P Class and Starling Nationals Day Seven

The fleet sat in the sun on the beach waiting for the sea breeze to start to blow again.  At 1300 hours the P Class started their last race in 8 knots climbing to 12 knots.  All fleets started under Z flag today, with no general recalls.  Erica Dawson had a great start and lead the fleet around the course.  Oscar Rorvik (Tauranga) secured a fifth place and the regatta with two races to go. The second race was a close affair with the front boats starting to stretch out from the back boats as the breeze increased.  Gareth Moore (Waimakariri) lead the fleet and had his 3^rd win of the regatta. Sam Mackay had an awesome final race again leading all the way, from Oscar and Gareth.  Unfortunately for Erica, who finished 5^th and dropped to 3^rd for the contest.

Results after 14races with 2 discards

1^st Oscar Rorvik  (Tauranga) 26 pts

2^nd Sam Mackay (Napier) 40 pts

3^rd (First girl) Erica Dawson (Murrays Bay) 41 pts

The first Starling start saw all the top boats at the port end of the line aiming for the favoured port side of the start line.  They then crossed the rest of the fleet and headed out to the starboard lay line.  Except Chris Steele (Wakatere). The resulting lift out to starboard left Chris struggling to keep in touch and second place.    Luke Stevenson (Tauranga) won the race by over a minute from Thom Saunders.

Race 2 and Sam McKenzie had a fantastic race to lead the race and win by over1 ½ minutes!!!  Thom Saunders slipped in for third place and secured the contest with  a race to spare.

Chris Steele finally came right in the final race to show the class he has to lead from start to finish.

Results after 15 races with 2 discards

1^st Thomas Saunders (Tauranga) 35 pts

2^nd Chris Steele (Wakatere) 47 pts

3^rd Josh Edmonds (Queen Charlotte) 55 pts

6^th (Fist Girl) Molly Meech (Tauranga) 111 pts

The silver fleet also had some great racing.  Alex Munro (Wakatere) lead the first two races from start to finish.  The third and final race saw him trapped back in the fleet and Yelena Lee (Murray Bay) lead for the first two laps until she was caught by Romano Chung (Murrays Bay).  The fleets met at a windward mark and the spectators had a great sight of 120 Starling rounding the mark in tight formations generally with out too many collisions.

Silver Fleet 15 races with 2 discards

1^st Alex Munro (Wakatere) 197 pts

2^nd Yelena Lee ( Murrays Bay 201 Pts

3^rd Thomas Elmore (Glendowie)

P Class and Starling Nationals Day Five

Day 5 started hot and sunny with a 15 knot southerly blowing that had the heavier skippers blood racing and the lighter skippers hoping for a little less breeze during the contest.  The race committee set up a start line just outside the moored boats and the fleet all arrived on time for a 11 oclock start.  By the  P Class start the wind had dropped to 5 knot south east and it stayed in that quarter for the rest of the day.

After one general recall the P Class started on a Z flag for race six of the event.  The fleet split both left and right across the entire course.  Keith Inglis (Taupo) and Sam Mackay (Napier) had a good break on the fleet and they led from start to finish.  Race seven for the P Class started with two general recalls and the Gareth Moore (Waimakariri) had a fantastic mid line start but once again the light shifty conditions jumbled up the fleet and Oscar Rorvik (Tauranga) and Erica Dawson (Murrays Bay) led the fleet by over 3 minutes and after a 15 tack tacking dual up the 400m final beat to the finish Oscar scored his 3^rd win in the Tauranga Cup.  Race eight, the final race for the day, started late in the afternoon with the sea breeze trying to pull the wind to the left.  The leading group of boats changed several times during the race with Taylor Burn (Picton) showing exceptional light wind skills to win the race from Keith with Oscar 3^rd.  

Points after nine races:

1^st Oscar Rorvik – Tauranga - 13 pts

2^nd Erica Dawson – Murrays Bay – 26 pts

3^rd Sam Mackay  - Napier – 36 pts

The starlings also had a light start to the fifth days racing with many of the competitors scurrying to their support boats discarding wet suits and jackets as the wind had died away.  Yellow fleet got away after one general recall with the boats heading hard left looking really good before the right hand boats came back with more breeze.  Thomas Saunders (Tauranga) lead for most of the race, chased by Claudia Piece (Tauranga) and Alex Munro (Wakatere) all close together at the first mark.  The blue fleet got away cleanly on their first start except for three boats over the start.  Marcus Hansen (Whangarei) and Sam Bullock (Tauranga) Josh Edmonds (Picton) all having a great battle near the front.  The rest of the two races for the starlings had boats getting wind from different sides of the course, leading to big mix ups in the fleets, some boats doing well and some not.  At the end of the day, after nine races, Chris Steele (Wakatere) had two wins and a 16^th and leads on 14 points.  Thomas showed great consistency recording a 5, 3, 1 day to have 16 points for the regatta.  Marcus could not follow through from the windy days and had a 12, 3, 15 result for 23 points overall.  Logan Dunning-Beck (Wakatere) won the first race but was disqualified and then won race eight and nine showing amazing consistency in the light shifty winds.  Gye Simkin (New Plymouth) also had amazing consistency with a 4, 4, 3 day.  Molly Meech (Tauranga) is the top women sailor, recording a 3, 7, 24, day to be lying 10^th equal after 9 races. 

