Javelins enjoying tight racing on Lake Taupo

by Antje Muller on 15 Mar 2015 With a Cyclone warning hanging ominously over this weekend’s sailing, it was a pleasant surprise for the fleet to have two days of excellent racing at the Mighty River Power Regatta on Lake Taupo.

Shifty and patchy wind conditions and a joint start with the 12ft Skiff fleet made for plenty of place changes between the first three, keeping the sailors on their toes.

To start with, there was some typical lake sailing with light and shifty winds. After the first two races, it looked like National Champions and Sanders Cup holders Phlipnhel - sailed by Northland’s Phil McNeil and Craig Gilberd - would do a clean sweep again. In the light conditions of the first race, Phlipnhel not only beat all the Javelins around the course but even finished ahead of the complete 12ft Skiff fleet.

In the third race however, the unconventional tight reach to the last leeward mark saw Flying Circus take a punt by leaving their gennaker up, which paid off, allowing them to head past both Trailblazer, who finished second, and Phlipnhel, who could not get past a 12ft skiff in their way.

With the wind slightly stronger in the fourth race, Trailblazer took the gun and Blunderbus also showed better speed. An additional race was sailed, which went to Philpnhel again, leaving the first two boats within striking distance of each other after the first day.

Sunday dawned to the first indicators of Pam showing as torn high clouds and a building cloud cover drawing in from the North. The breeze was light to moderate, and Trailblazer sailed away from the fleet for a start to finish win in race six.

Phlipnhel showed the fleet how to capsize twice and still gain distance on the fleet in the last race. On the long beat to windward, they encountered swirling winds which unbalanced them, but after they righted the boat on the second try, the breeze had set in from their side of the course, leaving Trailblazer far behind. Blunderbus got into the pressure as well and gained a place out of it.

Even though Pam was seen on the water, brilliant sunshine accompanied some close and exciting racing all weekend.

Congratulations to Phil and Craig for winning the North Island Championships, confirming them as the crew clearly dominating this season. The fleet is heading to Perth for the South Pacific Championships in January 2016 to take on the Australians.

Many thanks to the organisers and volunteers of the Lake Taupo Yacht Club making this wonderful sailing weekend possible!