Tahiti Cup 2001 report

by Trevor Joyce on 6 Jul 2001 The 2001 Tahiti Cup, the only sailing regatta in the world with more lay
days than races, attracted a multi-national fleet in early June.

Several local entries competed against crews from Japan, France, New
Caledonia and Australia in sixteen 37 - 50ft charter yachts and catamarans.

Mr. Fujiya Matsumoto, Commodore of the Enoshima Yacht Club in Tokyo
skippered Da Vinci, an Oceanis 400, one of four Japanese entries. He and his
crew 'the seven samurai' boasted a combined age in excess of 490 years.

A crew of footloose and fancy-free French doctors on Armandin, a Sun Odyssey
43DS, enthusiastically offered free mouth-to-mouth resuscitation to a
willing contingent of 'Aussie belles'.

For the final night's party in Uturoa, Armandin was berthed next to regatta
winner Gauguin, a Beneteau First 42s7 chartered by Sydney J24 sailors Adam
Kelly and Scott Jamieson. After early signs that the Aussie boys had met
their match, reinforcements were called in and before long more than 20
enthusiastic revellers crowded onto Gauguin in a rugby-like scrum.

When Uturoa's beer stocks 'evaporated' trading on the dock was brisk, with
exchange rates quickly established at 6 beers = 2 bottles of wine, or ½ a
litre of spirits, or 6 bottles of tonic, or 1 large bottle of coke. Ice
futures were suspended when insider trading was suspected in an extremely
tight market.

Oh! and then there was the racing. There were four races in the series,
three of them inter-island passage races and the other a race around Tahaa
inside the lagoon! Two of the passage races were up-wind, one down wind,
with the circular Tahaa race offering a bit of everything.

All four races were sailed in perfect 15 - 25 knot easterly trade winds. The
sea temperature was about 24 degrees C and the day time air temperature
around 28 degrees C. Infrequent squalls ensured a reality check.

Gauguin scored 2 wins and 2 second placings to win from local multi-hull
entry Octopus. So emphatic was the win that the skippers of Octopus and
third place-getter, another local entry, Patchoc, lodged an official protest
that Kelly had used his engine during the first and third races! The protest
was withdrawn when Kelly offered to swap boats.

At the end of the day it just proves you can't have a yacht race without a
controversy of some sort.

The Tahitian Leeward islands of Raiatea, Tahaa, Huahine and Bora Bora,
provide a perfect setting for this regatta. Precipitous jungle clad slopes
plunge into the unbelievable turquoise of the placid lagoons. The swells of
the South Pacific, conveniently placed 200 meters apart, demonstrate their
enormous power as they crash upon the reefs surrounding each island.

The Tahitian people complete the scene with the sincerity of their welcome,
the charm of their songs and dances, and their invitation to try a different
and delicious cuisine.

This culinary cavorting was capped on the last night with dinner from a
roulotte on the waterfront in Papeete. A roulotte is the Polynesian
equivalent of Harry's Pie Cart in Sydney's Woolloomooloo. The cruise ship
Renaissance towered above a parking area where dozens of roulottes dispensed
delicious and inexpensive meals.

The Tahiti Cup will be held during the same week next year from May 31 to
June 9. The size of the fleet will be restricted so as not to exceed the
capacity of the small village venues, and to ensure the highly personalised
nature of the experience.

Small changes will be made to the program, including the addition of a
unique Tahitian reef fishing expedition.

Race 3 around Tahaa inside the lagoon will be shortened to finish at the
restaurant of the infamous Louise, whose lobster and crab specialty will be
the fare for the post race dinner.

Highlight of the function program for the regatta will again be the spread
put on by the Meridian Hotel on Bora Bora.

Details of the Tahiti Nui Cup 2002 are available from Mariner Boating, phone
Sydney 99669014, fax 9966588 or email trevor@marinerboating.com.au