Coutts and Kitchen win OKI 24 Hour Race

by Christine Meads on 18 Mar 2007
Matt Coutts and Chris Kitchen were victorious today (18 March) after sailing their boat Candida Stationery through to become the overall winners in the OKI 24 Hour Yacht Race.

Winners in the Women’s Class were Jo Aleh, Olivia Powrie and Miranda Powrie sailing Fisher & Paykel. Andy Maloney and Blair Tuke picked up first place in the Youth Class sailing C4, while Mike Keeton and Scott Leith were the winners of the Masters Class sailing Canam Construction.

Run by the Murrays Bay Sailing Club the OKI 24 Hour Race, which began yesterday [17 March] on Lake Pupuke and finished today [18 March] is an endurance sailing event that tests the limits of competitors’ stamina and sailing ability. The race required competing teams to sail non-stop throughout the night in rotating shifts for a period of 24 hours in Laser class boats.

Murrays Bay Sailing Club Vice Commodore, Owen Rutter, said today’s breezes were the strongest there had been during the Race in the last three years.

'We went from 3 knot winds right through to 30 knot gusts which resulted in the retirement of five yachts due to damage.'

He said while the race is a serious endurance event, it was also a great event for both participants and spectators alike.

'The Race got underway with competitors running down the banks of Lake Pupuke in a Le Mans style start jumping into their boats,' Owen said.

'Under the Race rules, each team member was able to sail for a maximum of three hours before they were required to rest for a minimum of one hour.

'Crew members embarked and disembarked from their yachts from a pontoon positioned on the Lake. Ultimately, the winning teams were the ones that completed the most number of laps within the 24-hour period.'

Full list of winners

Overall Winner

Matt Coutts & Chris Kitchen sailing Candida Stationery


Open Class


1) Matt Coutts & Chris Kitchen sailing Candida Stationery
2) Matt Blakey & Jason Geale sailing Takapuna Sailing Centre
3) Aaron Hume-Merry & Blair Mclay sailing Carters

Women’s Class


1) Jo Aleh, Olivia Powrie & Miranda Powrie sailing Fisher & Paykel
2) Kelly Barnes & Aevril Hibbard sailing Line 7 Marine


Youth Class

1) Andy Maloney & Blair Tuke sailing C4
2) Lloyd Andrews & Max Andrews sailing Adams Steel Guard
3) James Sandal & Josh Junior sailing Adhesive Technologies

Masters’ Class


1) Mike Keeton & Scott Leith sailing Canam Construction
2) Sefton Powrie & Jim Maloney sailing NZI Marine