Robertson wins Lipton Cup
by Richard Gladwell, Sail-World.com on 14 Mar 2009
Orion II (L-53) heads for the first mark at Stanley Point in the 2009 Lipton Cup Richard Gladwell
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The 88th Lipton Cup was sailed from Ponsonby Cruising Club, in the face of a wind warning and with four times winner Jim Mackay, trying for his fifth successive win.
The New Zealand Lipton Cup is contested in 22ft mullet boats - the original fishing workboat of the Hauraki Gulf dating back to 1840, originally sailed by a man and a boy and easily able to fish the shallow areas and estuaries of the area.
They then converted to racing boats of sizes from 18 to 26ft, with the most popular being the L-class for 22ft mullet boats. These contest the Lipton Cup.
Today's event started in a light easterly breeze with the fleet starting off the seawall at Westhaven, doing a short beat up to a mark off Stanley Point, before running down the harbour and then doing an outer harbour course. The breeze increased to around 20kts before easing.
Today's race was won by the Martin Robertson owned (Orion II), with winner of the event, for the last four years, Jim Mackay (Tamarau) second after leading for the early stages of the race. Third home was Scullet (Richard Blatch).
Taotane (L-38) was the only gaff rigged mullet boat competing today, she has been re-rigged in the original style and carries a massive sail area. Taotane won her first Lipton Cup in 1940, 1953, 1954, 1955 1957, 1966 and 1970, having been launched in 1939. She also was the mould for the fibreglass edition of the class.
Ten boats contested the event.
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