Three boats yet to finish Leg 2 Round North Island Race

by Sarah Ell, SSANZ Media on 24 Feb 2011
A tough southerly, couple with a big swell from Cyclone Atu has created problems for some of the Two Man Round North Island Race fleet. A total of 15 yachts have withdrawn from the second leg .

There are now just three boats left to finish the second leg in Wellington.

For full results http://www.ssanz.co.nz/news.html?id=271!click_here

26 Feb 2011

The canting keel Elliott 9m 'Overload' has experienced keel issues this morning. The control mechanism for the keel failed but the crew have since managed to restrain and secure the keel. The yacht is now under motor and storm jib and the crew are all ok. Maritime Radio is continuing to monitor the situation.

'Caro Vita' has just advised they have resumed heading towards Wellington.

26 Feb 2011

Shaw 9 Karma Police has finished the second leg of the SSANZ Round the North Island two-handed race, crossing the line under double-reefed main and storm jib. Karma Police finished around 12pm, after a wild night in Cook Straight in a 40 knot southerly.

26 Feb 2011

Bird on the Wing finished Leg 2 from Mangonui to Wellington at 09:49:44

A wet and tired crew were very happy to be see the dock !

Karma Police has radioed in at Sinclair Head so won't be long until they finish too.

For the latest position report and situation on each yacht http://www.ssanz.co.nz/news.html?id=262!click_here

8am Saturday 26 February 2011

Seven more yachts have withdrawn from the second leg of the SSANZ Round the North Island two-handed race, after a night of 40 knot southerly winds. Young 11 Fineline has dismasted and is heading for Stephens Island, while Bon Chanse, Caro Vita, Fiction (which has keel problems), Ilex and Mix T Motions are all heading for shelter in New Plymouth. Clear Vision is heading for Port Hardy on D’Urville Island for shelter.

Beneteau 47.7 Surreal has some rudder damage after hitting a whale but is continuing to Wellington.

Race director David Cooke says many of the crews who have withdrawn are tired and need a rest after nearly five days on the wind in rough seas.

Only two boats have finished the leg: Akatea, which finished around 3pm yesterday, and M1, which finished at 21.41 last night. The next finisher is expected to be Beneteau 50 Bird on the Wing, followed by Second Nature and Karma Police.

Both Laissez Faire and Second Nature have reported engine problems and will require a tow once finished the leg in Wellington.

A gale warning is still in force for the Cook Marine area, with the southerly forecast to abate to 20 knots this morning.

Seven other yachts have previously withdrawn from this leg: Danaide, which withdrew with steering and rudder problems, is sheltering in Whangamumu and heading back to Auckland; Zen retired due to injury and has arrived in New Plymouth; Mr Roosevelt, which was dismasted and has been towed to Manakau across the bar; Andar, which had keel problems and is now in New Plymouth; Truxton, which has an injured crewmember but not serious, and is now in New Plymouth; and The Night Train, which is returning to Auckland after suffering hull damage.

25 Feb 2011

Akatea ghosted into Wellington Harbour to finish the second leg of the SSANZ Round North Island race well ahead of its competition, around 3pm today.

After a fast ride down the Kapiti coast, Akatea sat becalmed off Point Jerningham in Wellington Harbour for about half an hour before picking up the lightest of breezes and crossing the finish line.

The second-place boat, M1, is expected later tonight but the fleet is well spread out down the west coast, with the backmarkers still off Raglan.

24 Feb 2011

Two more boats have withdrawn from the second leg of the SSANZ Round the North Island race: Open 50 Andar, which has keel damage, and Truxton, which has an injured crewmember. Both yachts are motoring towards New Plymouth, and should arrive there around midday tomorrow. Truxton also has power issues and has been communicating by relay through Andar.

The forecast is for continued 20 knot southwesterlies, with the northerly swell generated by Cyclone Atu abating, but a southwesterly swell of 2m continuing.

At the 6.30pm sched tonight, the leading yacht, Akatea, was northwest of New Plymouth, and is due in Wellington early Saturday morning. Further north and east were M1 and, further inshore again, Karma Police. The backmarkers of the fleet are still off the Northland coast, however.

24 Feb 2011

8am

Davidson 42 Mr Roosevelt has lost her rig on the second leg of the Round North Island race, and is heading for New Plymouth under motor. This is the fourth boat to withdraw this leg, after Danaide pulled out yesterday afternoon with steering problems, and Zen, The Night Train and Gale Force withdrew earlier. The latter three boats are heading back around North Cape to Mangonui. All crews are safe and well, however.

Also experiencing some issues but continuing in the race is Beneteau 14.5 Laissez Faire, which reported some damage to a hatch and had taken on some water. However, they reported they had the situation under control and would continue racing.

Wind and sea conditions are forecast to moderate today for the remaining boats, but it will remain a headwind. 'It looks as if the further south they go, the lighter it will get,' says race director David Cooke.

Still in the lead is Cookson 50 Akatea, but even she is making slow progress, not much further south than off the Manukau entrance. Ross 45 M1 is second, approximately 20 miles astern, with Shaw 9 Karma Police about 11 miles further back. Yesterday evening Karma Police reported winds of 15-20 knots on the nose and moderate seas.

The backmarkers are still off the Hokianga Harbour.

At their current rate of progress, Akatea will reach Wellington late Friday or early Saturday.

23 Feb 2011

9.30am

The Round North Island two-handed fleet are mostly around Cape Reinga and heading for Wellington, into a forecast 15 knot southerly, rising to southeast 25 knots this afternoon. The outlook is for winds from the southerly quarter for the rest of the week, meaning it could be a long upwind leg.

Leading the fleet at the 6.30am sched was Akatea, nearly off the entrance to the Hokianga, followed by M1 and Karma Police. M1 has taken a more offshore course than Akatea and Karma Police.

Among the smaller boats, Edlin 8 Mix T Motions was off Cape Reinga at 9.30pm.

The first boats are expected in Wellington late Friday or early Saturday.

23 Feb 2011

Rough seas off the west coast of the North Island have caused two yachts in the SSANZ Round North Island two-handed fleet to turn back, on the longest leg from Mangonui to Wellington.

Zen, a Bakewell White 35, has withdrawn from the race after crewman Mark Winters injured his back, and the team aboard Elliott 1050 Gale Force (David Mason and Cameron Thorpe) has told race organisers they are heading for shelter from the rough seas.

Zen is returning to Mangonui, and Gale Force may also have to go back around Cape Reinga, as there are no easily accessible safe harbours on the west coast. At the 6.30am sched this morning both Zen and Gale Force were both a few miles south of the cape.

The forecast for the Kaipara sea area in which the yachts are racing was for seas becoming rough for a time, with a northerly swell rising to 4 metres for a time north of Cape Reinga and a southwest swell of 3 metres easing. The swell is not expected to subside for several days.

The remaining 35 yachts are currently on the wind, heading down the North Island west coast. At the 6.30am sched, Cookson 50 Akatea was in the lead, followed by M1 and Karma Police. The lead yachts are currently off the Hokianga, with the tail enders off Ninety Mile Beach. The first yachts are expected in Wellington late Friday or early Saturday.

23 Feb 2011

At 1516 hrs The Night Train/ZM2850 informed radio control in Wellington that they were pulling out of the Round North Island two-handed race. Farr 46 The Night Train, sailed by Mike McDermot and David Molen and based at Kapiti, had sprung a leak and was returning to Mangonui, ETA unknown. Both crewmen were well and no assistance was required.

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