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2012 Nexus Gold Cup


Aussie

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I can't imagine it was that nice out in the squall just before midday. It was snotting. I was walking the boys back from the marintime museum to the car parked at norths in the viadauct and it was howling there. We got soaked too... All the big 20ft hight information posts blew over and luckily no one was hurt. It was actually scary especially with 2 kids under 4. White willywaws blowing thru the viaduct.

Must have been fresh out there on the race course, hope everyone is ok and not too much broken gear before coastal.

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Given the forecast and the fact it is spot on, why is anyone racing today?

 

More ammo for insurance companies to further tighten the screws on the wider boating public for the few brave and or foolhardy that go out, drop rigs etc.

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That squall would have been vicious out there, there will be some good stories for sure. And of course it bought through a NW change so looks like there would have been a lot of on-the-nose sailing.

Just popped down to see the finish, Akatea came in at or about 13:04, just under 4hs for the course. Starlight Express came though about 10mins later. Ponsonby Scow was sailing back/retiring via Rangi Channel, still with some sail up but looked to have had a breakage.

Startlight Express_2.jpg

Starlight Express_3.jpg

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Given the forecast and the fact it is spot on, why is anyone racing today?

 

More ammo for insurance companies to further tighten the screws on the wider boating public for the few brave and or foolhardy that go out, drop rigs etc.

 

Yeah it had us wondering. Hats off t the guys who went around the track with no damage. We were keen to go, and were really keen to do the whole series. But we are left wondering what the objective of the series is now. We thought they dropped the course length to make it an enjoyable race series and to encourage small boats, which cant sail in that kind of weather. Im actually suprised they started.

 

We were almost about to leave until the now casting for tiri had a series of peak 51, peak 50, peak 52 etc and we decided that was no place for an SR26! All the small boats had to pull out, the boys on the Elliott 7 were gutted too as they rang us when they pulled out to let us know.

 

Good on the guys who went out and did it. And hopefully there werent too many breakages. Although i cant imagine it!

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Given the forecast and the fact it is spot on, why is anyone racing today?

 

More ammo for insurance companies to further tighten the screws on the wider boating public for the few brave and or foolhardy that go out, drop rigs etc.

 

Yeah it had us wondering. Hats off t the guys who went around the track with no damage. We were keen to go, and were really keen to do the whole series. But we are left wondering what the objective of the series is now. We thought they dropped the course length to make it an enjoyable race series and to encourage small boats, which cant sail in that kind of weather. Im actually suprised they started.

 

We were almost about to leave until the now casting for tiri had a series of peak 51, peak 50, peak 52 etc and we decided that was no place for an SR26! All the small boats had to pull out, the boys on the Elliott 7 were gutted too as they rang us when they pulled out to let us know.

 

Good on the guys who went out and did it. And hopefully there werent too many breakages. Although i cant imagine it!

 

Yep, same here. We went down to the boat this morning in anticipation of racing but now casting had Tiri at 38 gusting 50. With the forecast to build further we pulled the pin. I wanted the boat in one piece for the Coastal. It was a shame because we were looking forward to completing the series.

 

Good on those that went out.

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Congratulations to those boats that completed today's race unscathed. On Mr R we had planned to race, but as with Marshy and Farrari decided that wind gusting +50 knots at Tiri was just too much with the Coastal next week. Just didn't want to risk any damage. I guess the DNS from this race will need to count as our drop for the series. Hope the remaining race days are good and we manage to sail well for the rest of the series. See you all on the start line for the Coastal :D

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what a race we had on Starlight. great racing. I have been doing the Gold Cup series for about 16 years now, it has always been a series designed as a step between harbour racing and offshore racing. Where else can you give creaw and boat the experience to sail in conditons like today before the great offshore race to the islands, well done to the race organisers.

 

We saw 50 odd knots at Tiri and then the squall hit as the wind direction changed as we rounded Haystack, some pretty good seas out there today.

 

Well done to all those that sailed today, that was awesome sailing.

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Was out on Outrageous Fortune today and can confirm it was bloody windy. High 30's - Low 40's and it was constant. From the sounds of it, it still is.

 

We ran pretty a pretty conservative race, with the coastal in mind, no extras used just the 4 and reefed main all day. Hit 18.2 on the caravan down a big wave, which isnt bad for a boat of that type. Did anyone put gear up? Skinner must have tried something.

 

Just after the finish as we were dropping the main, it blew the hardest i have seen in ages in the harbour, 50's is pretty big inside north head.

