ! Oops. Guess I’m on my own !
So I get the boat back in the marina, Steve turns up and we unload the excess gear and put on what is required for the race. I’m now expecting a call from Peter Montgomery to go live on air, but still haven’t heard from him. Just as I’m thinking it’s not going to happen, the phone rings and we are straight into the interview which was shortened a little as everything was running late.
By now everyone else has left the marina and we are the last ones left, so it’s a quick exit and hammer down. We knew we would be tight for time as we had to motor into the wind and tide, luckily 1020’s go very well under motor and we could go twice the speed of many other boats. As we arrived the longhaul division just got it’s warning gun. I quickly hanked on the No.2 and we got the main up and switched the engine off only just before our warning gun and the longhaul divisions start.
Starting tactic’s were obvious, had to be right by No8 buoy. It was also apparent everyone was running late. We hoisted the No.2 about 3 min before the start and sailed towards the tower. Grunty Chicken and Rebel Rouser were the only other boats near the line, we tacked underneath and reached back towards No.8 buoy. Higher Ground was 5 min late and approached on port tacking just in front. This made life interesting as we dipped under their transom then came up around No.8 barely squeezing past with the tide pushing us towards it. We bore away and established some clear air to leeward of Higher Ground, set up the outboard jib sheets and settled in for a long reach to Little Barrier.
We were pretty happy with ourselves at this point as apart from Rebel Rouser we had about 1.5 minute lead on our closest opposition. However we knew these were not our conditions and were worried about how long it would take for them to catch us.
Iorangi obviously loved the conditions and was absolutely flying. They passed us by Tiri and proceeded to disappear into the sunset going at least a knot faster. At this point we realised we had no chance to retain the trophy for the Shorthaul divisions fastest combined elapsed time….but it’s better to be 2nd than 3rd or 4th ! Sliver, Rebel Rouser, and Namu were all looking dangerous behind us. The breeze built and dropped a couple of times which kept us busy with the first reef going in…then out…then in again. Mostly we had 20-25 knots with a few lulls to 15 knots and puffs to 27 (once touched 30)
Namu
Rebel Rouser had a few issues with twists, so we managed to gybe across in front. The sea state was quite confused, with a backwash from the island and the breeze was very puffy. We carried the kite until we got through the lee then rehoisted the No.2 and headed up 40 degrees onto course.
Sliver had caught up a bit around Little Barrier using a gennaker, but lost their gains by hanging on to long before dropping. They were a fair way to leeward. Namu didn’t hoist a spinnaker and stayed very close to the island ending up a fair way to windward but still abit behind. Rebel Rouser had a shocker gybe, held the spinnaker too long and lost a lot of distance.
Akatea
Namu eventually passed us at Tiri, but when we both hit a light patch in the lee of Tiri we managed to sneak over the top of them to get in front. It was huge concentration from both boats all the way to the finish, constantly trimming. Hard Labour’s lead varied between ½ and 2 boat-lengths but unfortunately we couldn’t hold Namu back forever. They slipped ahead at Rangi light and ended up finishing at most 10 seconds in front. Sliver was probably only another 30 seconds back
For the conditions I think we couldn’t have
expected anymore from the boat and had a great race. Unfortunately we had no
tricks left in the bag to hold out Namu let alone Iorangi. But 20 odd
minutes ahead of the next 1020 (thanks for giving us a break at the start
guys !) Cameron
p.s What a fantastic series and amazing to see
136 entries ! Will look forward to next year….maybe we will see 150 boats !
CT110905
Start of Simrad Barrier 100
Sundreamer steps out
U2 digs in
More later ..
Scene on Saturday.
KS270805
Olympic Gold Medalist stands as YNZ President
Rex Sellers, winner of an Olympic Gold medal
in 1984 and a silver medal in Pusan, Korea in 1988, has announced his
intention to stand for President of Yachting New Zealand. He will
contest the position being vacated by outgoing President, Geoff Thorpe.
There is one other nominee for the role, Denis Mowbray a current
Board member who has held the position for six years.
Selected for five Olympic Games in the Tornado class, Sellers (55) is one of the icons of New Zealand sailing. He moved across to Oracle Racing for the 2000-2003 America's Cup where he headed their weather team. He was also Team Manager and Coach of two Optimist teams in 1999 and 2000. Sellers has spent most of his life on the water having started sailing at the age of 11 years and becoming a commercial fisherman soon after leaving school in Nelson. With a reputation as one of the hard men of New Zealand sailing, Seller's background is in stark contrast to Mowbray, a management consultant, and past Commodore of Canterbury Yacht and Motor Boat Club, who is currently undertaking a Masters degree in Corporate Governance and Strategic Management.
Mowbray is also a nominee for the Board of YNZ, along with Jim Murdoch, who is completing his first two year term as a Director of Yachting NZ. From Northland, Murdoch is best known for his involvement in Teams Racing, including organisation of the 2003 ISAF World Teams Racing Championships in Auckland. A former F1 motor racing mechanic, Murdoch also managed five New Zealand teams to ISAF World Team Racing championships, including NZ's only win in 2001. He was also heavily involved in the introduction of the 420 class to New Zealand, now one of the country's strongest two-handed classes.
