Auckland Tauranga Yacht Race pushes ahead with entries still open

Auckland Tauranga Race starts on Thursday (cruising) and Friday (racing) - March 24-25, 2022 © TYPBC

The Tauranga Yachting and Power Boating Club (TYPBC) is pushing ahead to host the 2022 Auckland to Tauranga Yacht Race, set to start on Thursday 24th March for the cruisers, and Friday 25th March for the racing division.

The historic race was first hosted in 1921 and was won by "Waione" (CF McWilliam), with the "Restless" coming in second.

Since then, the race has gone from strength to strength, attracting a range of boats from single handed, shorthanded to fully crewed.

The course is straightforward, but does offer plenty of passing lanes. Starting off Westhaven Marina, the fleet will then head east to Channel Island rounding her to starboard, then straight to the finish line off the Tauranga Port "A Beacon".

Due to the current Covid situation racing will be kept as contactless as possible. However that doesn't mean that the fun is taken away! Every boat that crosses the finish line will be eligible for a kindly donated spot prize. B&G, through Promarine TGA, have donated a 9" Zeus Chartplotter as a spot prize for boats that complete the race. This is cutting edge equipment and makes entering extremely worthwhile.

At this stage TYPBC have committed to an online briefing and prize-giving, however if it possible to make an in person prize-giving happen, then all of the competitors will be advised. The current climate has its challenges, so these online options have been put in place to ensure the race isn't put in jeopardy.

To-date there are 21 entries with more entries due in over the next few days. TYPBC are aiming for 30 boats on the start line, so if a team is planning on entering, then the organisers are encouraging those to enter before the cut-off date.

All race information for those keen to enter are located on the official race website - www.a2t.nz. Entries close on the 18th of March. For those that like to plan ahead, the sailing instructions are already available on the website.

The legendary TYPBC hospitality will be provided at the finish and 50 free marina berths have been arranged (up to 14m) for seven days upon arrival through the Tauranga Bridge Marina. In addition to this, the club has arranged for a support boat to be on station to assist with berthing at the marinas.

Bridge Marina Travelift has some maintenance slots available so if you're due for an antifoul or haul-out, then do the race, and then have an overhaul! Spaces for this are filling fast, so if you're keen, just quote "A2T" when you book.

This event could not go ahead without the amazing support from sponsors such as, Altex Yacht & Boat Paint as well as many others. PredictWind tracking will be operating so that friends, family and virtual spectators can follow the race progress. A special shout out to Neil Hilder from SSANZ for his help and the use of some really neat race management technology.

The Auckland to Tauranga Race is one of the oldest yacht races in New Zealand and events like this rely on people getting involved to keep them going. So let's try to get as many boats out there as possible and make it a memorable one!

Those interested in entering are encouraged to do so via the online portal via www.a2t.nz