 

Glad to park it undamaged and have a rum thats for sure.

 

Looking forward to coastal.

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From the Ponsonby Scow:

 

hmm... the only break we had was the top batten of the fore main that punched through the cloth. Other than that, just 5 very broken sailors :-( We got about 5nm from tiri, got 47kts across the deck, (well across the hull - we were on our side) and called it a day. I dont know how / why we lasted that long...

 

Issue to resolve... need a number 4 heady!!!

 

Positive for the day - top boat speed of the boats short existance ;-) 17.9kts under 2 double reefed mains only... not bad for an old girl!

 

Well done to those who finished... That was a hard day at the office.

 

Have a look at the photos linked by Aussie....some perla shots in there mate!!!

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They got the forecast right for this one.. I was sure the race organisers were going to send us inside Waiheke, but no up

the coast we went. Number 3 heady and a tuck in the main. Had a couple of extra passengers this time to help hold the

bathtub down. A little late for the start, had to follow Urban Cowboy across to Rangi, in relatively flat water. Tacked out

into the channel and made a plan. Decided to go up the coast and lay navy from the port layline to get flatter water from

under Whangaparoa peninsular. Once past rangi light waves were up a bit. Starboard tack was a better sea state, but on port we were crashing straight in and slow. We were a little overpowerd in the gusts but never enough to put another tuck in the main. And we were passing boats. One bad tack where I slipped and couldnt get the helm down to point back into the wind, Promise laid over and one crew was holding on the the teak handrails up to his chest in water waiting for the boat to come back up so he could climb back on board. Thanks for hanging on buddy. As we got up towards the top mark having one crew sick and another freezing cold was starting to take the fun out of it. Especially as the first chunder came without warning from the windward rail and we all shared in the delight! I only just managed to keep my breakfast down after wiping it off my face...

 

At around midday we were fetching navy buoy on the port layline about 2 miles to go and a squall came through, heavy rain and the breeze went up 5 or ten more clicks. Promise doesnt have wind gear but it must have been solid 40s. Traveller right down but no real issues, just a bit more heel. Spewm and spray everywhere flatter water (cos of the rain) and we were still

pointing at the mark. Then we got a gust, and it was a big one. As it hit, I leapt off the rail back into the cockpit to steer from the tiller instead of the extension. The NW puff must have lasted about 5 minutes and it laid us over, we sat there pointing at the Whangaparoa peninsular, windows and coamings under water. What amazed me was we were still going forwards. After the puff went through we were way overlaid and reached down to navy to round the mark behind Truxton, Farrago and Zamzamah.

 

Truxton popped a jib-top or something small and disappeared. The other two two sailed. We poled out the #3 genoa and toyed with the idea of a spinnaker but decided to wait until we were back in the breeze away from land. Uneasy sea state down to haystack, went looking for waves to surf but the swell was more on the beam than the quarter although the chop was with us. Still managed a couple of 15s and lots of 10s and 12s on GPS....With hindsight we should have gone mullet boat style and hoisted another genoa, but we managed to pass two boats on the run down. Saw River Rebel try a small genny(?) and disappear to weather! We ran as square as we dared and managed to get down to the haystack without a gybe. A few decent swells coming in as we approached Rakino. Ponsonby gybed the genoa at the haystack to get inside Zamzamah. From there we had a two sail in lighter(?) airs to Emu in flat water, Farrago caught up a bit and Zamzamah got by us to leeward. Then it was hard on the wind again in building breeze. Laid through to the finish 1 minute behind Zamzamah and ahead of Farrago and River Rebel. A good finish for this boat among this fleet.

 

It was a legendary sail. Must have had excess of 50kn at times. It is encouraging there was no damage (apart from the top

slug in the mainsail) and we could hold that amount of sail in that weight of breeze. Flat water obviously makes it easier.

 

Thanks to the club for not pulling the pin and the awesome photos of the start, aussie. We need to get out in weather like this. After all these races are supposed to be preparation for the longer offshore ones. If you dont get the experience in flat water then how do you know what you can handle in the ocean. Although it is great to have the SRs and other boats along I am a little disappointed the course were shortened this year. I would like some 100-150 milers so we can rotate crew and learn about endurance...A great sail nonetheless and I learnt more about seamanship in this race than any others. There were plenty of bruises all around but cant have been too bad cos they all want to come along next time. They were all smiles at the finish and more so after a rum or two. Bring on the next one. BRETT Promise. :thumbup:

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