GCA Marauder Nationals/World Champs this weekend

by Event Media on 27 Feb 2007 The Graeme Coutts Associates 2007 Marauder World National Championship Regatta will be held this weekend the 3rd and 4th of March 2007. The regatta is to be held in the Tamaki Straits between Waiheke Island and Pine Harbour Marina.

A large fleet of the popular Alan Wright designed 8.4 metre yachts are entered for the weekend competition. The event is being co-organised by the Marauder 8.4 Owners Association and the Pine Harbour Cruising Club.

The weekend’s competition for the Marauders will be run in two divisions.

Division 1. The open spinnaker division for fully crewed yachts are competing for the prestigious title of Marauder National Class Champion and the Barry Olliff Memorial Trophy.

Division 2. These yachts will be racing for the restricted division title and can compete with fewer crew and use headsails only as no spinnakers are allowed.

Racing will start on the Saturday with all yachts sailing a series of windward / /leeward courses. It is expected that there will be 3 to 4 races on the day, depending on the weather conditions.

Sunday will see the large fleet of Marauders contesting a long haul harbour course that will use the surrounding Islands and the Tamaki Strait. The course will be set to the day’s weather, and anticipated wind strengths to allow boats to cross the finish line between 3 and 4pm on the Sunday.

On the Saturday night a get together of all crews and officials will be held at the Pine Harbour restaurant and bar to hash over the days racing, share a beer and or a meal.

Most of the fleet will be accommodated at the Pine Harbour Marina for the weekend.

Last years regatta was a wild and woolly event. Although the racing was held at the top end of the wind strength for a championship regatta, the 30-knot plus winds certainly provided some excellent, wild and enjoyable racing. Although the racing was hard on men and boats all weekend, everyone was extremely pleased that they had persevered and completed the two days of racing. All of last year’s competitors were adamant that they would be back for this year’s regatta.

One of last year’s entrants was heard to exclaim recently 'How could you not enter (the 2007 National Regatta) Last years Championship was the most satisfying sailing in competition you could ever wish for!'

The favourite for this year’s event must rest with the current National champion, Peter Knight! Peter sailed 'Real MacCoy' to victory last year after being runner up the previous year. Keith Bekker sailing 'Manawa' and Gordon Andrews on 'Santosa' gave Real MacCoy a real fight last year. It looks like the battle is set to step up a level with the three boats back again this year. The dark horse would have to be last years restricted division winner 'Eyelure' skippered by Phil Saunderson. In the wild conditions last year Eyelure scorched around course in times equal to the Spinnaker Division. Now entered in division 1 Eyelure could be the upset of the weekend.

That old fox Roger Bayliss with 'Touch O Glass' can never be written off or under-estimated. Now that Roger has his new legs bedded in after a double knee replacement 18 months ago, Touch O Glass could surprise.

The Division 2, restricted class competition with a record entry is going to be an open book. Many of the skippers have never entered the regatta before, so many of them are an unknown quantity. The skipper of 'Pinball Wizard', Paul Watson is a past champion from Trailer Sailors. Malcolm McKenzie sailing 'Pandour' is a past Marauder champion. There are so many boats in this division it is going to be very exciting racing.

The Pine Harbour Cruising Club have been running the racing for the Marauder Association for the past five years. Co-organizing the weekend event has worked well with both clubs benefiting. The fleet of Marauders competing has risen each successive year since inaugurating the 2nd division five years ago. This year the Marauders are finally going to crack the 20-boat entry.

Three years ago the Marauders agreed to allow the Dragon Class to join the regatta as a separate division and last year the Davidson 28’s joined in as a separate restricted division. The Marauder Association can remember the problem of finding a yacht club that would run a series of races over a day or weekend for only 6 or 7 boats. We had been there, six or seven years ago. The Regatta has evolved into a great weekends racing with a combined fleet of around 35 yachts.

The program for the Saturday will see racing starting at 10am with a windward leeward course. The Dragons will lead away, and then at 5-minute intervals will be the Marauder Division 1 fleet, Division 2, followed by the D28’s. Each race involves two laps of the course. It is expected that 3 to 4 races will be run.

On the Sunday the Dragons will continue with their wind / leeward course races, while the Marauder Divisions will take part in a long haul harbour race. Start time will once again be 10am. The course will be set to hope-fully finish around 3 to 4pm

The organisers are hoping for fair winds, a record fleet of Marauders and some great racing.

The event welcomes Graeme Coutts Associates as the name sponsor the 2007 Marauder Championship. The association has been very pleased with the generosity shown by prize sponsors for this years regatta. Prizes have been donated to date by, Hella New Zealand Ltd, Dixon Marine Products, The Auckland International Boat Show, Safety at Sea, Ameron New Zealand, Fishing Essentials and Donaghys Industries.

Entries close on the 26th February,but late entries will be taken until the 1st March
For further details and entry forms contact

Ivan Berry
National Championship Race Secretary
MARAUDER 8.4 OWNERS ASSOCIATION
P.o.Box 91604, A.M.C. Victoria Street, Auckland, New Zealand.
Phone/fax (09) 817 5031 or 027 278 2634
e-mail. ifj@clear.net.nz


More images from the 2006 Marauder Nationals