| From NZ350 Mervyn Hurley |
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The North Island Land Yachting Championships, a major New Zealand event, was staged by host club, the Auckland Land Yacht Club, in New Zealand over the weekend of September 15 and 16.
The two-day regatta was originally to be held at Kariotahi Beach, a west coast beach 40-minutes to the south west of Auckland city, commencing on Saturday but because of wind conditions was moved to Orewa Beach about 20 minutes drive north-east of Auckland city.
Orewa Beach taken from atop the cliff at the northern end of the beach. This photo, taken earlier in the year by Geoff Hall, shows even in summer and on a reasonably warm day how the beach often retains water. With the rain that fell overnight on Friday and all day Saturday for the first day's racing, pilots were well and truly drenched. Click photo for larger view.
With north-easterlies winds blowing all week and the prospect of them continuing at least into Saturday, the Auckland club made a decision on Friday evening to move the regatta to the east coast beach. The first day's racing got underway at 10.30am on the short and very wet Orewa Beach. A good north to nor'easter of 25 knots (Force 6 or 28mph) was blowing but rain has been falling steadily since mid-morning after overnight showers. With rain the flat beach holds considerable pools of shallow water and makes sailing interesting - Kiwis are far from used to water-covered or rough beaches unlike our European landsailing cousins.
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| NORTH ISLAND CHAMPS REPORT |
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From Geoff Hall |
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SATURDAY at Orewa Beach (East Coast):
It was WET with lots of wind. Bill Nairn dominated the Class 3 racing with Roy Cunningham winning one of the five races.
Television 3 had a cameraman at Orewa who soon came over to us and started filming (Bill was the focus of his camera) and Auckland club President Karla Mason had a interview with them talking about the North Island Champs and landyachting in general. It featured on the 6pm news on TV3 on Saturday evening.
David Grace from Napier has purchased Darren Luagesen's Class 3 Sanderling. David, who is sailing with the Auckland club saill number NZ300, had a great day Saturday and is coming to grips with the yacht each time he takes it out.
The c5s were dominated by Colin Palmer in his white and blue IMAC YOTT with Mike Nairn in a borrowed yacht - he was sailing Jason Augustin's IMAC Fed 5 - close behind and then Kevin Lord (NZ327) in the former Mark Wooding "Hawk". Fourth place was auckland club president, Karla Mason in her Seagull NZ021 followed by a stray dog (fifth), and then yours truly in Matt Hemingway's old Yorker YOTT NZ354.
SUNDAY at Kariotahi Beach (West Coast):
A nice day weather-wise but no wind - 2-4 knots all day. Everyone spent the day chatting away, playing frizbee, or just exploring the hills behind the beach. At the end of the day the wind picked up and the c3s got underway with a race that was taken out by Colin.
CLASS 3
Bill Nairn NZ312 (CP-design) 1
Roy Cunningham (Sanderling) 2
Colin Palmer NZ301 (CP-design) 3
CLASS 5
Colin Palmer NZ301 (IMAC YOTT) 1
Mike Nairn (IMAC Fed 5) 2
Kevin Lord NZ327 (Hawk) 3
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IMAGES FROM DAY ONE AT OREWA BEACH
Click on photo for larger image. |
Bill Nairn in NZ312 has the legs on arch-rival Colin Palmer.
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The man himself, Colin Palmer played tag with Bill Nairn all day.
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PACRIM World Cup Classic Champion Alan Elliott dragging his feet in the wet.
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The Yellow Peril not doing so well... Bill Hayward didn't have a good day.
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Ken Teeboon in his blue monolith gives Bill Hayward the hurry up.
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Alan Elliott and David Grace battle it out.
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All the yachts lined up off the wet beach before racing.
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This shot of the Class 3 fleet shows a very wet beach.
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Karla Mason acting as "anchorwoman" for the TV3 film crew.
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Colin Palmer had more success in c5 with his IMAC YOTT.
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Kerry Lord in his Hawk had one of his best days on the beach.
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Michael Nairn in a borrowed Fed 5 showed there's still life in the older yachts when he claimed second overall.
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