P Class: PredictWind Tauranga Cup - Pressure goes on - Day 1
by Richard Gladwell, Sail-World.com/nz 7 Jan 01:38 PST
PredictWind Tanner and Centenary Cup - Day 2 - January 5, 29026 - Kohimarama Yacht Club.ive Sail Die © Suellen Hurling / Live Sail Die for PredictWind
The Waitemata Harbour's typical sou'southwesterly provided a good test for the 38 sailors contesting the first day of racing at the PredictWind Tauranga Cup.
In contrast to the light northerly breezes that prevailed for the Tanner Cup, the wind settled in early in the day and then freshened throughout the three races sailed off Kohimarama Yacht Club.
Blake Batten (Murrays Bay SC) bounced back from a fifth in the Tanner Cup, which concluded on Tuesday won the last two races of the day and finished fourth in the first race. He tops the overnight leaderboard, leading Hamish Brown (Wakatere BC) by just 2pts. Brown also had a consistent day scoring two second places in Races 1 and 3, and a fourth in the second race of the day.
Lauchy Wills (Howick Sailing Club), fresh from finishing second overall in the Tanner Cup lies in third place on the overnight points table. He also repeated his places, scoring two third places separated by a 10th in Race 2.
The leaderboard places are calculated on the basis of total points only at this stage, the discard of a worst place can only take place after five races of the nine scheduled have been completed.
Zofia Wells (Glendowie BC), winner of the Tanner Cup on Tuesday, will be hoping that the discard will kick in, after she broke her mast in race 2, and had to be towed ashore, a new rig fitted and then she re-joined the fleet. She got off to a good start, winning the opening race, and was fifth in Race 3.
Generally in a fleet of this size a 5th place is considered to be a "counter".
However the more serious aspect of the day for those lower than third on the leaderboard, excepting Zofia Wells, is the points differential that has opened already between the top three over all and the peloton.
That puts the pressure on those who aspire for a place on the podium on Friday, to put up some good placings on Thursday to shore up a good points score going into the three races on the final day.
Zofia Wells will have repeat the consistency that won her the Tauranga Cup earlier in the week.
The fine weather that the anti-cyclone has brought to Auckland is forecast to continue, with the next two days racing expected to be sailed in SW breezes gusting to 25kts on both days.
For full results: www.sailwave.com/results/KYC/PClassTanner&CentenaryCup2026.htm
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