39 competed in WineWorks Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc Yacht Race

by Heather Barnes on 13 Nov 2015 Sunny skies and fifteen knots of wind greeted the thirty-nine race yachts as they left Tory Channel to start the 2015 WineWorks Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc Yacht Race. This year’s race was the largest ever with 223 hardy sailors carrying carefully stowed bottles of Sauvignon Blanc from twenty-nine Marlborough wineries.

The race is loosely based on the traditional Beaujolais Nouveau, where the first Beaujolais wines were transported from France to the UK. This Kiwi version of the race, in its thirteenth year, crosses the Cook Strait with the yachts competing to land their bottle of new vintage Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc on the shores of Wellington.

Ideal conditions at the start saw the fleet sailing smoothly towards the North Island and enjoying a trouble-free crossing of the Strait. As the yachts got in the lee of the land the steady winds died and the conditions became more challenging with skippers angling to find the best course through variable breezes and to avoid being becalmed. A variety of tactics were tried to keep the yachts in motion including sail changes and altering course to take advantage of tide through the Karori Rip. Despite these strategies some yachts found themselves almost at a frustrating stall which saw the heavier yachts having their previously good positions eroded with the lighter yachts gaining the advantage.

Line honours was tightly contested between Blink, skippered by Vesna Wells, and Satellite Spy, skippered by Matt Kerr and Glenn Robertson, with Blink carrying Rapaura Springs securing the coveted trophy. On handicap first place went to Airship, a modified Ross 930, skippered by Dave Roberts, carrying a bottle of Stanley Estate’s Sauvignon Blanc. Roberts praised the race saying “The [WineWorks Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc Yacht Blanc] seems to have gone from strength to strength and is becoming one of the must do events of the calendar”

The safe arrival of the yachts and their bottles of Sauvignon Blanc was celebrated by a Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc tasting event at the Wharewaka Centre on the Wellington waterfront. The race was organised by the Waikawa Boating Club and Wine Marlborough with a portion of entry and ticket sales supporting the important work of Life Flight.

Results:
Line Honours: Blink – skippered by Vesna Wells, carrying Rapaura Springs Wines

Handicap Placings:
1st Airship – skippered by Dave Roberts – carrying Stanley Estates
2nd Satellite Spy – skippered by Matt Kerr & Glenn Robertson- carrying Spy Valley Wines
3rd Flying Tiger– skippered by Bill Richards – carrying Konrad Wines
4th Settimio – skippered by Clive Harragan – carrying Konrad Wines
5th Squealer – skippered by Stuart Morgan – carrying Matua Valley Wines