Tasman two hander

One of the southern hemisphere's few shorthanded races kicks off 1 May

The Shorthanded Sailing Association of Australia’s Trans Tasman Sydney-Auckland race is on again, the next in a long series of events going back to 1988. The SSAA’s biennial Two-Handed event starts on 1 May, 2004.

The Trans Tasman offers a number of challenges to yachtsmen who might have been thinking of crossing the ‘ditch’ but haven’t yet done so. Firstly, history shows that crossing the Tasman in April/May is the best time of the year from a weather viewpoint as the possibility of encountering severe weather is reduced . As well, the race connects with the Royal Akarana Yacht Club’s race from Auckland to Noumea starting on 5 June. Lastly, taking in the magnificent NZ cruising grounds and then heading up to the Pacific is an obvious attraction.

For some, this race is the peak of their sailing challenges and for others it’s a training ground for greater achievements. Many well known Australian sailors have participated in past Trans Tasman events: Kay Cottee, David Adams, Kanga Birtles and Tony Mowbray participated in early races prior to their solo non-stop circumnavigation successes. Terry Travers and Robin Chamberlain participated in the 1998 event as a prelude to their Antarctic adventures as did Teresa Michel and David Pryce in their Adams 10 prior to the 1999 Melbourne to Osaka race. Last time, Melbourne-Osaka winner Sayernara in her first race under new ownership won her second Trans-Tasman.

All types of yacht are welcome in the Trans-Tasman, classic cruisers to carbon-fibre. Short-handing is essentially about a diverse range of sailors creating and achieving their own objectives, so in fact 'traditional' boats have been the mainstay of the fleet. In the 2000 race Robin Margo in his steel hulled 47 ft Kakadu successfully made the crossing. Tony Mowbray also participated in his Cole 43, the race primarily being a shakedown trip for his solo non-stop unassisted circumnavigation. The 2002 event saw a wide range of entrants, from modern short handed racers like Kiwi Mini-Transat hero Chris Sayer and Wollongong boy Phil Bower’s Mini 6.50s and John Biddlecombe’s Open 60 Liberty to traditional boats like Mike Thurston’s Drina. SSAA handicapping reflects the diversity of entrants and so we’d like to encourage owners of traditional boats to consider a two-handed cruise across the ditch.

Fleet sizes are down across the eastern seaboard, plenty of sailors are now sitting on the sidelines in response to the uncertainties and escalating costs of Ocean Racing. There has never been a better time to seize a new challenge and cross the Tasman in a race that gives all boats a fair chance.

Maybe 2004 is the year to add a new skite plate to your collection. For further details and the Notice of Race please visit the SSAA website or phone David Eastwood on +61 419 240 862.