WATERLINE 13
DECEMBER 2012
CLUB NEWS
Legendary regatta weather Another Legends Regatta is over. This Labour Weekend event never fails to serve up action in one form or another and this one was no exception. Of the 37 boats that were registered to sail, a brave 22 made it to Great Mercury Island between Friday evening and Saturday midday, sailing in adverse conditions. Having wind gauges only measuring half the wind strength can be advantageous. It might have been disturbing to know that over 50 knots was clocked by some travellers. All that was required for a good sail was a couple of reefs in the main, a hanky up on the forestay and your butt firmly planted. Hanse Free was the first arrive at the cove but very soon after it began to feel like she might have entered herself into the wrong race as the Auckland Stewart 34’s settled themselves into the cove side by side. At sunset, around 13 boats were in the Cove with the remaining either still battling or tucked up at Boat Harbour for some relief. One or two boats suffered some collateral damage as is almost always the case in winds that strong. Tango reduced her sail wardrobe by one sail and Hanse Free suffered a similar misadventure. Saturday dawned and Wizard began her day by surreptitiously hauling herself off the mud using crew, a rope and a neighbouring mooring. The winds had abated slightly to enable all those Skippers and Crew that weren’t
hunting the elusive scallop, to participate in the Round the Island race. A casual affair and usually the start of the race is delayed if not all boats are at the line. However, the officials for Saturday’s race gave the Mount boats an edge over the Auckland Stewarts by counting down the start at 5 minutes…..3 minutes….. then no hooter. This served to confuse the Auckland fleet and thus giving the Mount boats an advantage. Some Skippers sailed the “in close” route and others sailed “out wide”………..and then there’s those sneaky few like Indecision and Persuader that slid up in between to end up winning. Berenice relied on her water lines and massive sail area to wind the fleet in and the Cats did what Cats do and sailed twice the distance at speed. An unusual site was noted, the stern of Santana. Not often seen in a race but here is photographic evidence. The Saturday gathering on the Island for prizes, dishonourable mentions and fun uncloseted some weird and famous sights. One of the Jackson Five stepped off Force 10, Bob Marley apparently sailed up on Gannet and a large tall woman in a pale blue skirt was spotted wandering off and falling in a hole. Tributes were made, recognition dished out in the form of wine and rum flowed through the evening. Dora didn’t do much exploring on Sunday, admitting the extent of her festivities the night before. Just as well there was some “parental” support at hand. Sunday saw the return of the relentless “Big Blow”. It funnelled down through the Cove all Saturday night forcing the fleet to
stretch their anchor warps and continued through Sunday. Wizard, Halcyon, Hanse Free, Dejenaux and Gillian broke tradition and made for calmer waters at the bottom of the island…..but not without leaving a story or two. The crew from Dejenaux believe they sailed so fast getting to the cove that they stripped paint off the bow. Halcyon was plagued by a “dinghy thief ” in the night (aka slippery knot) and one or two other dinghies also made a break for freedom. Most of the fleet sailed back to Tauranga and Auckland respectively on Monday. Conditions were perfect with a steadier but persistent wind and a following sea. Overall Regatta Race Results: 1st Indecision Skipper: B Van der Vlerk 2nd Wizard Skipper: Doug Harrison 3rd Hanse Free Skipper: Arthur Elworthy The Draw for the major prize, a travel voucher went to the owners of Gannet, Stuart and Leslie Clark. Congratulations. The Mount Maunganui Yacht Club members would like to thank all our sponsors for this event: POWERco, Lion Breweries, Plumbing World- Tauranga, David Peet Jewellers, Windsheer – clothing, Media Works – ‘The Sound’ Radio, Electrical Works, Mills Reef Winery, Blokart International, Bridge Marina Travel lift, Steve’s Marine, Wild Kiwi Clothing, Tauranga Boat Sales, Sew Hot Monograms, House of Travel. To all those Skippers and crew who sailed the 2012 Legends Regatta, well done and we’ll see you next year. By Carol Andrews
CLUB NEWS
WOW shines bright no matter the conditions Women on Water has had a fun and busy start to the 2012-2013 season. Race # 1 had a whopping 120 female sailors who enjoyed some low-stress racing in light wind. The odd bit of drizzle did not dampen the fun, with this being WOW’s biggest turnout ever. And, of course, we expect the numbers to just keep growing! Jade Lady, Sniper, Kaimai Express, and Whatever took the first four places that evening. Race # 2 saw sunshine added to the mix, as well as plenty of tidal current; combined with mostly-absent wind, the tides had the effect of a backwards conveyor belt. This made for a good lesson in Course Over Ground
vs. Course Through the Water: It is always interesting (and a bit disconcerting) to be sailing along nicely, trimming the sails, hearing the lap of water on the hull, and then look over and see that the yacht is actually losing ground! WOW races happen fortnightly on Thursday evenings. For the Thursdays between those race evenings, we’ve set up a variety of activities, such as having guest speakers and getting out in the sailing dinghies. Recently, Yachting New Zealand’s Hamish Hey gave a fantastic presentation on race rules, knot tying, and Rules of the Road. Remember: You don’t have to have sailing experience to come to WOW. All that you
TYPBC Women on Water
have to have is the desire to learn and the expectation to have fun. Women on Water is for women of all abilities. If you don’t know how to sail, then come give it a try! If you do know how to sail, come meet future friends. Please visit the Women on Water section of TYPBC’s website www.yacht.org.nz to find full details of events, registration deadlines, and forms. And, of course, a big thank you to our boat skippers, and to our sponsors, who give generously and help WOW to be as successful as it is: Mills Reef, Mount Mellick, Le Chat Noir, Hands on Health, sPacific Landscapes and Gardening, FitCo, Healthy Inspirations, and By Nicole Harris Ivory.