Kiwi offshore racers battle tough conditions

by Kate Gordon on 5 Apr 2009 One of the largest crowds to ever attend an offshore race was treated to plenty of action when the when the Rayglass New Zealand Offshore championship boats clashed during the Festival of Speed at Whitianga last weekend.

For the first time this season, five Superboats lined up for the 100-mile event, with ‘Sleepyhead’ (Wayne Carson and Craig Archer) and ‘Profloors’ (Wayne Valder and Richard Shores) joined regular contenders ‘Fairview Windows and Doors’, Cure Kids’ and ‘A1 Homes’.

The forecast five-knots of wind blew out to 20 to 25-knots according to Rayglass New Zealand Offshore championships race commentator Jamie McCarthy.

'With a 2.0-metre swell, he course was choppy close in shore and all said it was lumpy further out in the bay, creating very challenging conditions for all competitors,' he said.

The tough conditions led to two Superboats and all three Superboat Lite entrants failing to finish.

Ted Taiatini and Warren Lewis, aboard ‘Fairview Windows and Doors’ were eventually declared victors in the 100-mile event, but only after a protest meeting following an on-water ‘incident’ between it and ‘Cure Kids.’

‘Fairview’ and ‘Cure Kids’ challenged each other for the lead several times.

‘Cure Kids’ took the lead at one stage, but as the race drew close to the finish, ‘Fairview’ took command.

‘Sleepyhead’ wads forced out on lap four with manifold problems, leaving ‘Profloors’ holding third spot, but on the final lap its engine overheated forcing a premature retirement and gifting third place to ‘A1 Homes.’

‘Rayglass, Kelly Smith and father Grant aboard, defending Superboat Lite champions and current class leader, registered a DNF when the boat ‘submarined’ and lost the canopy of co-driver Grant Smith.

Kelly tried to maintain the pace, but then lost one engine and a gearbox on the second engine to end a day to remember, for all the wrong reasons!

The remaining two Superboat Lite entrants, ‘Doosan’ and ‘Barracuda Kayaks’ were both forced out with engine problems.

On reflection, perhaps they were luckier than 60-Miler and series leader Greg Brinck and Eldon Archer aboard the Force boat, Konica Minolta’.

They did not even make it to the start line!

'Heading to the start we caught a wave awkwardly and the boat broached,' Brinck explained.

'We were really lucky it was not a lot worse; we nearly lost our new Evinrude engine and I’ve ended up with two broken ribs,' he added.

‘Holsam’, Mike Cameron and Duncan Field at the controls of the Classic Class boat, took out the 60-Mile event.

The Super 60 entrant, ‘Expresso Engineers’ and the Formula Honda class boat ‘Building Solutions’ made a real race of it before the larger Classic boat consolidated its lead and claimed victory.

Formula Honda entrants, ‘Auckland District Collections #2’ and ‘Electropar’ wrapped up the top five in the 60-Mile event.

Championship points are still being collated.

The Rayglass New Zealand Offshore championship heads to a new venue after Easter with the boats doing battle on April 18 from the Marsden Cove Marina outside Whangarei.

May 2 sees the final round on Auckland Harbour.