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Matakana Raid Tauranga - Questions Welcome


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The cats are flying up the harbour in nice flat water at present with a nice 15 - 20 knot breeze, Lance on Cold Play is hanging in there but the competition is formidable with a good bunch of Tornados in their element. A great sight especially with the speeds they are doing - bound to have some capsizes with the way the they are flying the windward hulls.

 

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The rampaging squadron of small multihull sailors from Tauranga once again took to the high seas to execute a well planned raid on Athenree. The unsuspecting citizens of the small seaside village were surprised to find their sleepy village overrun by big noisy rum swilling, beer drinking Vikings on Saturday afternoon.

 

Ten small catamarans - Five tornados, Three Hobies, a modified A Class and a Coldplay, with Double Diamond (Given 10.6 Catamaran) and Repeat Offender (9m JT Tri), got off to a slow start Saturday morning when the starting hooter finally discharged 20 minutes late. Pussy Cat (GBE) had started at the pre-ordained time, and was over in Pilot Bay already.

 

On a reach, those with gennikers hoisted them to try and make the most of the gentle zephyr that did little to overcome the incoming tide. With some slick manoeuvring, all the boats were through past the No17 marker reasonably quickly, and dropping Gennies, just to get caught in the strong spring tidal flow of the main shipping channel. When all the yachts were losing against the tide, the support vessels grabbed some small multis and headed for the entrance under iron sail.

 

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Repeat Offender helped out by throwing out a couple of lines and picking up Coldplay and a Tornado. Not wanting to leave their mates behind, they each threw a line out to another boat, so we were pulling 4 multis out towards the entrance.

 

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Double Diamond managed to pick up a stray we had missed, and pulled past us waving cheerfully. Pussy Cat was long gone.

 

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We have caught a few interesting things in our time but nothing quite as big as this bag. :wink:

 

 

We reached the inner port marker, where the boys picked up a bit of breeze and started to go faster than the Offender, so they dropped their lines and took off. DD and RO tacked through the entrance, we kept our motor running until we were well clear of the tidal rip, and started to head up towards the Bowentown Entrance. DD hot on our heels. Pussy Cat by now was so far ahead she was about half the length of my thumbnail.

 

The Tornado sailors executed a tricky manoeuvre, sailing into the beach on Matakana Island, and jumping off to turn the boat and sail off again. Those that hugged the shore of the Island ended up with a good lead before being called back for a restart outside the entrance.

 

Time was ticking on, and we needed to keep moving to ensure as safe a passage as possible over the bar that Coastguard had informed me that morning was moderate to rough. DD was thinking the same, so we started to chase down the Pussy Cat in a rolling easterly swell.

 

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Meantime, the real race was getting interesting. Bill Caunce, who travels down from Auckland every Wednesday night, and this weekend to sail with his crew mate Roger Clarke, were in the lead right up and close to Bowentown Entrance when race control called up informing all sailors that the bar looked a bit rough, and that it was recommended that they sailed for the safe water marker and take the main entrance.

 

Bill and Roger headed out from hugging the Island in close, out towards the safe water mark. Unable to see it from the water, and deciding that it was just too far out, they turned back. But it was enough to loose them first position. Caught right on the edge of the breaking rollers, they surfed in across the bar. This gave Andy Knowles and his crewman Hansie Echolz (a Zephyr sailor and first time sailing a tornado this weekend) on Feisty Feline a chance to take the lead in the first leg of the Matakana Raid.

 

Andy stated “I heard the call on the radio, but it looked from about a mile out to be better to take the small boat channel in close to the Island. We were in third potion on the way up passing the others at the channel. Jason put his Genniker up and sagged off to leeward. I kept really low until the tide race, and then hardened up.”

 

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The main entrance was very messy with the fast ebbing tide.

 

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Sitting on the beach the next morning Bill Caunce said “Andy sailed an exceptional race for the last mile”.

 

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The teams set up the next morning to get away on the upcoming tide.

 

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And headed out to the start postition.

 

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Andy and Hansie have also pulled off line honours for the weekend, Andy finishing first for the third year running, and the third time he has sailed the race.

 

We did not sail down with them this year. . .

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