Wild times

Rob Bassett wins Auckland-Tauranga race

70 boats have spent more than 24 hours engaged in a battle of mental and physical endurance on the waters between Auckland City and Tauranga in the Bay of Plenty.

In light and variable conditions, where the wind is your biggest opposition, and you must think several steps ahead your rivals, Rob Bassett’s boat Wired emerged a clear winner in the 120nm race, arriving in Tauranga well before breakfast time today, Friday 6 April.

Wired has always shown very good boat speed in light airs. In 2006 it won its maiden race, the HSBC Coastal Classic between Auckland and Russell in the Bay of Islands, in similar conditions.

But it was not always the leader - the imported catamaran, Taeping, was well ahead for the first part of the race, and Wired only stretched her legs on the fleet overnight, navigating the light airs wisely to cross the line in Tauranga just after 4.37am this morning.

Upshot, the 50ft Elliott design retrofitted with a canting keel is co-owned by Bruce Copeland and Volvo Ocean Race winner Ross Fields, placed second, finishing at 4.53am. Taeping was third, at 5.26am.

Positive Touch, a boat designed by Jim Young in the 1980s and recently overhauled by his grandson, Aaron Young, is the first of the ‘Supreme Hot Rod’ Division still on the race course.

While the conditions are frustrating for competitors, those out cruising for the start of the Easter weekend would have enjoyed the light airs, flat seas, and displays of forked lightning. Despite forecasts of rain, the boats have so far stayed dry. Dolphin and whale watchers would also have been impressed with many of the crews reporting spectacular wildlife even though the racefleet itself is ‘moving like a herd of turtles’.

Only six boats have withdrawn as of early this morning, and the remainder of the fleet continues to battle for handicap honours, which becomes more and more unlikely as time goes on. On a normal year most boats would have finished overnight, and many stomachs will be rumbling as the hours stretch on and rations run out.

At stages the mid fleet boats have been achieving a steady 6-7 knots towards the finish line, but in the last couple of hours the breeze has eased and headed, so they are sailing directly into it. Many will not finish until late this afternoon or tonight.

Unsurprisingly, the winners this year were well short of the record time: The outright record of 9 hrs 35 mins is held by the 30m supermaxi Zana, and was set in the 2004 race. Maximus missed setting a new record in 2005 by only a few minutes. Sundreamer holds the multihull record of 9.55.23.

The race started at 10am on Thursday 5 April from Westhaven Marina in Auckland and finishes in Tauranga Harbour. Sponsors include Quantum Sails NZ Ltd, Crew.org.nz and Steve’s Marine Supplies.