Issue date
Knowing the forecast was potentially bad the Flying Fifteen Nationals Race Management team, led by National Race Officer John Sinclaire and assistant Ian Clouston, entered into some intelligent negotiations with the sailors during the briefing on the first day of the regatta.
As a result the invitation race, due to be sailed at 2pm on Thursday, March 13th, 2014 became race 1 of the regatta and with a late amendment to the schedule of races and a signed off agreement with competitors led to a second race to get the contest under way.
Three races followed on the Friday in moderate conditions and so we had a five race National Championship result before the wind arrived and that it surely did.
At this point in the regatta Murray Gilbert and Jonathan Burgess had “stamped their mark” with an unbeaten and emphatic run of five straight victories. Nobody could match their speed and “core sample” was the whisper on the beach.
On Saturday morning the sailors were greeted at the club by the mad rattling of “AP over A” and were glad they’d wheeled their yachts into the shelter of the club car park the night before. The weather forecast displayed in the club house gave hope for another three races on the Sunday and that’s exactly how things worked out.
Sunday arrived and so did a fleet of competitors and the Race Committee all “bright eyed and bushy tailed” after the enforced Lay Day. Racing began according to the schedule at eleven sharp in a fresh north, nor-easterly breeze gusting into the high teens. The water south of the Whangaparaoa Peninsula was ruffled but not hugely and provided perfect and exciting sailing conditions. As the three scheduled races progressed the wind followed the sun and moved into the north thus keeping the RO busy directing course changes. The second race of the day, seventh of the event ran through without a hitch and not too much surprise either. The fast stayed on form while second and third places solidified their positions.
Race three of the day, eight of the series started with a further left hander to settle in the Nor, nor-west and plenty of wick. The start was with twenty knots of wind and gusts into the low twenties. The direction was steady and the sea-state reasonable because of the proximity to the shore in the north and west. Again the positions of the yachts were pretty much according to the “script” but there was one little surprise that “Lusi” had saved to make sure everyone was still paying attention. Half way up the first beat for some and onto first reach for others a thirty knot “Line Squall” busted through the fleet. Spinnakers resembled flags for some, were controllably dropped for others, successfully carried and even gybed for a few and in the case of Fred Price and David McIntyre while under “full steam” caused the hull and deck to part company. Fred and David were towed safely ashore and were really the only casualty of the series.
Auckland (RAYC) crew Craig Coulam and Adrienne Rekke sailed a fantastic and consistent regatta albeit in the shadow of Murray and Jonathan for second overall while third was “scooped up” by Rob Ward and Bruce Yovich from Onerahi.
Craig and Adrienne won the first Male/Female prize and Jenny Price and Allison Howitt won the first All Female crew prize.
A big thanks goes to sponsor Fairway Bay Ltd for the company’s assistance with funding the event and to the great Race Management team that skilfully sidestepped Cyclone Lusi.
