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COASTAL CLASSIC 2013 RACE UPDATES


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Official thread for the big race

 

Its that time of year where the last minute prep is being done for some while others are having a early one knowing that they have a long race ahead of them tomorrow. just a reminder to text us with updates if you can as it will be greatly appreciated :D I will be up at north head taking photos tomorrow and updating on start conditions and what the start is like and when I get back home I will take over the text updates as well. Good luck to everyone who is racing tomorrow and hopefully it is a good race for everyone.

 

Just a note for those posting photos for us to see what the action was like, could you please post them in the Coastal Classic race pictures thread so the pages dont take forever to load and it makes the updates easier to read as well :D

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A teaser

 

Kiwis take first local point in big boat duel

They are nearly identical vessels, considered to be the fastest race boats in Australasia, and last night TeamVodafone and Team Australia met up for the first time in New Zealand waters.

 

The Head to Head was scheduled ahead of tomorrow's PIC Insurance Brokers Coastal Classic Auckland to Russell Yacht Race to get some much wanted answers about which of the two extreme 60-foot trimarans would be faster.

 

In moderate Westerly conditions and with Emirates Team New Zealand Skipper Dean Barker aboard for his first race since the America's Cup, Sean Langman's Team Australia gained an early lead over Kiwi Simon Hull's TeamVodafone, gybing from Westhaven down the Waitemata to be several hundred metres ahead when the boats reached Orakei and North Head.

 

The hammer went down once they reached clearer air in the open harbour, and both boats screamed towards Rangitoto Light at close to thirty knots. With the exception of in short bursts, neither one seemed to make significant gains on the other.

 

A navigational error meant that Team Australia needed to change course within a kilometre of the rounding mark, which gave TeamVodafone the opportunity to march on ahead.

 

The boats turned upwind at the mark and TeamVodafone, which carried a bigger headsail and later shook the reef in its main to increase its sail area again, showed instant upwind speed over its rival.

 

Once back inside North Head, the boats played the game of finding consistent air and maintaining boat speed for the few miles back to the finish off of Westhaven Marina, with TeamVodafone crossing the line far ahead of Team Australia.

 

Is this result indicative of what will happen tomorrow? Observers say it was difficult to judge. Team Australia expected the breeze to build when it in fact dropped, and was hampered by an early decision to use a smaller headsail - but they won't let that happen in the PIC Insurance Brokers Coastal Classic. In racing on the Queensland circuit two years ago, before significant modification to both boats, Team Australia showed pace in light airs, but TeamVodafone took them out comfortably in the Sydney to Southport, the only other coastal race where boats have lined up together.

 

For Sean Langman, Simon Hull and their crews, it's almost certain that they finished the day with as many questions as they started with.

 

The spectacular mass start for the PIC Insurance Brokers Coastal Classic is off Devonport Wharf at 10am on Friday 25 October.

 

The boats race in eight race divisions categorised by size and speed. A chance to win an Audi A1 is one of the feature prizes, along with another $30,000 of technological and marine related gear from sponsors that include PIC Insurance Brokers, B&G, Jackson Electrical Industries Limited, Yachting New Zealand, Dirty Dog, Elf Oils, Musto, Mount Gay Rum, Railblaza, and PredictWind.com.

 

The PIC Insurance Brokers Coastal Classic is organised by the New Zealand Multihull Yacht Club. Boat tracking, commentary, sked times, photos and video will be available from race start on www.coastalclassic.co.nz.

 

ENDS

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Longer, slower conditions forecast for Auckland to Russell race

 

An uphill slog is on the cards for the 170 entrants in the PIC Insurance Brokers Coastal Classic this Labour Weekend, but no dramas are expected on the high seas.

 

The fleet, which starts the race off Devonport Wharf in Auckland, and finishes off Russell Wharf in the Bay of Islands, is expected to encounter North-West winds of 17-21 knots at the start. A weak front may pass over the race course on Friday evening, after which the breeze will lighten off and move West and then South-West on Friday night.

 

That means almost no chance of a record, but it does give the boats that excel at upwind sailing the first opportunity in five years to show their stuff.

 

According to PredictWind.com, the extreme trimarans TeamVodafone and Team Australia are expected to finish in between 7.5 and 8.5 hours. TeamVodafone has finished in less than six hours for the last two years, and holds the race record of five hours and 41 minutes.

