Noumea Race Day 9- - The final day and report - Update @ 2100hrs
by Richard Gladwell on 10 Jun 2012
Blizzard leaving the Viaduct harbour, Auckland before the start of the Evolution sails Sail Noumea 2012 race Richard Gladwell
www.photosport.co.nz
The final finisher in the Evolution Sails Sail Noumea 2012 race crossed the finish line off Noumea, this afternoon.
Iolanthe II, the last finisher in the race crossed the line under jib and storm trysail, after breaking her boom in the middle of the race.
Skipper John Morris showed off his head stiches made on board after a blow to the head. Fortunately there was a doctor on board.
The prizegiving took place in Noumea on Sunday.
1330: The final finisher Evolution Sails Noumea 2012 is expected to cross the finish line in the next couple of hours
Iolanthe II, a First 51, has entered the lagoon at Noumea and is 14nm miles from the finish line.
Due to a broken boom, she is sailing under headsail alone, and is making 4.70kts.
Earlier the the Farr 44 Blizzard finished followed by the Beneteau 50 Bonaparte.
The first boat into Noumea was the 60ft multihull TeamVodafoneSailing (Simon Hull) who finished on Tuesday, setting a new multi hull course record of 3 days 6hrs and 29minutes
She was followed on Thursday by V5, the TP52 canter skippered by David Nathan, who led the other two 50fters by over 100nm, and took line honours and rating honours in the two of the three divisions in which she entered. She would also have also won IRC, had she entered - making a clean sweep of all the major prizes.
It was left to the Cookson 50 Akatea (Gary Lewis) to take the other major divisional prize, winning the IRC division. Akatea and the TP52 Kia Kaha, were hit by significantly worse weather from a front which passed through the monohull fleet on Monday night. Akatea reported gusts of 66kts, while the strongest wind strength seen by V5 was 42kts, and she was able to keep racing despite 5-6metre seas.
Five yachts withdrew from the race, including the Farr 80 Beau Geste (Karl Kwok) which was the worst damaged, fracturing her hull. She is in Norfolk Island with a decision yet to be made on her immediate future. Icebreaker which suffered two loosened keel nuts, and a fractured bulkhead is also holed up in Norfolk Island.
The other three boats have either set out or arrived back in New Zealand.
Multihull
Team Vodafone Sailing
- Finished Tuesday 5 June @ 20:59:50
- New multihull record set | 3 days, 6 hours, 29 minutes, 50 seconds
Monohull
Final Results click on Division below
- Line
- PHRF
- IRC
Retired
- Beau Geste (structual damage - Norfolk Island)
- Cotton Blossom 2 (Severe Sea Sickness)
- Starlight Express (mast and sail damage - Norfolk Island)
- Carerra (lost navigation equipment)
- Icebreaker (loose keel bolts and damaged forward bulkhead)
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