Line honours for Maximus

Inaugral outing for maxi in Auckland to Tauranga race

Team EBS and Maximus experienced a day of firsts in the Navman Steve’s Marine Supplies Ultimate Coastal Challenge. Not only was it the open-water debut for the 100ft Super Maxi, but the team also took line honours in this year’s Auckland to Tauranga race.

There was a general recall at the start of the race, delaying the fleet of 50 until 1019hrs. Maximus experienced light winds in the early stages of the race but carried good boat speed in the later stages of the event to pull away from all rivals and cross the finish at 19:56:44 – completing the journey in 9 hours 37 minutes and 44 seconds – just 2 minutes 43 seconds short of the race record set by Zana ( Konica Minolta) in 2004.

A Division Maximus crossed the line over 2 hours in front of nearest rival, Japanese owned and crewed, Beecom, who finished second on line placing at 22:16:32.

The fleet split at North Head – the big boats went out of the Main Channel and the rest of the fleet through Motuhe Channel.

Conditions were hard on wind out to Channel Island where the wind played tricks with the fleet and an angry sky came in from the north east giving up to 34 knots of breeze where the boats were able to set their spinnakers after Hole in the Wall – surfing a speeds of twenty plus knots during the early hours of the morning.

Shortly after the race start TYPBC registered multi hull, Fully Charged returned to Auckland with a broken striker stay, carried out repairs and, only four hours after their original start, re-entered the race - flying down the coast to finish eighth out of ten in the multi hull division.

Exodus (max 10.66m division) first multi hull home, finished at 22:57:48 - breaking Multihull Max 10.66 record by 38 mins and claiming the CRC Coastal Challenge “Dash for Cash” $5000 award in that division. Last year’s record breaking multi hull (min 10.67m division), Sundreamer finished ten minutes later at 23:07:23.

A Division PHRF
· Gale Force 1st
· Fine Line 2nd
· Sea Harmony 3rd

The B Division lead changed three times during the race – first around the channel was RNZN Paea II, passed by TYPBC Fast Lane just before Hole in the Wall out from Whitianga. Paea II passed Fast Lane again off Waihi and only a couple of miles from the finish the Farr 1020 RNZYS Sensation passed them both and took Line Honours by three minutes.

There was a race within the race between the NZ Navy and the British Navy competing on three Navy yachts in the Navy inter country yachting series held over three races held over three races; the Auckland to Taurange 2005 race counted for triple points. The British Navy currently lead the series. The winning Navy yacht Paea II led their second place getter by only forty feet with the third yacht not far behind.

B Division PHRF
· Line and Handicap – “Sensation” 1st
· “Oracle” 2nd
· “Paea II” RNZN

In the Classic Division Arethusa from TYPBC took out Handicap Honours.

ORC Club Handicap
Moody Blue III from Auckland beat Arethusa and Midnight Express from Tauranga

Maximum LOA 32ft
Oracle first, Telegram Sam second

The last boat home was Jellyfish