Annual 2013 Townson Regatta attracts 16 boats

Altex Y & B Paints / Burnsco Marine & Leisure Townson Regatta & Townson 32 Championships, April 13/14, 2013.

Hosted once again by Bucklands Beach Yacht Club, an encouragingly increased number of nine Townson 32s entered for this year’s Championships together with seven Townsons for the Regatta on Saturday 13 April.

Saturday dawned bright and clear with heavy dew and glassy calm and forecast 23 degrees. No wind of any significance was reported anywhere. Both fleets congregated at the entrance to the Tamaki River, bobbed around to the Waitemata slop from box boats and ferries and all hurried up and did nothing all day until Peter Stewart, the Race Officer gave up and called it quits for the day at 1400.

We had been tantalized with a light 5 knot North east breeze that came, faded and went many times in the afternoon, but it amounted to nothing. Result? No racing for the Townson designs. The Townson 32’s could come back tomorrow.

Sunday 14^th had the same dew levels, but a slight haze that burned off. By 1000 hours, a soft 10 knot came in from 70 degrees and the first race got under way close to schedule. Across the course, the breeze could be seen to have glassy soft patches and better pressure patches. Picking your way through that lot was a challenge.

Derek Brebner, Delicado sailed as a very light two up crew and was just so quick upwind and downwind against the heavier crewed other Townson 32’s.

The wind on the downwind leg dropped to 3 knots with poled out headsails hanging limp and flogging around in the slop. This race was shortened at the top mark with Delicado finishing about 100 meters ahead of Tony Kendall, Sunlight and Fred Price, Incentive taking 3^rd place. Strange, but we had to continue to sail back down to the start / finish mark anyhow to start race two.

Race two had the three top boats, Delicado, Sunlight and Incentive take these three top placings again with Incentive beating out Sunlight for 2^nd.

Race three was a new innovation for the Townson 32’s in that we included a harbour course as a change.

The course chosen was a short windward beat, then a run to Northern Leading, one starboard lay to Flax Point, a tricky run/reach back to Northern Leading against a fast flowing ebb tide and one port lay through to the finish. Not much windward work other than the first beat.

Tony Kendall, Sunlight took the lead and inched ahead of Fred Price, Incentive at the top mark starboard rounding. Derek Brebner, Delicado had that speed again downwind and closed in on Sunlight by Northern Leading. Sunlight retained her lead for the rest of the race to take line and handicap honours for that race with Delicado finishing one minute behind.

Somehow, the rest of the fleet was left way behind with Tony Evans, Grenada and Fred Price, Incentive taking 3^rd and 4^th.

Overall results:

Handicap Placings: 1^st Tony Evans, Grenada; 2^nd Colin Hunt, Pott Black; 3^rd Jason Butterfield, Sunbeam, 3^rd.

Thanks to Bucklands Beach Yacht Club for providing the facilities for the Regatta and the Annual Townson dinner and Prize giving. We are grateful to the Jack and Gary Banks for providing Huszar II as Mark and Committee boat as they have done now for so many years.