Auckland to Bluff

[SloopJohnB 323]

Why not miss Auckland out altogether and go Opua to Bluff?

 

Just don't sound right.....O2B.........a what?

[Kestrahl 6]

And boats under 30 feet only have to go to Tauranga. But are still counted for line honors.

[tuffyluffy 76]

I cant understand why Bluff?!

 

Ive sailed in and out of there numerous times and its a freakin tide dependant hole. Forget getting into the harbour on a out-going tide, at its peak the tide runs at about 6knots through the narrow channel and the wharfage is full with stinking oyster boats. The channel upto the yacht club (well, a boat shed really) is narrow and shallow and i doubt a race boat drawing more than 2m would get there

 

Stewart Island would be a far better option IMO, and the locals would really get into it.

[banaari 27]

i smell a political/ rat here.

I very much suspect the toothy rodent in question will be named Tim, and named Shadbolt.

[Bimini Babe 0]

Why not miss Auckland out altogether and go Opua to Bluff?

 

Just don't sound right.....O2B.........a what?

Think outside the box SJB! opuA2B!

[Guest]

Yes SB if YNZ were serious about providing a pathway and structure for youth into offshore sailing (something that is sorely needed) then $440k would buy 3 mini's or 3 figaro's (second hand) which could be sailed 4 up by these young guys/gals for the major coastal races and Auck/fiji under the management and coaching of some of our great offshore yachties

or provide TVS, Akatea, Rikki, with $100k support on the basis that they provide spots for 3-4 young yachties each year. In many instances these guys are training up crew now but it is getting harder and harder for young kiwi yachties to make the jump to events like the volvo, vendee etc and I am sure the owners of the current top end offshore boats could do with a hand.

As for the race, I have spent many hundreds of hours on the west coast and it certainly the only way to navigate to Bluff but the thought that if the weather goes bad the fleet would just zip over and through cook strait and down the east coast is one of the stupidest ideas I have ever heard and doesn't really deserve any more comment and yes Bluff harbour is a great sphyncter tester

On the other side of the coin anything that promotes ocean racing is a great plan but if someone is prepared to put up $440k and develop an infrastructure to support a mini me SH then maybe there is a better plan

[Zoe 8]

Because it's about economic development for Bluff and Invercargill - and that is why Tim Shadbolt was at the launch. That will be the reason for Bluff as the destination (my educated guess)

[patch 0]

i'd agree racing down the west coast /through cook st and even the east coast is one of the most in hospitable runs you could choose world wide and not really a weekend warrior thing at all. Those who want to see what happens when you try this should read 'a voyage of madmen' which details how many of the boats setting off to round the world back in the 60's just started falling apart withing days of the start. Anyone contemplating this route with less than cat 1/2 gear would need their heads read. yes you can always get lucky with weather windows but the on balance you are going somewhere windy and cold. Would make the Noumea trip this year seem like a walk in the park-that was cold and miserable but at least not frostbite material!

having said that i have never been to bluff and this is one of the few things that might tempt me to go there!!

[Fish 0]

So my first thoughts were, why would you? It's heading the wrong way, and, errr, to Bluff?!

 

Then I thought, how much funding?!?

 

So, regardless of how silly an idea this looks, this guy, a film maker, has already succeeded in getting more funding, secured, than I would have thought you'd ever need for a yacht race.

 

Then, they've already stated this isn't for weekend warriors, which rules out everybody on this website accept Marsh.

 

So who are they after? Pro sailors on pro boats. How do you get them? Sponsorship exposure. How do you get that? With a slick as PR machine. How do you get that? With $440,000 of government funding of course... Can't believe I didn't think of it myself.

 

Then all you need to do is schedule it just after a very high profile international yacht race with lots of pro boats... Imagine!

 

Then you have a look at what the movie was about this guy made, the Worlds Fastest Indian, it wasn't just about peeing on lemon trees. This may look like a silly idea, fairly sure Bert Monros neighbours told him that once or twice as well...

[Bimini Babe 0]

Yeah I've read A Voyage For Madmen too, and as far as I remember Chay Blyth had never sailed in his life and still made it as far as the bottom of Africa in a bilge keeler.

