AROUND NORTH ISLAND
By the time you read this a 38-strong fleet will be fighting for the lead in this year’s iconic SSANZ Round North Island Race – a 1300nm dash split across four legs.
The race started in Auckland on February 22 and is expected to take two weeks to complete. The first leg is from Auckland to Mangonui in the far north (154nm). Leg 2 is from Mangonui to Wellington (550nm), Leg 3 from Wellington to Napier (200nm), with the final leg from Napier returning to Auckland (367nm).
This year’s race – its 13th edition – is sponsored by Evolution Sails and the 38 yachts range from 28 to 52 feet in length. The inaugural event (43 years ago) was planned by Sir Peter Blake and Martin Foster.
Division 1 includes Wired, a Bakewell-White 15.85, Kia Kaha, a TP52, Miss Scarlet, a Reichel-Pugh IRC52, Blink, a Shaw 12, Mr Kite, a Cape 40, Anarchy, a BW40 and Relapse, a Young 50. This all-star division features family combinations including father and daughter Chris Hornell and Rebecca Gmuer-Hornell on Kia Kaha, father and son combinations AJ and Will Reid on Anarchy and Mark and Ash Edwards on Relapse.
Division 2 has Clockwork, a Bakewell-White 37, and Titanium and Serena, both Thompson 38s, Deep Throttle, a Shaw 9, Krakatoa II, a Pogo 40, Higher Ground, a Ross 10.66, Activator, a Hauraki 45, Laissez-Faire II, a Beneteau First 47.7, and Satellite Spy and Urban Cowboy, both Ross 40s.
Division 3 has Motorboat II, an Elliott 10.5, Atamai, a Beneteau First 44.7, Odyssey V, a Young 12, The Guarantee, a Ross 1066, Katana, a Sunfast 3600, Truxton, a Tiller 35, Waka, a Thompson 850 and a massive Elliott 1050 representation with Gale Force, High Voltage, Sniper and Kick.
Division 4 has numerous Bruce Farr Designs including Coppelia and Arbitre, both Farr 11.6s, Duty Free, a Farr 1220, Fifth Dimension, a Beneteau First 36.7 and Distraction, a Farr 1020. Also, in this division, we have Am Meer, a Bavaria 38, Start Me Up, a Ross 930, Pelagian II, a Stewart 34 and the fleet’s two smallest boats, C U Later, a Ross 8m and Moving Violation, an Elliott 7.9m.
The youngest competitors in the race are Ben Beasley (19) and Nick Gardiner (20), sailing on Moving Violation (above).
Beasley and Gardner are raising funds for Lifeline as part of their adventure. “New Zealand has a very high suicide rate,” says Beasley, “and I personally have known people with depression who have taken their own lives. With Lifeline there is always a person on the phone that you can talk to confidentially and I think it’s important people are aware of this.”
Supporters will be able to follow the race through the YB Trackers on each boat and via the SSANZ Facebook and Instagram Accounts.
