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The 2024 PIC Coastal Classic will go down in sailing history as one where resilience and determination to finish won the day.
The 18m trimaran Romanza, skippered by Dougall Love, crossed the finish line at 01:46 on Saturday morning for an elapsed time of 15 hours and 46 minutes, claiming the honour of line honours victory. It was followed at 03:18 by Levity, and just a few seconds later by the first monohull, Graham Matthew’s Equilibrium.
The trio used their size and performance to seal the top three places on line.
Romanza and Levity were the only two multihulls to finish. The former received redress (or time in credit) for spending nearly a full hour supporting the crew of a damaged yacht and won on both line and handicap.
“Both boats sailed superbly,” said race spokesperson Adrian Percival of the New Zealand Multihull Yacht Club.
The first of the smaller keelboats arrived soon after the multis: Clockwork at 03:59, Zephyrus at 04:20 and Vixen at 05:15.
Amidst this bunch was Sir Peter Blake’s 1989 Whitbread-winning yacht, Steinlager 2, now owned by the New Zealand Sailing Trust. At 25m in length, it is likely the most comfortable boat in the fleet for an upwind race onboard. Steinlager 2 finished at 04:47.
The navy-blue Warwick 50, Fez, owned by Justine and Casey Bellingham, was ninth on line but took out the coveted title of overall PHRF honours in the race. Vixen was second, and Zephyrus third.
“We’d like to congratulate our handicap winners,” says Percival. “It was tough out there, many boats withdrew before or in the early stages of the race, and those that went on to finish really put in the mahi.”
The first finishers took more than 14 hours to complete the course; the last more than 24 hours, making it one of the longer events in the race’s history. Just 39 of the 67 starters finished the upwind race.
Conditions have been described as uncomfortable, but achievable.
Graham Matthew’s Equilibrium was the first monohull to cross the line. Photos / Live Sail Die
The crew of the Elliott 1050 Kick which arrived in Russell at breakfast time on Saturday, said the worst sea state of the race was off Kawau Island and for the most part wind strength was around 14-18 knots. At Tapeka Point it increased to 25 knots but by then, it was time to crack sheets and hoist the kite anyway.
“Thank you to everyone for being adaptable and resilient this year, it’s definitely a race to remember and we are looking forward to the promised South-Westerly for 2025," Percival added.
The PIC Coastal Classic is an iconic feature on the New Zealand sailing calendar, attracting experienced sailors and passionate newcomers alike.
The race is organised by the New Zealand Multihull Yacht Club. As well as welcoming back long-term supporter PIC Insurance Brokers, the Coastal Classic is supported by some of New Zealand’s pre-eminent marine brands: Doyle Sails, Mount Gay, B&G, Port Whangārei Marine Centre, Yachting New Zealand, Burnsco, PredictWind.com, and Burnard International.
For full results, visit the official PIC Coastal Classic website here. - PIC Coastal Classic
