25/03/2026
It's good to be back!
Last Saturday was our return to the Waikato Yacht Squadron's Gulf Classic yacht race after an absence of two years.
Not as big a field as previous years but never the less we still had our work cut out for us with our old nemesis, No Remorse, an Elliott 780 from Taupo.
These lads always bring the fight and sail their yacht very well.
The TY-A course was meant to be a 65 NM course winding its way around various Hauraki Gulf islands. In the end it was shortened to a different winding course due to wind pressure disappearing for a period.
Five minutes after the Keelers started we headed up to the Ruthe Passage. Here the fleet concertinaed in the wind-shadow behind Rotoroa island. After finally squirting through we headed up the outside of Waiheke and started the long reach to Rakino channel.
At this point our fellow member Comfortably Numb, a Ross 780 skippered by Greg Waterhouse had already sailed some deft lines and was still in front of us.
Another park-up next to Gannet rock saw all three yachts still within 50 metres of each other with our sails flapping. We heading towards Waiheke hoping for a land-breeze but were frustrated again when the new breeze filled in from the north. We were the last to get it so had more catch-up do, starting with our code zero.
After slightly more wind pressure and it backing slightly we were able to change to an AP gennaker which matched No Remorse's speed exactly for the next two hours. With the angle so far forward though Comfortably Numb had trouble equalling our speed with their symmetrical kite and lost ground to us.
After rounding Rakino clockwise we had a long run down to the western side of Motuihe island. We used our symmetrical S2 all the way and slowly overtook No Remorse, who were on a gennaker before changing to a symmetrical kite as well. This was still unable to match our speed though.
At the bottom of Motuihe we were back onto the jib, taking the island to port. In this mode of sailing and wind strength No Remorse again showed a superior speed, passing us easily before the long windward slog back up to Rakino channel against an adverse tide. We think we went a little more eastwards and in different current compared to the other yachts and found ourselves on a higher line than No Remorse. After a long starboard board when NR came back, we had passed them again. This was just the beginning of a titanic match-race, which in the fading light and increasing tide had us short-tacking up through the Rakino channel and around the island itself with us going as close as we dared with the rocks.
Around the north side of Rakino we were only 20 seconds ahead of NR but during final 2 hour run down to the finish was where the damage was done and we extended our lead to 12 minutes before the finish back in the Tamaki strait.
The final corrected time had us winning by four and a half minutes over NR and then Comfortably Numb.
We would like to thank the Waikato Yacht Squadron for hosting us, Chris and his crew on No Remorse and a highly commended to Comfortably Numb.
Shaun English on Endurance should be celebrated as well for showing resilience and being the last boat to finish in the early hours of the morning.
Overall, it was another excellent event and the majority was in superb sailing conditions.
Elevation’s crew of Tony, John and Garth showed what years of sailing together could achieve.
