ROUND RANGITOTO ISLAND CLASSIC RACE & BBQ
Saturday was a first (in a long time) on the classic launch scene – we had a launch race around Rangitoto (+ Motutapu) , now a race is not that unusual , but female skippers only (helms person) is – the winning skipper on Kumi would have failed a chromosome test but the race committee (Jason Prew) was swayed by the skippers attire 🙂
The post race BBQ at Islington Bay proved more popular than the race and 11 woodys dropped anchor in the bay for the BBQ. We all tend to forget about this location, great sunsets and easy anchorage. Cool video of My Girl sliding back down the harbour at dusk. On route I caught the tail-end charlies in the yacht fleet who also raced around the island – photos below.
A question – if you’re a large A-Class gaffer (no names but its painted black) and you constantly finish at the back of the fleet, as you did again on Saturday, why would you sail so close to a mark that you hit it? The rules say you are out of the race for that – BUT what makes it worse is when the mark is a classic launch and it is the finish boat, and all the yacht crew do is laugh 😦 The invoice for repairs will be in the mail. Yachties wonder why launch owners do not put their hand up when asked to perform this task, I suspect they will struggle even more for ‘volunteers’ in the future 🙂
UPDATE– Combine the above with another A-Class yacht (no Prize for guessing which one it was) colliding (yacht in the wrong) with a very large classic launch at Mahurangi and the yacht skippers / crew post collision arrogance – the CYA maybe needs to have a wee chat re rules and manners. Just because your are a classic yacht you don’t get any special privileges 😉
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Oh dear it sounds as if the crew of the offending vessel did not read the course sheet , and if no other boat forced them into the finish boat they need to have a whip round and apologize
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4. Give way when overtaking
If you approach another vessel in a 135° sector at its stern, you are considered to be overtaking and must give way.
https://www.maritimenz.govt.nz/recreational/rules/default.asp
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https://www.maritimenz.govt.nz/recreational/rules/default.asp
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Don, not being able to handle a large yot is not an excuse to go hitting other vessels. If you can’t hack it, stay off the water until you can.
Apologising after you’ve hit someone is the bare minimum.
Such barefaced arrogance !
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If you do a boat handling course, you will know the Rules of the Road pertaining to vessels.
Google it please.
https://www.maritimenz.govt.nz/recreational/rules/default.asp (added. AH)
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Hey Don, Appreciate these boats can be a handful but in 25 years sailing gaffers I have never sconed a finish boat. (I might be guilty of plonking the boom on coronas cabin top…..once or twice)
I can’t see how any of the comments on this page have made sailing or skippering any harder. In this instance it was down wind in 7 knots of breeze. The sailing instructions state, “Finish Line: A Line from Otahuhu Point (Motutapu Island) and the Vessel flying CYA flag. (14nm)”
The first mistake made was approaching the finish and going to wrong side of the finish boat, the second was realising your mistake and doing a last minute hard turn to stb to cross the finish, the 3rd was dragging your boom across the foredeck of said finish boat. The 4th, having your crew laugh and not apologise straight away. Not only bad seamanship, but bad sportsmanship.
The finish boat counts as a mark so at the very least a penalty turn should have been done.
I accept that it’s a steep learning curve, but the 6 P’s apply here.
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I was not on board but the Big Black Boat is a serious handful. It’s full length keel gives it a deceptively large turning radius. The very long boom requires large lateral clearances especially when gybing. A requirement to have to change over backstays to keep the mast aloft before going about or gybing reduces the ability for any fast evasive manoevres. She can be a handful to even the most experienced skippers. Anchoring is another challenge limiting shore excursions. The usual skipper was not onboard for that event. Finding alternative skippers capable and willing to take this boat on is a real challenge, but necessary if she is to continue to appear racing regularily.
This challenge of bringing forward more skippers is regrettably is made harder by comments such as made in this post.
Nobody ever likes contact between such beautiful craft, but with such challenging craft this can regrettably occur even when with very experienced skippers.
Don Robertson.
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For the most part the finishing yacht crews waved and thanked the (anchored) finish boat, it’s now 48 hours with no contact from the offending vessel. Mildly disappointed I have to say…. Sail has no right of way over an anchored finish boat. (lol hang on i’ll just move the line so you can finish where you want……. not)
There was an open invite to join the launches for an after race BBQ, the flyer was included with the yacht race amendments, of which there was a few. I also invited some yachts personally. I understand having a foot in both camps that having large crews, no dinghies and a need to get back hinders participation in shore based events.
The incident Nate refers to was totally unacceptable and really hacked me off also. I fondly remember a previous year it was a bit wet and we had 30+ people (yachties and launchies) crammed into the cockpit of a rather large launch judging and eating cake. Next year the old Cake day will be back, the keg part probably won’t reappear 🙂
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Could someone show me the section in the Collision Regulations which refers to ‘right of way’? I have always understood there is a ‘stand on’ vessel and a ‘give way’ vessel. But never one with a ‘right of way’. All vessels must take action to avoid a collision.
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Dear 021 222- What a crock. As everyone knows, the Round Rangi race used to be a Cake day as well. Shore based camaraderie with judging and bbq etc. Over a couple of years, attendance dwindled. The last time this was held, Jason and I organised the bbq ashore, prizes for cakes etc(by general committee) as usual. The yacht crews who did come into the bay decided carte blanche not to come ashore for what we had organised, and instead stayed aboard for the afternoon to drink and then sail home. We felt this as the height of rudeness and were happy when the same sailors shut the event down thereafter due to lack of attendance.
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Thanks for amending my post, I agree with you. I have seen many sail boats decide to re-write the rule book in their favour.
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Classic boats …be it either launches or keelers must respect each other and support each other. , not bicker . On another note when ever we completed a race we always, always thanked the finishing boat for their time…and sometimes patience. I trust that continues today. A little thanyou and smile goes a long way.
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Just received a txt message re todays story “Why don’t you pull your f_ _ _ ing head in and not publicise these yacht ‘v’ launch events”
Well 021 222 XXXX, I assume you are crew, as your number doesn’t pop up on my extensive database – whether you like it or not – one of WW’s roles is to report issues on the classic woody boating scene. If WW didn’t raise it – nothing would ever change 🙂
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Sail has right-of-way over power, but not when the ail is arrogantly-ignorant
Not when
1. In the first incident – there was not a square inch of sail hoisted
2. In the 2nd incident – the finish boat was anchored
AH
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Great bbq thanks Jase! Surprisingly excellent choice of location as well- easy dinghy row-in and good grassy area for mixing mingling.
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If the A class keeler mentioned in this mornings stories is an example of their behaviour at sea, no wonder no one turns up for AAR
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