Race Day Summaries

COOK STRAIT

Cook Strait  |  14 February 2010

Type: Endurance

High tide: 00:00

SUMMARY

Round 2 National Endurance Race

The Cook Strait crossing has only ever been raced once before in 2007. In subsequent years the weather has resulted in cancellation. This year however the weather gods allowed a window of opportunity enabling 12 crews to line up for the start at 10am under 15 knot Northerly winds.

The Cook strait race takes the crews from a Le Mans start at Lyall Bay west up the Wellington south coast then turning at Cape Terawhiti to cross the strait to Okukari Bay just inside the Tory Channel. There the co-pilot must come ashore and run around a marker in the sand (not an easy feat when leg cramps have set in) before the boat turns around and exits the Tory Channel retracing its course back to Lyall Bay. Navigation, gear preparation, teamwork plus physical and mental toughness all combine for a successful result in this event. The seas up the Wellington coast were 1-2m, messy and uncomfortable but the 4m Thundercats skip across the tops of the waves averaging speeds of about 50km/hr. As the boats got closer to the South Island the winds were light and swells even and glassy allowing boats to drive hard out. The return was the same with the Wellington Coast and Karori rip again being particularly uncomfortable with additional wind strength. Leader for most of the race was Plumbquick using the Goodyear boat who having completed the race previously provided valuable navigation clues for the rest of the field, particularly as the South Island was not visible until within 10 km. Leaving Tory Channel only 500m separated most of the field. By Cape Terawhiti local crew Demon Energy Blue just held the lead over Plumbquick who then flipped putting them out of the race.

Demon Energy Blue went on to win the race in an overall time of 1hour 45minutes followed by Black Pepper and the new team Quin Builders from Hawkes Bay were third across the line. Wooden spoon went to Dribbler Team Racing who finished some time later after having navigation issues and completing 140km of race when everyone else raced only 100km.

Next and final round of the surf series is at Piha, Auckland on Saturday 27 February 2010.