Yacht race round N.Z.

Press, 30 June 1982, Page 25

Yacht race round N.Z.

The organisers of the first circumnavigation of NewZealand in a yacht race were heartened when a sponsorship agreement was reached in Auckland earlier this week.

CRC Chemicals have undertaken to back the Round New Zealand Yacht Race, which starts from Auckland on December 26.

Mr. Gil Hedges, the commodore of the organising Royal .Akarana Yacht Club, and the race director. Mr Warwick Walker, earlier this year visited each of the five ports of call for the six-leg race, and found overwhelming enthusiasm from yacht clubs which will host the race fleet in each centre. The race wil] be conducted under both lOR and PHRF handicap systems, with, minimum ratings of 25.5 ft tor lOR and 26ft for PHRF. A maximum rating of 70ft applies to both sections.

In addition to current rating certificates for either or both handicap systems, yachts must also comply with NZYF category 1 safety regulations.

Yachts may enter for one or more of the stages, although only those craft entering all six will be eligible tor over-all prizes.

The event will be broken into the following stages:— Leg 1: Auckland to Gisborne. about 500 km. Starting from Orakei Wharf December 26.

Leg 2: Gisborne to Wellington. about 440 km. Starting January 1. Leg 3: Wellington to Lyttelton. about 320 km. Starting Januarv 6.

Leg 4; Lyttelton to Stewart Island, about 480 km. Starting January 10.

Leg 5: Stewart Island to Nelson, about 900 km. Starting January 17. Leg 6: Nelson to Auckland, about 1030 km. Starting January 25. Re-start times have been planned so that even the smallest yachts will have a reasonable break in port after each stage, and stage prizes will be awarded dur-

ing the stopovers. The event is being run under the auspices of the Royal Akarana club in conjunction with the Gisborne. Royal Port Nicholson. Banks Peninsula and Nelson clubs. The Green Point Yacht Club from Bluff will assist with finishing and re-starting the yachts at Stewart Island. At least 20 yachts are expected to contest the whole race, with this number being increased on the various stages by those which are contesting only individual legs. The CRC Round New Zealand Yacht Race will not be an event for hopeful beginners. Mr Walker said that experienced crews will be essential for an event which will vary from the sub-tropi-cal regions of the northernmost part of New Zealand, down to the Roaring Forties latitudes around Stewart Island. '"Both the Stewart Island to Nelson, and Nelson to Auckland legs will be really testing for both yachts and crews." Mr Walker said. "At about 1000 km each, both can rightly be termed yacht racing classics in the true sense of the word. "From Stewart Island to Nelson, the fleet will round the notorious Pusiger Point before racing up the rugged west coast of the South Island." he said.

"However, the longest leg. from Nelson to Auckland, starts off into the Cook Strait waters which have their own reputation for toughness, before heading for the far north, and back down the Northland-Auckland coast." he said. "As we know from past experience, that leg can be expected to produce almost every variation of racing conditions, and at 1030 km. it is only a few hundred kilometres short of some races to the Pacific Islands."

Entries officially close on October 31. but late entries may be accepted up to November 20 at the discretion of the Royal Akarana club. .