Large fleet prepares for Evolution Sails 100 race this weekend
by Deb Williams on 4 Aug 2016
CU with previous owner at Port Nicholson Regatta 2016 Deb Williams
A fleet of over 120 boats are preparing for Race 2 of the SSANZ Safety at Sea Triple Series this Saturday. The weather models are currently forecasting strong southerlies for both Saturday and Sunday. This could make conditions challenging for the long haul fleet as they race approximately 100 nm around the Hauraki Gulf.
From a start off Rangitoto Channel, the 10 divisions head off with shorthaul boats sailing an approximately 80nm course, and the small boats covering 55nm. All boats will be finishing off Orakei Wharf, most likely in the dark. Despite sailing longer courses than in the NZ Spars and Rigging 60, the race management team are expecting some close finishes. The closest finish in Race 1 of the series were 7 seconds between the SR 26s T-Rex and Rattle’n’Rum, and then 4 seconds between the 2 Ross 1066s Margaritaville and The Guarantee.
New to the SSANZ fleet is CU Later, a Ross 8m recently moved from Wellington (pictured) which will be hoping to use a number of their downwind sails they have onboard, from the race sponsor Evolution Sails. But it does mean that the current leader of the Shorthaul Cruising Division – Dynamite, Beale 12.8 – will not be sailing as the crew move to CU Later in the Shorthaul Sportsboat division, taking on the Ross 930s and Elliotts.
Currently leading their divisions on both line and handicap are Slime (multihull division), and Sunfast 3600 Racing (Longhaul Division2) so they’ll be working hard to maintain their results. Battling it out in the Young 88 division results so far are Sailor Moon, War Machine and Crowded House.
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