While the northern hemisphere is sheltering from strong winds and horizontal rain the southern hemisphere enjoys their summer. This is how the weekend (January 29th-February 1st) took shape for summer lucky classic punters down in New Zealand.
- Friday afternoon race to Mahurangi in a light to building westerly swinging to the SW (max 15 knots) “Beautiful conditions”
- Saturday was the Mahurangi Festival and Regatta involving beach activities including swimming, rowing and running races. Sandcastle competitions and tugs of war. The regatta gets underway after lunch with the big keelers races around the river course twice and the smaller keelers and dinghies racing once around. All sailed in light conditions with the race having to be shortened to once around.
- The Sunday race home started off light with the breeze building to 20 knots by the time the fleet passed through the Whangaparoa Passage. From then onwards it was a fast broad reach down to Auckland. Here, below, two photos of a close battle. The shorter Chas. Bailey Jnr. design Prize just kept on surfing to prevent the larger Logan gaff cutter Thelma from overtaking…
- Monday was the Anniversary Regatta. A good NE breeze from 12 to 18 knots in sloppy sea state with the wash from inner harbour traffic. For the classics it was more about showing the yachts off to the public of Auckland. A selection of photos below courtesy of Will Calver (Ocean Photography).
