Tanner Cup under way in Napier

by Nickolas Radovanovic on 2 Jan 2011
A 5 knot northeasterly for the first race built up to 12 knots swinging more eastward for the next two races and then faded again on the last race of the day. The sea provided a moderate chop which increased and eased with the breeze.

Hawke's Bay fittingly took out the first race as local hero, Michael Hayton, showed a willingness to back himself from the start. That advantage was lost in the second race however, when Hayton, challenging Bay Of Plenty's Trent Rippey for the lead, somehow managed to momentarily lose his boat.

Race Three was again Bay Of Plenty's with Waikato second and Hawke's Bay third and already a three horse race began to develop.

The threesome were again scrapping it out in Race Four and Hawke's Bay was leading round the bottom mark for the last time when Hayton found himself in a bit of a dilemma as to who to cover. Choosing to cover Rippey gave Waikato's 13 year old Isaac McHardie the opportunity to slip past them both for Waikato's first win and the lead in the competition.

Canterbury's Charlotte Corston managed to keep up her pattern of improving by one place with each race by passing Rippey to take third and keep Canterbury in the hunt.

Also showing consistency and keeping in touch with the leaders is Wellington's Nick Thyne.

Full results http://www.pandstarling.org.nz!click_here