P Class and Starling Nationals Day Four

The day started with a 15-20 knot SW, with many boats repaired from yesterday’s windy conditions and ready to race again today.   The fleet headed out following the committee boats early set up and the action was ready to start on time at 11.00 am.  The P Class were the first to start and after one general recall they headed off up the beat. 

Andrew McKenzie (Kohimarama) lead the race at the first mark and was never headed.  Gareth Moore (Waimakariri) and Oscar Rorvik (Tauranga) picked up from yesterdays battle and continued their feud from the day before.  Oscar broke his vang on the second down wind but still managed to stay in touch for an enthralling finish.   Andrew McKenzie subsequently retired from sailing for the day with a severe cut to his hand.  After a short break for lunch, race 5 started in sunny 10-15 knots.  Sam Mackay (Napier) had a clear start out of the port end, caught the first shift and lead the fleet for the whole race, clearing out to win by over a minute.  Oscar and Gareth once again battled around the course, including a 15 tack tacking dual into the finish line, with Oscar taking 2^nd Place.  William Linkhorn (Kohimarama) finishing 4^th, had a fantastic race. 

In the final race, after three general recalls, the race started under a black flag.  Erica Dawson (Murrays Bay) lead the fleet for most of the race, with a tight tactical battle going on between Oscar, Gareth and Sam all chasing hard. After a further rain squall, that shook up the fleet, Oscar   won the race 50 seconds clear from Erica. 

Results after 5 races, with one discard:

1^st Oscar Rorvik (Tauranga) 2, 1,3, 2, 1 6pts

2^nd Gareth Moore (Waimak

(Murrays Bay) 4,3,5,6,2  14 pts

The Starlings started all races today clearly without any recalls.  Once again with a rain squall coming through, there was the odd bent mast and broken center board.  Thomas Saunders (Tauranga) had a fantastic day at the front of the blue fleet with a 1, 1, 2 record for the day.  He spent much of the day racing head to head with his training partner from Tauranga, Luke Stephenson, who had a 3, 6, and then went on to win the last race.  Chris Steele (Wakatere) also sailing in the blue fleet, had several tactical battles with Thomas and Luke but after three wins yesterday had a second day of 2, 4, 3.    In the yellow fleet Marcus Hansen (Whangarei) started the day with a fourth place but had a very successful final two races to finish the day with two wins.  In the first race of the day Briar Mannering (Napier) showed the boys how to sail around the course to finish second in the yellow fleet, but was Over the Start in the second race and lies 13^th after 6 races.  Sam Bullock recovered from not finishing two races yesterday, due to broken  forestays, to finish the day with a 5,2,3 result bring him back into the top half of the fleet. 

Overall results after 6 races, with one discard:

^1st Marcus Hansen (Whangarei) 6 pts

2^nd Thomas Saunders (Tauranga) 7 pts

3^rd Chris Steel (Wakatere) 8 pts

Racing continues tomorrow. 

P Class and Starling Nationals Day Three.

Today saw the start of the Tauranga Cup, The P Class National Champs, and the Starling National Champs.

The day started with a showery SW as the 54 P Class headed out on to the start line with the 120 Starlings.  For the first time these two contests are being run at the same time on the same water.  A spectacular confusion of boats. Both big and small, left a lot of people wondering how it would all be sorted out.  The P Class started their Invitation Race first. The boats that struck out to the right hand lay line came through to the windward mark.  The two Starling fleet has been split into two 60 boat fleets and they started one after the other separated by 10 minutes.  The competitors had it all sorted, and after only one general recall the fleet took off up the windward beat.  The first of three big squalls to hit the fleets came through just as the P Class fleet was heading towards the finish.  The best gust was 37 knots!!! (At least the patrol boat crews got a freshwater wash!!).

The P Class race had only 8 finishers. Gareth Moore (Waimakariri) lead the fleet home.

The P Class were then sent in as the Starlings kept still racing. 

Race one of the Tauranga cup was started a little later as the breeze settled in at 20 to 25 knots. Gareth Moore picked up from the practice race and lead from start to finish.  Oscar Rorvik (Tauranga) chased him home for second, with Andrew McKenzie (Kohimaramara) third. The P Class were then sent to the beach as the third squall threatened on the horizon. The third race the P Class was the last start of the day.  The breeze had settled down and the gusts were further between them. Gareth Moore once again lead the fleet for most of the race until the 25 knots and fatigue finally wore him down, along with several capsizes, to let Oscar in for a win, Andrew second, Erica Dawson (Murray's Bay) third and William Talbot (Naval Point 4th) .

