More images to come
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Starting from Mahurangi and Rakino, respectively, these races involved navigating the challenging waters around Auckland’s coastline, with finishes at the iconic Resolution Buoy, best viewed from Orakei Wharf. It’s a spectacle, but this year, the challenges were more than just the wind and sea.
The Mahurangi start offered at least three of the entries returning from the Bay of Islands Sailing Week the chance to begin further north, easing the burden of travel. But despite the promising start time of 9 AM, the race saw only two of the original eight entries begin. The starting lineup saw Pocket Change, a 1986 Mull Pocket Rocket 22 skippered by Nicholas Corry, and Urban Escape, skippered by Richard Blakey, but only one boat – Pocket Change – crossed the finish line.
With a fleet of strong competitors, it was disappointing that the race ended with more boats on the DNS (Did Not Start) list than on the water. The absence of Carpe Diem, Mustang Sally, and Perchanse left the stage wide open for Pocket Change, who finished in a time of 5 hours, 57 minutes, and 35 seconds, with an adjusted time of 4 hours, 3 minutes, and 31 seconds. Urban Escape, unfortunately, couldn’t finish the race.
The Rakino to Auckland race saw another low turnout. Starting at 10 AM, the race had a diverse set of entrants, including a fleet of Whiting Reactor 25 boats, such as Beefeater, Phocoena, Senna and Interlude 2. These boats, built in the 1970s, have become a piece of New Zealand’s sailing history, and their presence in the race added a sense of nostalgia to the event. Starmaker, a Farr 1020, had also entered.
Only two boats managed to finish the race – Reliant and Moody Blues. It was a tight competition, with only a minute and a half separating them at the finish line. Reliant, skippered by Antony Toledo, clinched victory with an elapsed time of 3 hours, 6 minutes, and 30 seconds, and an adjusted time of 2 hours, 8 minutes, and 30 seconds. Moody Blues, skippered by Stephen Mouldey, finished first with line honours with an elapsed time of 3 hours, 5 minutes, and 59 seconds, but behind with PHS Handicap and an adjusted time of 2 hours, 10 minutes, and 11 seconds.
This year’s Keelboat Passage Races were marked by a higher number of Did Not Start (DNS) and Did Not Finish (DNF) boats. Mahurangi and Rakino saw strong winds, ranging from 17 to 22 knots, which made the passages challenging, but not impossible. So why did so many boats opt out?
Some speculate that boats returning from the Bay of Islands Sailing Week simply couldn’t make it work. Others wonder if the weather played a bigger role in discouraging participation. Whatever the reason, the lack of boats on the course let the few that did race, shine.
Despite the challenges, the Keelboat Passage Races remain an integral part of the Auckland Anniversary Day Regatta. As we look ahead, we can only hope that next year brings more boats to the start line – because, as the saying goes, you can’t win a race you didn’t start.
