TeamVodafoneSailing - line honours and multihull record winners. Image copyright Matt Buchanan.
by Zoe Hawkins
TeamVodafoneSailing enjoyed better than expected conditions when the HSBC Premier Coastal Classic started today.
Brisk South Westerly winds set the scene for an exciting start with the big red trimaran, owned by Aucklander Simon Hull, taking a conservative line and gybing itself into clear air before clearing the city and making a fast exit via the outer Hauraki Gulf.
Then the boat astonished the sailing world when it reached Sail Rock - 56 nautical miles into the race - in less than two and a half hours, and arrived at Cape Brett at 3pm.
It seemed like destiny that the Kiwi owned boat would oust the record set by the visiting Alfa Romeo last year, and create sailing history.
But the weather gods had other ideas, and the convergence of the sea breeze and the prevailing South-Westerly left a windless hole in the area surrounding Cape Brett,
Whether to sail inside or outside Cape Brett is an important tactical decision in the Auckland to Russell race, and Hull and his crew opted to take the quicker route and work with the tide to sail through the gap.
This cost them an hour of waiting for wind, followed by patchy sailing for the last 20 miles into Russell.
"It was a wonderful race for the first half and we were well ahead of schedule," says TeamVodafoneSailing Skipper, Simon Hull. "We didn't expect such good conditions at the start, but the light conditions at the end were forecast. There wasn't a lot we could do, that's the fun and the challenge of yacht racing"
TeamVodafoneSailing finished in 7 hours, 16 minutes and 9 seconds, under under Split Enz's multihull record of 14 years standing, which was 7 hours, 20 minutes and 51 seconds, but outside the overall record of 6 hours, 43 minutes and 32 seconds.
Next to finish, at 1900hrs, was Roger Pagani's Triple 8, followed by the 28 foot catamaran, Charleston, and Evolution Sails Limit, with Chris Dickson onboard, and Split Enz.
"Charleston is the outstanding performer of the race so far," says Jon Vincent of the New Zealand Multihull Yacht Club.
The 196 boats still racing have mostly described champagne sailing conditions.
“Congratulations to all of today’s winners,” says David Griffiths, CEO at HSBC New Zealand. “This is a very difficult event, and the sailors have participated in a long and arduous race. To be able to succeed in the HSBC Premier Coastal Classic demonstrates great seamanship, courage and perseverance, so well done to all who took part this year. Again, we were delighted to be able to bring the New Zealand yachting community together with this significant event - the HSBC Premier Coastal Classic.”
The 119 nautical mile HSBC Premier Coastal Classic is the biggest coastal yacht race in New Zealand, and one of the biggest in the world. It started life 28 years ago as a drag race between Auckland and Russell for just a few boats, and over the years attracted a bigger and more diverse fleet, consisting of grand prix racers, America’s Cup boats, and small family cruisers.
Organised by the New Zealand Multihull Yacht Club, it is a race designed for speed: except for at the beginning and the end of the race, there are few opportunities to use tactics to overtake, and success can often depend on getting a good tactical start.
Joining HSBC Premier, which is also sponsor of Division 1, are eight divisional sponsors, each contributing prizes to its line honours winners and handicap placegetters: Musto (Division 2), Safety at Sea (Division 3), Mt Gay Rum (Division 4), Steinlager (Division 5), Duke of Marlborough Hotel (Division 6), RAILBLAZA Ltd (Division 7), Jucy Rentals (Division 8), PredictWind.com (IRC), and SailNZ (Classic Division).
Snitch GPS will provide real-time GPS tracking of ten members of the race fleet, and Sunday Star Times and Trade-A-Boat Magazine are official media partners to the race. Predictwind.com issued an official, detailed race forecast on the eve of the race.
HSBC Premier Coastal Classic
