NZ move to IRC to increase cross Tasman racing

by Rob Kothe on 8 May 2006 As the southern states of Australia and all of New Zealand begin to shiver, this is the time of year that North Queensland’s regatta circuit begins to look very inviting.

Over the last 16 years large numbers of New Zealand boats and many New Zealand crews chartering Whitsunday boats, have taken the silverware on the Australian winter circuit.

In 2005 Neville Crichton’s new New Zealand registered Alfa Romeo managed a clean sweep at Hamilton Island, just as his last boat had done three years before.

But ‘the winning’ goes well back in history. In 1998 Ron Brittain's Hydroflow swept through the fleet to take line honours in the first race, the Lindeman Island Race and in 2001, the Elliot 15 Coyote, cleaned up her division with a day to spare. In recent years, up to eight crews have raced at Airlie Beach and Hamilton Island and it seems the numbers are set to increase.

Auckland’s Royal Akarana Yacht Club Commodore, Richard McAllister, expects the flow of offshore racing boats between the trans Tasman neighbours is likely to swell with a common rating system, an increase in the number of feeder races and the range of discount air fares that continue to make Whitsunday holidays very popular.

‘We believe the adoption of the IRC rating system will be good for New Zealand yachting and Trans Tasman yachting.

‘We understand, from what we’ve heard around the world, that IRC is a pretty good rule and hopefully it will provide stability. So the ocean race we are organising this year will really be the flagship event to get IRC running.’

Royal Akarana Yacht Club, based on information received has basically said ‘we are going to get behind it (IRC), we are going to promote it for our 2006 Auckland to Fiji race at the end of the month and and this will be the flagship. We’ve got the strong support of Yachting New Zealand and the New Zealand International Yachting Trust is behind it and is funding the certification.

‘With a common rating system, it makes it easier for yachts to campaign on both sides of the Tasman. In fact we are keen to work with Australian clubs to get a Tasman Triangle, whereby we would have boats that would race from Australia to New Zealand and back.’

The 1,850 nautical mile Melbourne to Vanuatu race starting on July 4th will be one of the races that will increase the Whitsunday fleet in 2006. It’s the first leg of the South Pacific Boomerang, ahead of the 2006 Port Vila to Mackay Yacht Race.

This race starts in Port Vila on Tuesday 1st August 2006, leaving Swain Reefs Light to Starboard, thence to the finish at Mackay, a distance of approximately 1,150 nautical miles and only 50 miles from Airlie Beach, where the 16th annual Tropical Shirt regatta starts on August 11th.

As McAllister says, New Zealand boats racing from Port Vila, ‘will be well tuned for the two big Australian regattas.’

There will be some welcoming voices as always. Airlie Beach Race Week Director Denis Thompson still retains his Kiwi accent. Originally from Blenheim, Thompson, a former boat builder, sail-maker and yachting administrator, has in recent years been the ‘PRO. of choice’ for major events.

He believes the IRC commonality will be a big plus.

‘When you look at the distances sailors take their boats, we expect to see more Australian boats racing in trans Tasman series in the future.

'Last year at Airlie Beach we had Aucklander’s Peter Hall, Bill Paul and a bunch of mates on a chartered Beneteau 47 named Rainbow, winning on and off the water in the Cruising Non Spinnaker division, as well as Wellington’s Rik Hart with his Beneteau 44.7 Te Manawa going well in the IRC fleet.

'Janine and Tony Robinson and a big Buckland Beach team were on the Elliott 12 Bullrush and of course Dr Ian Nicholson’s Dubois 80 Intrigue showed the way in the IRC Cruising fleet. There were other New Zealand boats and sailors at Airlie and of course at Hamilton Island.

'Now we can expect to see New Zealand events promoting themselves on the Australian scene.'

Notices of Race and Entries for Port Vila to Mackay race at www.orcv.org.au
Airlie Beach Race Week www.airliebeachraceweek.com.au and Hahn Premium Race Week at Hamilton Island at www.hiyc.org.au