[B00B00 310]

I think the clash with the RNI 2 handed is an absolute balls up. Why would you be in competition to a well established and popular race?

[markm 30]

Have to say it struck me as something of a show stopper too

[Duty Free 2]

I agree Josh --l know which one l will be aiming to do and its not heading to (and from ) Bluff .

Having looked at Bluff while supporting the Round NZ 2-handed , looked at the facilities and the currents, etc l wouldnt want to be trying to get in there and stay in comfort .

Steve Ashley and Cameron Thorpe did a comparioson of Bluff and Stewart Island for the RNZ planning and we decided to go to Stewart Island --it was a fantastic (and correct ) decison which l think the sailors would support .

[Guest]

bummer the RNI 2 handed is the same time... think bob an i would be doing that instead...

Ive raced motorcycles at invercargill/bluff....many times.... yup... its a h...e of a place....some nice locals though

[Jon 360]

I guess it's offering an option for professional sailor who aren't up to the RNI

[Guest]

This has nothing to do with yach racing. Come on guys

 

Bluff has some cash to promote itself. They have decided the best way to promote is with a yacht race...

 

So... This is why bluff is the destination. Maybe they want to change peoples attitude of the place??

 

Certainly got people talking about it

 

If Fiji got their sh*t together and put up $500k I'm sure there would be more boats sailing to Fiji too

 

If you want funding for costal. Hit up Russell, they are the ones who benefit from the event financially

[Battleship 100]

It's on at the same time as the solo-tasman also, I'm tossing up between that and the rni. I certainly won't be going to bluff but I don't think I am in the target demographic, ie. pro sailors on a wealthy owners boat.

[SloopJohnB 323]

If you want to blow the cobwebbes off, here's an old timer ready to go.

[Guest]

Bluff didn't put up the $440k, the govt (us) have, after Tim and the film guy conned Stephen Joyce with the help of YNZ and RAYC that we the yachties would want this soon to be iconic event.

 

Fiji destinations considerably discount their prices for berthage and provide great service and assistance at the destination and the facilities at Musket and Denerau are some quantum better than Bluff.

 

Bluff is a great place and is a must visit if ever in the region, forget the TV adds, drinking spieghts at the Golden Age is true southern man stuff.

 

I have never felt much love from Russell either with the coastal or just when on the xmas cruise

 

Can't see this event having any impact on the RNI, SSANZ is the home and has the heart of the weekend warrior which last time I looked accounted for 99% of NZ yachties when racing at home.

[markm 30]

Can't help but to conclude the drive for the event is from outside sailing and not really factoring in sailing considerations.

 

Don't want to be negative on any event which promotes yacht racing, even if that's not its main objective but an event that fails serves no one and recognising problems is always the first step in avoiding them.

 

Whilst many have concluded it's a pro event, not sure if that's right or not.

 

First, even S2H struggles for much in the way of boats outside of Aus, they get a few but I don't think more than five or ten, sometimes less.

 

Second, it's clashing with the Caribbean 600 and no disrespect to NZ and Bluff, but I don't think the oysters and hospitality is quite enough to draw boats away from a little romp around the Caribbean.

 

There's the Australian fleet of course but there's a few issues there too. First, the event also clashes with Geelong week (or whichever marketing title it now has), it's a different type of event, but nonetheless a very significant item on the Aussie calendar and where many of the semi professional boats that travel at all typically go.

 

The second aspect is that the Aussies are already pretty well served with major races and places to be on their calendar with S2h, a couple of races to Queensland parts and their northern circuit covering Hamilton Island and Airlie Beach. I would guess they already have as much as they want and adding a 1100 mile race with a thousand pluss miles of delivery each way so soon after S2H isn't going to be so big on their things to do list.

 

That leaves the local fleet and I think they will seriously struggle if they're clashing with RNI.

 

Boxing day isn't anything like a good choice for a start date but my pick is it'd be the best of some bad choices. That or persuade RNI to reschedule, maybe dangle a fiscal incentive or two in front of SSANZ?