Wild and Wooly Marauder Nationals

by Ivan Berry on 14 Mar 2006 The 30th World National Championships for the Marauder class were held off Pine Harbour Marina on the 4th and 5th of March. Eighteen boats were due to compete.

The weekend regatta started on the Friday for most of the Marauders. The weather for the previous few days had been wild and windy and the forecast for the weekend was ominous with gale force conditions, cold and rain. Getting to Pine Harbour Marina wasn’t too much of a problem for most. Gold Rush with just a #2 jib was sailing along at over 6 knots while Manawa with a full main and #2 was recording over 10 knots and some wild angles on the way down from Westhaven.

With some very high and low tides at the time it was a certainty that someone would be blown on to the side of the channel into Pine Harbour. Manawa was the first, right on low tide and having to use an anchor to extract them off the sticky mud. Little by Little had never been to Pine Harbour Marina before and the 35 knots of wind and rain on the hind quarter had them stuck on the side of the channel for 20 minutes or so before motoring in for a safe berth for the night.

Phone calls and text were coming in throughout the late afternoon and evening from all points of the Gulf to advise that boats were sitting, waiting until the morning to see what conditions would be like. The weather meant that we could be missing a few starters for the Regatta. It was a shame, as the 18 entries was a record in recent times.

Two boats dropped down a division, then one of those withdrew altogether. ArchAngel sailing down from the Mahurangi Harbour took a real battering and had to concede defeat at Tiri Passage. She withdrew from the regatta and retreated to Kawau Island to clean up the battered boat and bodies.

Saturday morning dawned as a cloudless blue sky with not a breath of wind! The regatta start was delayed for half an hour and that was fortunate for a number of yachts that were sailing in a little late. Sailing in - and bringing the wind with them! The windward – leeward races were started in a light building breeze. Five minutes into the first beat and the breeze had climbed to 20 knots and kept climbing.

RACE 1.

In the 1st Division there was a lot of jostling on the start line and it was starting to look like someone would end up in the committee boat if crews didn’t calm down. Peter Knight helming Real MacCoy decided discretion would cause less chaos and eased off to follow the fleet over the start. Ahead Manawa, Santosa and Touch O Glass tacked off to the right. Real MacCoy heeded the old Kiwi saying, “don’t be a sheep” and held on to port out on their own. It paid dividends handsomely with a big wind shift that saw them take a lead at the top mark that was never headed.

The first race in the 2nd Division was a three-horse affair with Eyelure, Jenomi and Gold Rush skippered by Ivan Berry, vying for honours. There was a big gap back to the following pack as they adjusted to the building wind.
Martin Spinks had only purchased Awesome the week before the regatta and he had been pleased with the way the yacht had gone in his first race. Sadly, in the high winds after the finish, the furler jammed and the Genoa was shredded in the following confusion. Marcel helmed by John Langford was another to have problems that dogged them for the rest of the day.

RACE 2

Race two in Division 1; saw Santosa helmed by Gordon Andrews disputing the favoured committee boat end of the line with Real MacCoy. Santosa was trying very hard but in the end had to turn away granting Real MacCoy a great start and run to the first mark. The crew on Real MacCoy were feeling good! “To good” and as they rounded the top mark their boom clipped the buoy as they launched the kite! The wind was blowing up around 30 knots and the boats were flying. A couple of the yachts recorded over 10 knots under spinnaker. Going round the top mark for the last time, Real MacCoy decided to do their 360-degree penalty turn for hitting the buoy. Manawa and a smiling Keith Bekker swept into the lead to win the race.

Race two in the No 2 Division saw a sharper start from all. Eyelure helmed by Phil Saunderson, once again grabbing the start from Jenomi & Gold Rush to engage in a tacking dual down the favoured left hand side of the course. The three yachts being so intent on their own battle hadn’t noticed that Little by Little helmed by Alan Astrop had taken a big tack out to the right and picked a pearler of a wind shift and arrived at the top mark in the lead! There were three surprised crews thinking, “Where the blazers did they come from?” Eyelure with their high tech silver headsail scorched down the course to take back the lead. Jenomi slipped past Little by Little to manage a close 2nd place.

Race 3

Division 1 & race three had Manawa and Touch O Glass helmed by Roger Bayliss pushing for the start honours. Down the favoured left hand side a tacking dual between Manawa & Real MacCoy had developed with the lead changing with each cross. Real MacCoy was pleased to blast around the top mark in front. The wind was now into the 30 to 35 knot range and the Kite rides were fast and exciting. The finish saw Manawa right on the stern of Real MacCoy with Santosa & Touch O Glass blanketing the tail of Manawa.

The 2nd division had some excitement at the start that saw Gold Rush over the line. When they didn’t return (thought it was someone else?) the yacht was disqualified from the race. Eyelure scored another win followed by Jenomi skippered by Peter Davies, Theda Barra helmed by John O’Connor, Little by Little and Hot Prospect.

Following race three everyone was so busy changing headsails for an anticipated race 4 that many initially missed the signal to say that racing had finished for the day. A shame but probably prudent in the building conditions. It had been an interesting 1st day of competition.

RACE 4.

Sunday dawned fine but cloudy. Once again there was no wind for the start of days harbour race. The Two Marauder Divisions were starting together. A little unusual but great to see so many Marauders on the one start line. The start had been delayed for 20 min and with just a whisper of breeze the 5minute gun caught many off guard.
Gold Rush was in irons in a windless hole behind the line and was last away following Shanaro. These two yachts were the only Division 2 boats to make any passing moves around the course. With a reach, broad reach, reach and then an on the wind run to the finish there wasn’t a lot of passing for many. The whisper of wind at the start had built to 20knots in within 10 minutes. Shanaro with Tom Niblock on the helm had managed to make up a place before the Islington Bay buoy when he passed Theda Barra. On the run to Motuihe Radar Red buoy Shanaro slid past Little by Little to gain another place. Gold Rush after their bad start was working very hard and picked up the two boats in front and then went after Shanaro to finally close up on to the stern of Hot Prospect. The wind was again up in the 30 to 35 knot range on the beat to the finish making it very hard going hanging onto a #1 Genoa & full main!
Hot Prospect helmed by John Dawson made a very quick & slick reefing job, the only boat game to have a go and back himself to get it right. It was done quickly. Eyelure, Marcel and Jenomi made up the top three finishers.

In the 1st Division it was a different story with lots of passing with the tight group at the front seesawing as spinnakers were raised, dropped and jibbed around the marks. Santosa with a crew from one of Auckland’s top sail lofts, hit the front for a short spell going around the back of Motuihe Island. At one stage it looked like Manawa was going to mount the back of Real MacCoy with Santosa right alongside. Real MacCoy inched ahead of Manawa while Touch O