Crew: Marion, Funny, Leah, Helen, Juliet, Geoff.
Thursday 12th September
Bit of a disaster on the last day of cruising The Sounds. I dropped my phone over the side! Quite an unsettling feeling having no means of communication. I needed to get a replacement phone ASAP. Warren and Lyn Rankin, who have their car (and boat) in Waikawa, were going in to Blenheim in the morning and offered to take me with them. The guys at the One.nz store very efficiently issued me a new SIM card loaded with my old number and sold me a new X-Cover 7 phone. I loaded up all the apps while using the store wifi. Everything restored, even photos I’d taken yesterday were backed up!
Taste of Marborough Cruise
At 2 pm we all met up at the Waikawa Boating Club for the welcome and allocation of the boats to take us up to Kumutoto Bay for the Taste of Marlborough event. Yummy food and drinks provided by the sponsors: Lawson Dry Hills/Sisters wine, NZ King Salmon, Cranky Goat Cheese, Boomtown Brewing Beer, Mills Bay Mussels and Vege Kababs. Lots of fun.
America’s Cup
That evening we had the unexpected pleasure of viewing the America’s Cup at the clubhouse! It was being toured around New Zealand before being shipped over to Barcelona next month.
Friday 13th September
The forecasts for today were all over the place. Northerly 5-20 kts, overcast with occasional rain. We all met up at the clubhouse at 9 am for the registration and race briefing from the race officer, Penelope Wilson.
Halo was allocated to Division 2, along with Wellington boats, Grenadier, Zigzag and Tamerlane. The other Welly boats, Phantasea and Annie were in ‘white sails’ Division 3.
The program today would be a long race up Queen Charlotte Sound followed by round-the-buoys harbour race. The courses would be announced on ch. 77 before each race.
We went down to the boat. Marion conducted the Crew Safety/Departure briefing and allocated crew positions: Marion on helm, Funny on bow, Helen and Leah on sail trim, Juliet on mainsheet. We put up our fluro yellow division flag. Murray took a crew photo and then we cast off at 0930 hrs.
Race 1
The course was announced: Start – Perano Shoal – Luke Rock – Finish. The committee boat was Ray White. It was a blustery southerly (!) out in Queen Charlotte Sound so we conservatively rigged the no. 3 jib and a reef in the mainsail and the medium spinnaker for a downwind start.
The wind dropped to 6 kts as we started the race at 1040 hrs. Funny soon had the kite hoisted. Grenadier shot out into the front of the fleet followed by Zigzag. We kept ahead of Tamerlane and the rest of the fleet as we all made slow progress up the Sound.
We were wishing we had our maxi spinnaker flying until the wind died and swung round to the north. Then it was round to 15 kts westerly. The joys of racing in Queen Charlotte Sound!
We finally rounded Perano Shoal at 1127 hrs and then Luke Rock at 1200 hrs.
Then we started our slow beat back to the finish into the southerly. Race control announced that the race time limit would be extended by 30 mins.
We got a good lift and managed to pass Grenadier but the wind continued to be all over the place. Literally going round in circles at times as the fleet struggled to finish the shortened course race.
Grenadier just got ahead of us as we crossed the finish line at 1327 hrs. A great first race for Halo coming 2nd place on handicap!
Race 2
A quick break for lunch (thanks Marion for the yummy gourmet sandwiches) and a cup of tea before the next race.
Race 2 was a shorter course, two loops round the buoys. The wind was more settled in this part of the sound but still gusty. Westerly 10 kts. Our division’s start was at 1410 hrs and Marion timed it well on starboard tack in between Zigzag and the committee boat Ray White.
We had to dip below Tamerlane on one tack as they were the right-of-way boat on starboard tack.
After the two loops we crossed the finish line at 1516 hrs, 4th place on handicap.
Race 3
Race control announced that we would do a third race. A shortened course of one loop around the buoys.
The wind dropped off so we quickly changed our headsail to the big no. 1 genoa and shook out the reef. The rain started again so photos a bit washed out.
The leading boats had to divert away from the out-going ferry which gave us a bit of an advantage.
Race completed we sailed back to Waikawa docking Halo at 16:40 hrs.
At the clubhouse we checked out the results for the day, Halo coming 2nd overall. Great start to the regatta!
That evening the Wellington crews and supporters converged on Cortado Cafe in Picton for dinner. The food was good, the service was excellent and I even got a complimentary glass of wine for being the organiser. A fun night.
Saturday 14th September
We woke the next morning to clear skies but no wind at all in the marina. Race control flew the AP flag and announced on ch. 77 that we would be waiting to see it the wind came up.
We watched Grenadier doing sail repairs and later the club put on a very interesting and informative Rules of Racing education session in the clubhouse.
Eventually they announced that racing was on and we all rushed down to our boats. We cast off from our berth at 1110 hrs.
Race 4
The course was announced on the VHF. Two loops around a short trapezoidal course with our division’s start time at 1205 hrs. We continued with the no. 1 genoa and full main.
Our start to the pin end was a bit early so had to dip back behind the fleet who were all on starboard tack and had right of way.
After that set-back we sailed well, catching up with Tamerlane at the second top mark while Funny was setting up the spinnaker.
On the downwind leg we hoisted our maxi spinnaker with the pole on starboard on broad reach. We later had to gybe to port to lay the next mark.
We rounded the bottom mark neck and neck with Portafortuna and then beat our way way back up to the top of the course.
For the second downwind run we hoisted the medium spinnaker (we got the maxi a bit tangled when dropping it and didn’t have time to re-pack it). Once again we had to gybe the kite to lay the finish line. We’re getting good at this!
We finished the race in 3rd place on handicap.
Race 5
A longer harbour course was announced for the last race. Up to a mark near Monkey Bay then up to Perano Shoal and back to the finish. Time for more of Marion’s gourmet sandwiches while we pondered our winning strategy!
We had a great start at 1343 hrs on starboard tack at the pin end in clear air and beat our way up the sound.
After rounding Perano Shoal at 1420 hrs we hoisted our now re-packed maxi spinnaker for the last run of the regatta back to the finish line.
As we neared the finish line we noticed the boats ahead had already dropped their kites and all of a sudden the wind swung round to the south east. A very fast douse of the spinnaker was in order as the sails were trimmed in for a beat to the finish. We crossed the line at 1448 hrs.
A great way to finish the regatta with another 3rd place on handicap.
We returned to the marina stopping at the fuel dock on the way to top up the diesel ready for tomorrow’s sailing across Cook Strait back to Wellington. A tired but happy crew docked Halo back in her berth at 1545 hrs.
That evening all the crews converged on the Waikawa Boating Club clubhouse for food, drinks and prizegiving. Halo came third overall in Division 2 and Grenadier, with one point ahead of us, came second!
Then it was back to Halo to prepare the boat for our early start, sailing back to Wellington.
Thanks to Waikawa Boating Club for putting on another successful regatta and to Alistair for the wonderful photos.
Halo Log Book 