The Starlings had some amazing sailing as they continued to race through all of the wind. Chris Steele (Wakatere) dominated the blue fleet with 3 wins, often by a minute or so!!, Samuel Mackenzie (Kohimaramara) had a mortgage on second place not letting anyone else in, Kagen Weeks (Napier) showed some great skills with a 3,7,3 result for the day. In the Yellow Fleet there was a mix of winners.  Leading on the first day was Marcus Hansen (Whangarei) with 1,2,1 results, Thom Saunders (Tauranga) had a bent mast in the first race but still managed a 5^th, then followed this with a win and  a 2nd.  Scott Barnes (Murrays Bay) had a 3,3,6 day to hold third place in the yellow fleet.  The fleets are now re-enginered for tomorrows racing.

There were several bent masts and a few ripped sails to show for a huge day on the water.  Molly Meech (Tauranga) spotted a Moro Bar near the top mark in the first race, picked it up and had some extra sustenance   for a 12, 4, 9 day and 11^th after the first day.

Day 2

P Class and Starling Nationals.

Race day two dawned with NW rain blowing across the Parua Bay course. By start time of 11 am the rain had stopped but there was 15 to 20 knots of SW blowing and some spectacular sailing conditions.  The P Class stared the first of their last three races. The four top boys relishing the fresh conditions.  Sam Mackay (Hawkes Bay)  lead the race from start to finish.  Beating home Andrew Mackenzie (Auckland) and Gareth Moore (Canterbury).  BOP’s Oscar Rorvik had a broken vang and retired. The contest was now wide open. The second race started with 15 knots of SW again.  On the second beat Auckland and Canterbury got a big left hand lift and left HawkesBay and BOP to battle it out for third.  In an awesome capsize, (Caught on camera) Hawkes Bay ripped his sail but managed to slip in for 4^th place.  The third and final race for the day was  started in 20 knots of SW.  Hawkes Bay had changed their sail and ended up off the pace. The same three boats battled around the course with the lead changing several times. BOP came through on the final down wind to win the race and the Tanner Cup. 1,1,2,3, DNF,3,1,23pts. Hawkes Bay was second with 2,2,1,DSQ,1,5,4 27pts. Canterbury also had 15 points but was third on countback with 4,3,6,1,2,2,3.  The biggest gust of the day was just under 30 knots!!!

The starling match racing completed the round robins series in 15 to 20 knots.  Thomas Saunders (Bay of Plenty) won the round robin 12 wins/0 losses.  Chris Steele (North Harbour) 11/1, the ever improving Grant Hamilton (Northland) had 9/3 result and the final semi finalist was Josh Edmonds (Marlborough).  The semi finals went to form in two races. BOP beat Marlborough and North Harbour ahead of Northland.  The finals races were two evenly matched races with very close racing and the  lead changing during the race.  The first finals race Chris Steele lead Thom Saunders around all the marks and then 50m from the finish Thom slipped through during a couple of gybes to “Win by a whisker”.  The next two races Thom cornered Chris on the starline and controlled the races from start to finish.  In the play off for third and fourth, the first two races went each way, with the boat off the startline controlling the race, including penalties being taken on the finish line!! Grant had a great start and lead from start to finish  in the final race to take third place.

Day 1

Harken Interprovincial P Class champs.

Day One Tanner Cup.

A fantastic hot sunny day greeted the 11 competitors as they hit the water.

15Knot Sw moved through to a 5 to 7 knot Southerly by the end of the day.

Oscar Rorvik (BOP) lead the first race of the day, and stayed clear of the fleet. He was chased home by Sam Mackay (Hawkes Bay).  The second race and the breeze dropped a little but produced the same result as race one.  Race three saw the fleet split two ways and a southerly change, the top boats were caught and sent tumbling down the fleet. The three lap format saw BOP and HB come back to lead again.  The wind went light for the final race. Canterbury’s Gareth Moore, one of the heaviest competitors showed his class by coming through to win the race. With Taylor Burn (Marlborough) finishing second.

Results after 4 races. There are three more races scheduled for tomorrow.

Oscar Rorvik BOP 1,1,2,3 (7 Points)

Gareth Moore Cant 4,3,6,1 (14 points)

Taylor Burn Marl 5,5,3,2 (15 points)

Starling Match Racing.

Defending champion Thomas Saunders has had a great start to his contest. After 10 rounds of 13 to be sailed he has not lost a race.  Local Northland sailor Grant Hamilton , sailing a boat he built himself over the winter, is on 8 wins. Chris Steele from North Harbour has also had a great day on 7 wins.  Gye Simkin (Taranaki) has come from nowhere and has had a blinder of a day also on 7 wins.

They have 3 more rounds tomorrow before the fleet heads into semi finals.

Whangarei Cruising Club gratefully acknowledges the generous support of the following sponsors