Issue date
Friday, March 24 hailed the start of the inaugural Lidgard Sails Shorthanded Race to Tarakohe.
After what was a most amazing Queen Charlotte Sound sunrise, 18 boats and crews eagerly awaited the gun between the southern light on Motuara Island and Girvan, the start boat. At 09.45am the horn was sounded and they were off, two divisions racing, two- and three-handed.
Yachts from Waikawa, Mana and Nelson, from the Raven 26 Settimio to the Beneteau Voila at 54 feet competed. All the skippers hoped their pre-race planning of tides and weather would enable them to out-manoeuvre and out-sail the competition over the 85 nautical mile course.
They battled the elements over the next 20 to 25 hours, including 30 knot headwinds to nothing at all at in the middle of crossing Tasman Bay. The strong tidal influence at the top end of Stephens Island had a positive affect on the early boats with the tailenders being caught with no wind and the tide against them. After the Tasman Bay doldrums, a south-east shift with rain at 4.30am awakened the fleet, aiding all but four yachts to the finish line.
Flying Fox took both line honours and the three-handed division handicap win after 20 hours, 7 mins and 34 seconds of sailing, skippered by Chris Williams with crew Geoff Dark and Ralph Rosthorn. The two-handed division win went to Olmari, skippered by Kerry Kirk and crewed by Ron Ives, “punching well above their weight” (they were the second-smallest yacht in the fleet and smallest to finish).
Race sponsor Lidgard Sails also had a race within a race with co-owners, Lewis Callaghan and Grant Ewing, crewing on On Appro and Slingshot with Grant on Clive Balletts. Slingshot won that battle and crossed in third. Giesen Wines and the Apartments on the Waterfront in Waikawa were also keen supporters supplying generous prizes.
The Pohara Boating Club hosted the post-race dinner with many a story unfolding. Special prizes were award including the “Specsavers’ award going to a skipper who called in two hours in advance of the 15-minute finish call. The “Spat the Dummie” award was split between two boats whose iron sails failed to respond after the punching they had endured during the race.
The consensus was that a mixture of destination, having the opportunity to race at night, small crews (not having to dig around for a full crew) and the challenge of the open sea made the formula a successful one. Will we do it again? You bet ya.
