RAYC Gold Cup

The first race of the 2012-13 RAYC Gold Cup series was held on Saturday 22 September. The race was a 30 miler, starting off Orakei Wharf and taking the 25 boat fleet around Rangitoto and Motutapu, to Motuihe and eastwards to Passage Rock, and then back to the finish at Orakei.  Conditions were great, with a 15knot easterly, occasionally tending nor'east, and sunny skies. 


Power Play (Farr 40) on the tight reach to Rangitoto Light

The new Elliott 13.55 Crusader made her maiden race appearance, sporting black sails with square-top mainsail and a long prod. She made quite a sight under a big gennaker on the broad reach home from Passage Rock.

Mercenary (SR26)

The fleet made their way out the Rangitoto Channel with sheets started, before a beat up to Billy Goat Point at the northern tip of Motutapu.  May boats hoisted gennakers for the short run down to Motuihe, finding themselves have to extend the range of these sails as the wind came further aft as they headed further west to round Motuihe Red buoy.  The beat up the Waiheke Channel was shifty, but boats that set themselves up near the Waiheke shoreline made the most gains from the lifts coming off that shore. 

Overload and Mercenary

River Rebel, Starlight Express (Davidson 55) and Power Play

Mr Roosevelt on the beat to Passage Rock

Overload lights up on the reach down to Motuihe Channel

Overload

Urban Cowboy - when good gybes go bad

The spinnaker ride home was fairly easy for most boats, and made for a great end to the day.  An increase in wind strength at the finish led to a few issues for crews, with a couple of gybes being necessary to lay the finish from Bean Rock lighthouse, and Urban Cowboy lost some valuable minutes and placings with a gybe that didn't quite come off....

The Carkeek 50 Equilibrium led the fleet home by a large margin, and River Rebel took PHRF honours, followed by the White 40 Whitebait.  Crusader finished about 25 minutes after Equilibrium, but with an initial PHRF of 0.975 finished well down the results sheet with a 19th.

Full results are here: http://rayc.org.nz/gold-cup/#results, and more photos here: http://www.facebook.com/RichmondYachtClub