Hydroflow leads monohulls home in 2002 Aircalin Auckland to Noumea race

by Rob Kothe on 30 May 2002 This morning at 05:59:17 the New Zealand sloop Hydroflow, better know in Australia as Bartercard crossed the finish line in the 2002 Aircalin Auckland to Noumea race. Maverick II finished at 6:40:44 and Systems Thunder was less than 4 minutes behind her at 06:44:30

Fading winds in the second half of the race slowed the fleet which had been on record pace. Hydroflow was more than 3 hours outside Pretty Boy Floyd's race record time set in 1992 of 4d:12h:14m:19sec

Its been another very successful season for the Red Headed crew on Hydroflow

In 1999 Hydroflow was extended from 49 feet to 52 feet and then again competed in the around the North Island two handed with Ron Brittain as skipper and Wayne Mills as crew and won every leg on line and handicap
2001 saw her compete in the Auckland To Fiji race once again and took line honours from Starlight Express

In 2002 she took line honours in division one of around the North Island Sir Peter Blake Memorial two handed race.

Now painted red, her owner Ron Brittain thinks its a faster colour.

The 2002 Auckland to Noumea crew was Don West, Wayne Mills, Tomoko Terekawa, Neil Hilder, Rodney Keenan, Brett Mullan, Brett Grey and Brad Marsh.

At the 06:40 NZ time Royal Akarana Yacht Club sked Jive Talkin’ was leading the ORC division from Starlight Express, Rapport leads the PHRF division and Sabian the Shorthanded and Mustang Sally the Cruising Division.

During the race, Sail-World.com is providing up-to-date news, mid-race radio sked positions of the boats on a chart, progressive handicap positions, distances to the finish line as well as computed estimated times of arrival for each competing boat.

Sail-world is using the internationally accepted method of providing progressive handicap positions mid-race, which rely on a computerised forecast of each boats finishing time over the 983 mile course. But of course the only thing that really matters is the finish time, which decides the silverware.

The full sked are available at
http://www.sail-world.com/aucklandtonoumea/index.cfm?SRSID=41
Additional race information will be available on www.rayc.org.nz