Wellington Night Racing – 5 April 2024

Crew: Geoff, Murray, Marion.

Forecast: SE 10 kts.

The Night Race is an Evans Bay Special Race open to keel boats and trailer yachts.

In preparation I attached the lights to the two life rings, checked the lifejacket lights, and navigation lights. I also attached our nice new LED strip lights which we had used in the recent 24 Hour Race.

Murray joined me at Chaffers and we cast off at 1740 hrs to quickly motor round to Evans Bay where Marion was waiting for us on the wharf.

A pursuit start system was used and our start time was set for 1900 hrs together with Grenadier and Tamerlane. The course was set as: Start – Somes Island – Ward Island – Falcon Shoal – Finish. All starboard roundings. Radio schedules were set at regular intervals and each boat was to run the RaceQs tracker with Live Tracking option on.

We had a great start. Halo was first over the line with Marion on bow quickly hoisting our medium spinnaker and Murray’s steady hand on helm.

We were able to hold our lead all the way out of Evans Bay

About a third of the way towards Somes Island, Grenadier, who had been slowly catching up with us eventually were able to pass us.

The sun was disappearing behind us over Wellington as we approached the top end of Somes. Tamerlane was close behind us. We hoisted our no. 1 genoa and dropped the spinnaker before rounding Mokopuna rocks at 1947 hrs.

By now it was pitch black. Our next destination was Ward Island which has no lights on it and was totally invisible. No moon and only the lights around the harbour to guide us. We were now relying mainly on the chart plotter.

We beat our way across the harbour towards Eastbourne in about 8 kts of southerly. We were getting good lift so continued on until eventually tacking off Days Bay. Then it was two more short tacks before rounding the bottom of Ward Island at 2057 hrs.

Race Control warned all boats that the interislander ferry Kaiarahi was coming into the harbour. Sure enough there she was and the AIS tracks showed we would be sailing right across her bow. We decided to steer up wind and wait for her to pass. Tamerlane who was behind us and Grenadier ahead of us opted to continue on. We watched as the Kaiarahi shined her searchlight on Grenadier and then Tamerlane as she steamed close by.

We rounded the Falcon Shoals light at 2118 hrs. As we sailed on a broad reach towards Kau Bay the wind was dying out and we slowly caught up with and passed Tamerlane before rounding Point Halswell at 2155 hrs. It was then a very slow beat down Evans Bay with only 3 kts of wind. The finish was a line between the Shoal Pile and the committee boat Pania with Neil recording the times. Halo crossed the finish at 2235 hrs.

We then motor sailed back to Chaffers. The sea was glassy providing beautiful reflections of the city lights over the harbour. We docked at Chaffers at 2312 hrs and left the genoa and all the lines rigged up on deck ready for tomorrow morning’s race day, then home to bed.