EBYMBC Winter Series 13 June 2026

Crew: Eduardo, Dean, Jamie, Murray, Shannon, Geoff.

Forecast: Northerly 15 kts.

After spending a bit of time doing some instruction and safety briefing for Shannon, who was sailing with us for the first time, we cast off from Chaffers at 1030 hrs. We hoisted the mainsail and motor-sailed round to Evans Bay noting 15 kts NNE with gusts up to 20 knots.

After completing our online race sign-on, the course was announced: Start – Ward (p) – Somes (p) – Finish. Start time for the keelboats division was 1215 hrs.

With our no. 2 genoa set and full mainsail hoisted our timing at the start was pretty good, and we crossed the line on starboard tack at good speed. Grenadier was approaching on the opposite tack and was quick to tack away from us. We then tacked onto port to follow Tamerlane, who had made a great start.

However, we soon found ourselves crossing the path of Incantare, who had right of way on starboard tack. Could we cross ahead of them? Mmm, maybe not. We needed to tack to clear, but we were a little slow to react. Glen called “Protest” as Incantare luffed up to avoid us while we were tacking out of their way

Acknowledging our mistake, we completed a 360-degree penalty turn. By the time we had finished the manoeuvre and got back up to speed, we were well and truly at the back of the fleet.

We then settled into a hard beat up Evans Bay, sailing close-hauled and doing everything we could to maximise boat speed and claw back some of the time we had lost at the start. The backstay, Cunningham and mainsail outhaul were all tensioned for the fresh conditions, with crew stacked on the windward side. At the helm, I concentrated on keeping the tell-tales streaming, looking for lifts and avoiding knocks in the shifty 15-knot NNE.

After rounding Pt Halswell we eased the sheets to sail on a reach across the harbour, still at the back of the fleet.

We cut in as close to the the rocks south of Ward as we dared and then back up into the wind to sail close-hauled for the beat up to Matiu Somes Island.

We opted to sail west rather then following the other boats east towards Eastbourne. We felt we were getting better VMG heading more directly towards Matiu Somes.

Some interesting cloud formations up ahead with the sun trying to beak through the dark clouds.

Approaching the Virtual Mark north of Mokopuna, we had certainly made up some ground on the boats ahead. Tamerlane overshot the mark, allowing us to slip past, and we had also closed the gap on Expresso.

With the mark rounded, Jamie moved forward and hoisted our maxi spinnaker. For a brief moment the sun broke through, putting the spotlight on our colourful kite to provide a dramatic contrast against the dark sky ahead.

Expresso proved to be faster on the downwind leg and gradually pulled away from us. However, we were able to hold off Tamerlane, keeping them astern throughout the run down the harbour.

With Murray’s steady hand on helm and the maxi spinnaker drawing well, Halo settled into a comfortable groove as we surfed down the harbour on a dead run at up to 7 kts SOG. Although we couldn’t match Expresso’s pace, it was satisfying to have recovered enough from our earlier penalty to stay ahead of Tamerlane and remain competitive within the fleet.

We crossed the finish line at 1443 hrs and with the race behind us, dropped the sails and motored back to Chaffers Marina.

The trip home provided a good opportunity for Shannon to take her first turn at the helm. After a day of learning the basics, experiencing fresh conditions, and taking part in her first yacht race, she handled the boat with confidence and enjoyed the experience.

After packing up the boat back at the marina, we drove around to Evans Bay for the prize-giving. The clubhouse was packed, creating a great atmosphere as the new Sailing Commodore, Bill Shand, did an excellent job thanking the volunteers and sponsors, Barton Marine.

Then came the results. Despite our early setback and penalty turn, Halo finished second on handicap (just 5 secs ahead of Grenadier in 3rd place) and second on PHRF.

Well done, Team Halo! A great result and a rewarding end to an enjoyable day of winter racing on Wellington Harbour.