Breezy start for NZCT AIMS sailors in Tauranga

by Tauranga YPBC meda on 7 Sep 2015 A strong westerly pruned sailing’s debut on the first day of the NZCT AIMS Games in Tauranga, on Sunday, but the Anchor-sponsored racing that did happen on the water proved spectacular.

The first yacht race of the 2015 AIMs Games may have had 61 starters, but it was won a by a strong westerly that took out two thirds of the fleet and saw two of the three scheduled races cancelled.

Of the 61 competitors, only 23 managed to finish a race that saw numerous vessels capsize and a lot of work for the abundant numbers of rescue RIBs on hand. Tane Herbert from Bethlehem was among the majority that did not finish. Photo: Cameron Avery.
“It was a really good start, with about 18 knots,” says Tauranga Yacht and Power Boat Club commodore Nigel Rippey.

“It was a good clean start, and the first beat was really cool to watch, but then as soon as the boats got around the top, the breeze started building and kept building to about 25 knots. It started getting pretty rough.

“A lot of boats capsized going down wind and at the gybe mark there were a lot of capsizes. A lot of them were struggling.

“The front guys were having a ball. They were just planning down wind and having a great time.”

Francesco Kayrous, from Rosmini College in Takapuna, Auckland, won by a big margin, says Nigel. His schoolmate Campbell Stanton came home in second place, and the pair have recently returned from the European Optimist championships in Wales, where they were representing New Zealand. Thomas Mulcahy (Takapuna Normal Intermediate) finished third, with Rebecca Morgan (Remuera Intermediate, Auckland) the leading female in ninth. Otumoetai Intermediate's James Barnett was fifth.

“We called off the second race as it was blowing at 25 knots and gusting to 30 at the pilot berth,” explains Nigel. “It got too windy.”

“But it was totally well managed, and there was loads of support on the water, which was really good.

“With the Optis in that wind range, half the fleet were having issues. Some of the front guys are going away shortly to represent New Zealand.

“Some of those kids are some of the top Opti sailors in the country, so the group of them that are really capable were just loving conditions like that.

“It's like all codes, you have quite a broad range of skills from the top to the bottom which is what it is all about in intermediate competition.”

For day two, Tauranga Harbour put on a stunner for breakfast guests at the yacht club, which included singers Boh Runga, Jamie McDell and 49er sailor Blair Tuke. Also present were guests from Kamo and Pukekohe Intermediates, which won a competition to have breakfast with the trio.

To see all Day 1 results click here