Kerikeri Cruising Club

Goodyear Auto Service Centre Rum Race 3

    Click here to see race results. 

A mirror calm greeted the 24 starters in the Goodyear Auto and Appleton rum race series on Sunday the 30^th May at Kerikeri Cruising Club. After a delayed start a very light breeze kicked in from the SW with enough promise to persuade the Officer of the day to set a short course and start the race.

While the majority of the B division fleet chose to start at the Outer distance mark Pete Mclea of That Girl looked up the course and noted a finger of breeze down at the inner distance mark and so started down there.  He romped away from the fleet only to fall into a flat patch halfway through the downwind leg which allowed the chasing fleet to catch up. After a tough battle That Girl crossed the line just 8 seconds ahead of Windsong with Bedouin a minute further back.

Sunday Sun

Sporting a new carbon fibre mainsail and running backstays Windsong won the handicap section from Zuma and Bedouin.

The A division noted what That Girl had done and all tried to start at the inner distance mark. After some collisions and shouts they all got away well with Physical Favours liking the light airs and pulling away.  The breeze was changing from SW to NW and back again but neither direction gave a true beat and so it became a race for the reaching boats.

Physical Favours was first over the line followed by Razzel and Vim.

However, a very well sailed Sunday Sun took out the handicap prize by half a minute from Vim and Petty Cash.

A beautiful, sunny winters day which put a real premium on picking the way through the minefield of flat sections and fingers of breeze.