[Calling all Chico 30 Owners]

On 30/10/2023 at 12:37 PM, ex Elly said:

Auriga did not finish the Coastal Classic.

 

True that. After we got away from the park up at the start we had a good sail up to Kawau, boat loping along just as it did 45 odd years ago with wind a little forward of the beam. We had been watching what was happening ahead and Predictwind was telling us that when we got to Cape Brett (4.00am-ish) we could expect wind in the high 20s with gusts in the high 30s and rain. We also new that there would be a big confused sea running as it had been blowing easterly for some time. And so ... four guys with average ages closer to 70 than 60, after much discussion, said: "You know what, we have no need to prove anything to anyone, why would we put ourselves through this, we are here for the fun and this will not be fun." So we dived into Kawau Bay, had a hot meal with a bottle of red (Elephant Hill) and had a lazy sail back to Westhaven. Ended up have a great, albeit expensive, day sailing.

We are very pleased with where we have got to with the boat and have every confidence that the boat would not have been an issue had we carried on. The challenge for us now is get out and use it over summer.

Then we woke up on Sunday to some very very sad news ....

[First boat advice]

13 hours ago, Zozza said:

Just out of curiosity, I'd be interested. I did follow that auction with interest

Ok. I will flesh this out when I have more time but the gist of the story is:

• Auriga was built in the front yard of a family home in Glendowie - bare fibreglass hull built by Keith Eade
• I became connected after it was launched as my family and their family spent Christmas holidays in the same camping ground in Coromandel
• After sailing back from Coromandel to Auckland I was invited to join the crew for Wednesday night racing in Bucklands Beach
• One thing lead to another and the team ended up, over the next few years, sailing the boat to Gisborne, then Suva, Port Vila, Lord Howe Island, Sydney, Hobart, back to Auckland and then to Lautoka
• In a clear case of nostalgic heart ruling head two of us (the old crew) bought it in the recent auction
• Immediate plan is to make it yellow - Auriga was always a yellow boat with red antifoul and will be again.
• Then further tidy-up within reason (Nah ..... 'reason' is not in play I fear)
• Other than that, some 'then and now' crew photos and a kick-ass party, the future is still being mapped out, but there is life in the old dog yet as they say
• Incidentally - Auriga, I believe, was the top performing NZ boat in the 1979 Sydney-Hobart race, coming 24th overall on handicap, and then won, on IOR, the 1980 Hobart to Auckland race - we still have the trophy and the suggestion is that it should find a home in the trophy case of the Akarana Yacht Club some time soon

There are big gaps in our knowledge of the boat after about 1983 until now, so if anyone can fill any gaps we would be most grateful