Murray's Bay SC's Oki 24-Hour Race to be sailed Saturday and Sunday
by Danielle Wright on 8 Mar 2013
Optimists racing in the first race of the 2012 OKI 24 hour race, they were SW
The North Shore’s beloved OKI 24-Hour Race will this year be from 2pm Saturday March 9 until 2pm Sunday March 10. Sailors will once again be racing on Lake Pupuke with a Le Mans-style start, as they have done since the race began in 1967.
There will also be a solo division, which means some sailors will sail through the night in a test of extreme endurance. There will also be a sub-youth category, consisting of 3-4 sailors under the age of 16.
Sailing is non-stop through the night, in crews of two competitors per boat, with each team member sailing for a maximum of three hours before required to rest for a minimum of one hour. Five boats will be sailed singlehanded throughout the event.
The winning team is the one that completes the most number of laps within the 24-hour period. Race sailors include every shape and size from 14 years up to 70 years of age with the event spilt into five categories: Open Class, Youth (under 18 years), Women’s and Masters’ (over 35), and Endurance athletes. All competitors from each class can be in the running to win the overall OKI 24 Hour Race trophy.
A second event, the OKI 6-hour race (from 7.30am – 1pm on Sat 9 March) runs just prior to the 24-Hour event and is an optimist dinghy race for children aged 7-15 years and gives young sailors a chance to participate with their heroes in the Legends Race.
The events are fundraisers for Murray’s Bay Sailing Club to develop youth sailing and local business Comworth, distributor for OKI fax and telecommunications products, has been sponsoring the race since 1989.
www.murraysbay.org / www.comworth.co.nz
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