Also contesting one of the two positions on the YNZ Board is Rob Bassett (47), current NZ Champion in the Etchells Class. Bassett has won several national championships and was one of the driving forces behind the Torbay Boating Club, now one of NZ's premier dinghy clubs. A plumber by trade, Bassett now runs a substantial plumbing and drainage company on Auckland's North Shore.
Elections for the positions will be held at the YNZ Annual Meeting on 17th September.
Rex Sellers (L) with Chris Timms after winning their Gold Medal in 1984 KS240805
18ft skiff breeding program underway at ASC
A prolific breeding
program is been underway around the Auckland Sailing Club to get the 18ft
skiff class re-established in New Zealand. So far, Kiwispy understands that
nine 18ft skiffs are ether sailing or have been purchased. Most of these are
understood to have come from Australia
Two new boats have recently arrived, one for Chris Hurst from the Magic 25 class. The other is for Chris Skinner as an upgrade from the blue 18 foot skiff he has been sailing, to date. The ex Ella Bache is also understood to have been purchased. Those involved in the class include sports boat sailors, skiff sailors and Olympic class competitors.
Skinners new boat is sponsored by Helly Hansen and it is understood that he intends to attend this years world championships. A selection process for crew is currently underway for this program.
Saturday was the first day for Hurst and Skinner and their new boats, and they were joined by 12ft skiff exponent, Alex Vallings in a third boat. It was perfect conditions for sailing with an 8 - 10 knot Easterly that eventually died to nothing - just as the boats returned to the shore.
The arrival of the two new boats has boosted the class numbers within NZ to nine boats. Plans are now in place for an opening day, Auckland Champs and the New Zealand Nationals. The 18 Foot Association is looking to be in a strong position for these future events and has many initiatives in place to help develop the class.
One of the driving forces begin the re-establishment of the class is Graeme Catley – who has been sailing skiffs since the early 70’s. Already it is understood that some sponsors are on board, besides Helly Hansen.
The 18fters have been part of the Auckland sailing scene since the mid-fifties and earlier sailing variations of 18ft boats which evolved into the M-class. The last serious campaigns involved Dan Slater and Phil Airey skippered boats which competed in the Australian Grand Prix circuit.
KS210805
Scene on Saturday.
Racing on the Waitemata
KS130805 Racing on the Waitemata
A couple of shots from the Winter Racing on the Waitemata Harbour today. More can be seen here Photo Gallery
KS300705
Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrr !! Pass the rum ..... Please?? From Ian MacIntosh
Last weekend saw a fleet of 10 Elliott 5.9’s
get together in Taupo for Race 3 of the Appletons Estate Rum Travellers
Series.
IM220705 Nations Cup Regional Final to NZ
ISAF has awarded the first Regional Final for the 2006 Nations Cup to New Zealand. This match racing event will hosted by Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadrion in April 2006 and will be sailed in the Elliot 6M class.
From the ISAF website: "The Group G Regional Final will draw the nations from Oceania and be hosted in Auckland by the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron in April 2006, using the Elliot 6m as used regularly for their youth training programme. David CHARLESWORTH, Commodore of the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron commented, 'We believe the experience we have gained running two recent America's Cup Regatta's will stand us in good stead and ensure the racing is well run and fair to all competitors. An International Event of this stature needs the best possible organisation and amenities. We believe we have the skills available to provide this along with a world class venue.'"
For full details including the draw see: Nations Cup KS150705
Tribute to Sir Peter Blake Gets Bigger. Torbay Sailing Club is well on the way to organising one of the largest sailing regattas to be held within Auckland in a tribute to Sir Peter Blake.The Sir Peter Blake Memorial Torbay Youth Regatta has been one of the largest junior youth regattas being held annually on a weekend nearest to the anniversary of Sir Peter’s unfortunate death. Torbay Sailing Club works alongside the Sir Peter Blake Trust as principal regatta sponsors.
The last edition of the regatta in December 2005 attracted
276 entrants, sailing in all youth classes including Optimist, P class,
Starling, Laser, 420 and some Olympic classes such as Mistral boards and 470
class yachts.
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Hard
Labour
Iorangi
On rounding Little Barrier Rebel Rouser was right
on our transom. We both went to set up spinnakers but unfortunately our
halyard clip let go part way up….(I was wondering why it suddenly got to
easy to hoist). I had a quick attempt to climb the mast, but as every thing
was so wet and slippery it didn’t really work, so instead we hoisted using
the spare genoa halyard.
For us it was a three way drag race to the finish
with Namu and Sliver either side and close behind. We seemed to be holding
Sliver, but Namu was catching.
"At
Rakino we got a vicious squall, total white out across the water, but only
for about 10 seconds so we just hung on feathering. We did get a lucky lift
inside the reef because of it which put us back in touch with Raider. After
Billy Goat Point we moved ahead of them. The wind was stronger with streaks
across the water and rough enough for our waterline length to help. We still
carried full main and number 2 while everyone else was reefing. We picked
our way through the small boats and turned the corner at Rangi Light for
what we thought would be an easy run home. As it turned out we got hit by a
few bullets one of which damn near capsized us as I got my hand caught in
the winch trying to release. We were very careful after that and took the
gun at 4 hours 35 mins taking the double. 
