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The 40th edition of the Round North Island two-handed race will get under way from the Devonport Yacht Club on February 25.
The concept for a two-person race around the North Island was initiated by Sir Peter Blake and Martin Foster with Devonport Yacht Club and this year's event will be the eighth under the helm of the Short Handed Sailing Association (SSANZ). The boats, which depart off Devonport wharf at 2pm on February 25, will stop off at Mangonui, Wellington and Napier before the final leg back to Auckland and are expected to take about two weeks.
(Ran Tan 11, foreground, is expected to battle for overall line honours. Photo: Deb Williams)
With less than six weeks until the start, 29 boats are getting ready for the gruelling event. This year’s event has attracted nine boats from outside of Auckland – from Tauranga, Wellington, Waikawa, Nelson and Christchurch - as well as one from Australia. WASABI is the first international entry in this SSANZ event and won line honours in the two-handed Melbourne-Osaka race in 2013. Skipper Bruce McKay will bring his Sayer 12 to New Zealand to take on this country's longest two-handed event.
Close racing is expected within the four divisions, especially from the three Ross 40s competing (Satellite Spy, Provincial Cowboy and Marshall Law).
"We're expecting close racing the whole way and hope that we will be competitive with the boys from Auckland," said Matt Kerr, skipper of the Waikawa-based Satellite Spy.
The race for overall line honours In the battle of the big boats is expected to be between Miss Scarlet (Reichel/Pugh IRC 52) and Ran Tan 11 (Elliott 50).
A number of boats and sailors are returning for another 'lap', having already competed in previous years. One with unfinished business is Matt Woodley, who was a competitor in 2011 on his own yacht Mr Roosevelt. Unfortunately, Mr Roosevelt was dismasted just north of the Manukau Harbour in that event, so this time he’s teamed up with Matt Flynn on Krakatoa 11 (Open 40).
At the smaller end of the fleet, another second lapper Richard Limbrick has joined forces with Cory McLennon on the Ross 850 Cool Change. They could give some of the larger boats a run for their money in the right conditions.
Each boat will carry a race tracker, making it easier to follow the boats progress around the North Island. For more details of the race check out the SSANZ website and the SSANZ Facebook page which has profiles of each of the competitors. Both will be updated throughout the race.
