Local Knowledge

Breezy Down Under

Here is a report and some photos taken at the entrance to the Waitemata Harbour, from the start of the Auckland to Fiji race, in blustery north easterly conditions.

A Southern Man is Graham Dalton’s new Open 50, launched two weeks prior to the start of the race and built for the 5 Oceans. In comparison with his former Open 60, the boat is very stiff, and more slab sided with its maximum beam further forward.

Line honours competition would have been between between A Southern Man, the Cookson 50 Pussy Galore, and Sportivo, except that the new Open 50 suffered breakages off the start and returned to her home base.

Sportivo is a canting keel composite Elliott 50 with a rotating mast. Pussy, named after the beautiful blonde played by Honor Blackman in James Bond’s Goldfinger, is the seventh Cookson 50 built by Mick Cookson. She was the second monohull in the HSBC Coastal Classic, and first on line and PHRF in the Auckland to Tauranga race. This is the first leg of her winter programme which includes Airlie Beach Race Week and Hamilton Island Race Week in Australia. Sportivo and Pussy Galore were in the lead exiting the harbour.

Skiddy Too is the single handed entry, skippered by Bretton Holland.

Photos © Crew.org.nz and Sara Roberts, RNZYS, and race coverage can be found here.

06/05/06