Please select your home edition
Edition
PredictWind - Wave Routing 728x90 TOP

The Great Barrier Rendezvous a success despite the weather

by Michael Bartlett on 12 May 2010
The raft up - The Great Barrier Rendezvous Paul Shanahan

Our Great Barrier Rendezvous was an 'On again ~ off again' affair as the weather forecast worsened as last week progressed.

We had 11 boats still make it to Great Barrier Island, 50 miles from Auckland, NZ after an initial 23 had expressed an interest in coming.

The weather forecast put a number off. However, the conditions at the Barrier were rather pleasant and we enjoyed good day fishing on Saturday, followed by a shared party on Saturday night.

On Sunday, after a big breakfast we headed home. A number of boats from Whitianga and Pauanui headed back to Great Mercury Island for lunch and punched through beam on seas with winds approaching 30 knots. While uncomfortable, there were no dramas and lunch at Mercury Island was a welcome relief from the rough passage.

The photos tell the story:






North Sails Loft 57 PodcastRS Sailing 2021 - FOOTERFestival of Sails 2026

Related Articles

2026 Melges 24 North American Series Notice issued
Featuring eleven qualifying events spanning North America The IM24CA, in conjunction with the U.S. and Canadian Melges 24 Class Associations, has issued the official Notice of Series (NoS) for the 2026 North American Sailing Series, formally confirming the events included in the Series and outlining key updates.
Posted on 31 Dec 2025
A remarkable Class 40 season
Cédric de Kervenoael, President of Class40 reflects The 2025 season will be remembered as one of the most intense and memorable seasons in Class40 history.
Posted on 31 Dec 2025
Min River's historic Sydney Hobart overall victory
Jiang Lin is the first woman and with Alexis Loison they are the first two handed crew to win Min River has been declared the Overall winner of the 2025 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, making her owner, Jiang Lin, the first woman to ever win the race.
Posted on 31 Dec 2025
Sydney Hobart – A very ordinary Hobart
Now don't get me wrong. That's a not a description of the on-water action. Far from it, actually Now don't get me wrong. That's a not a description of the on-water action from the 80th rendition of the Boxing Day Classic. Far from it, actually. Rather, it is a reflection upon that the elements that an ‘ordinary' Hobart invariably involves
Posted on 31 Dec 2025
Rolex Sydney Hobart: BNC penalised
The New Caledonian two hander has been penalised after making a declaration to the Race Committee The protest by the Race Committee versus BNC – my::NET / LEON following the 2025 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race has been upheld by the International Jury. A time penalty has been imposed which is greater than BNC's provisional win margin.
Posted on 31 Dec 2025
Melges 15 Winter Series reaches 126 boats
Big fleet set for Merritt Island, FL in the New Year The Melges 15 Class continues its rapid growth into the 2026 season, setting a new participation milestone with 126 boats registered for the second event of the Winter Series, January 3-4, 2026, at the Melges Watersports Center in Merritt Island, FL.
Posted on 30 Dec 2025
41st Annual Rose Bowl Regatta preview
The 2026 edition will feature the largest turnout in the event's history One of the largest and longest running combined collegiate and high school regattas returns for the 41st edition of the Rose Bowl Regatta.
Posted on 30 Dec 2025
Celebrating the Great Race from half a world away
The Rolex Sydney Hobart delivers a tough test While early winter isn't exactly a great time for sailing in the Pacific Northwest, this year I reeled my family into the Great Race's Boxing Day drama.
Posted on 30 Dec 2025
Sydney Hobart: Two protests now lodged
Two protests now over the way the French/New Caledonian sheeted a sail using a pole. The International Jury for the Rolex Sydney Hobart Race will hear two protests, on Wednesday, the first by the yacht Min River (AUS) against the overall honours leader BNC - my::NET / LEON (FRA), along with a second by the Race Committee.
Posted on 30 Dec 2025
Happy ending for USA's Bacchanal
American yachtsman Ron Epstein was thrilled to finally finish the Rolex Sydney Hobart this morning American yachtsman Ron Epstein was thrilled to finally finish the Rolex Sydney Hobart this morning at 6.07.59am, the relief and joy palpable after he was forced to retire 18 and a half hours into last year's race after Bacchanal's boom broke.
Posted on 30 Dec 2025