 

The big trimarans, nicknamed ‘Big Red’ and ‘Big Bird’ respectively, should maintain speeds of 17 or 18 knots for most of the course, and will reach peak performance on the final leg to Russell when the wind angle frees up lets them take off. The sea state is likely to be good, and all going according to plan, the boats will arrive in Russell in the early evening.

 

The smaller multihulls will look for every opportunity to get a better wind direction and more of it, taking about ten hours to finish.

 

For Jim Delegat’s Volvo 70, Giacomo, a new import to the country, and gearing up for the famous Rolex Sydney to Hobart in December, the race will take between 11 and 12 hours, and the boat will maintain consistent averages of 10-15 knots to achieve this.

 

PredictWind.com says that a mid sized cruiser-racer like a Young 88, will probably finish in about 19 hours. For these entrants the breeze will lighten off significantly after midnight Friday to about 5-7 knots, making for a slow but steady pre-dawn arrival in Russell. Being an upwind race, the lighter keelboats of a similar size and designed for off wind speed, will take a similar amount of time.

 

Even an AC72, if one was entered, would finish the race just outside of record time, according to PredictWind.com.

 

“The conditions mean the battle for line and handicap honours are going to be fierce amongst a different set of boats than we’d see in a Southerly race,” says race spokesperson Matthew Flynn.

 

“We wish everyone a safe journey and lots of fun.”

 

The spectacular mass start for the PIC Insurance Brokers Coastal Classic is off Devonport Wharf at 10am on Friday 25 October.

 

The boats race in eight race divisions categorised by size and speed. A chance to win an Audi A1 is one of the feature prizes, along with another $30,000 of technological and marine related gear from sponsors that include PIC Insurance Brokers, B&G, Jackson Electrical Industries Limited, Yachting New Zealand, Dirty Dog, Elf Oils, Musto, Mount Gay Rum, Railblaza, and PredictWind.com.

 

The PIC Insurance Brokers Coastal Classic is organised by the New Zealand Multihull Yacht Club. Boat tracking, commentary, sked times, photos and video will be available from race start on www.coastalclassic.co.nz.

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From the website

 

Unless we've had drop outs overnight, we are expecting 165 boats on the start today - that's a fleet in great shape.

 

PredictWind.com tell us there will be 15-20 knots in the start area around North Head, at 10am today when the boats are scheduled to start.

 

It will build through the morning, but sometime this evening around 1900hrs we'll see the front go over, and the wind will ease and shift South West - wet but in terms of wind direction, good news for the majority of the fleet that will still be on the race course.

 

PredictWind.com reckons that the finish times will be a bit faster than we first thought: TeamVodafone and Team Australia will take about seven hours to finish. The first time entrant Volvo 70 Giacomo will need about 11 hours, and a Young 88, about 16 hours.

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What was a lovly sunny morning has changed to a overcast morning with a gentle 10 to 15 knt breeze. 15 might be pushing it but hopefully the wind increases

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The startline has been set and there are a dozen or so boats out already. If your coming up north head feel free to say hi to me. Ill be the only red head wearing headphones running around taking photos

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As usual I'm stuck in the workshop, will you be able take some video of the start?

 

Roger is at north head so there should be video coming.

 

In other news the first gennaker has been seen. Is there enough westerly for the to lay through to north head under kite?

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The sun is coming out just in time for the start. From where im standing i likethe devonport side of the line at the moment. Clear air and a quicker layline to north head

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The fleet are practing their last timed run for the start and are heading back behind the line. This is one race you dont want to be ocs with a 20% penalty in place if you are. 10 minute warning for the first race just started.

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from the website

 

Windward boats were Giacomo came powering through to get the perfect start. TeamVodafone covered Team Australia, both were significantly pressed up as they raced to North Head. Team Australia got slightly to windward but they both passed very close by NOrth Head. Charleston got a really good start and Taeping got a spectacular reaching start to be one of the first multihulls. MOst of the boats are carrying gennakers to North Head. V5 and Georgia, and Wired are all neck and neck to the start. Dragon - a new entrant - is one of the first trimarans to North Head.

 

The gennakers are being dropped at North Head and TVS is still covering TA. The boats are carrying two sails in a 15-20 knot NW, heading for Tiri.

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StephenC said the two big tris had a bit of a luffing match under Nth Head, TVS now slightly ahead. The V70 was the best start of the monos - nailing at the committee boat. photos on the way

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