PIC Coastal Classic - A rough ride to Cape Brett

by Richard Gladwell, Sail-World.com on 23 Oct 2015 The PIC Coastal Classic fleet is expected to have a rough ride to Cape Brett as they battle 20-25kt headwinds and a big swell.

An observation point from Predictwind, based in the centre of the Bay of Islands shows winds from the NW averaging 20kts and gusting to 25kts. They have dropped slightly from earlier in the day.

But the forecast for Cape Brett is for winds to average 23kts and gust 27kts through to midnight, and then start increasing to gust to 35kts throughout the early hours of Saturday morning. Winds will be from a NW direction - meaning the boast can get some shelter from the swells by hugging the coastline, but will get more squalls.

A report from the TP52 Kia Kaha around 2015hsr says they were in 'big swells and heavy wind'. They were off Tutukaka just past Whangarei.

The lead TP52, Beau Geste was further offshore and she was predicted by the weather routing function of Predictwind to have 44nm to sail sa of 2010hrs and was expected to finish around 1230am, at Russell.

Once the boats reach Cape Brett they are expected to have an easier time of it in fast reaching conditions to the finish line at Russell.

The leading monohull, the Volvo 70 Giacomo (Jim Delegat) is expected to finish around 2245hrs - based on an approximated position taken at 2030hrs.

More than a dozen boats have pulled out of the race returning to Auckland, Kawau Island or Whangarei.

Earlier the ORMA60 TeamVodafoneSailing was first boat home crossing the finish line at 7.27pm, well outside her 2014 course record, despite sailing at speeds of over 30kts for first and last stages of the 108nm race, up New Zealand's Northland coast.