Napier Sailing Club, December 29, 30
by Robert Deaves
Just before the NZ Nationals and the World Championships, Napier Sailing Club held their New Year Regatta. 34 OKs are on the finishing lists although many more sailed the event and didn’t pay their entry fee! All racing was cancelled on day one (29th December) due to very strong winds from the west. The committee debated cancelling on the next day as it was still very windy but sent us all out nevertheless.
Three laps were sailed around an inshore course in winds gusting to 30 knots plus. Superb capsizes were seen from the likes of Gavin Waldron and Andrew Phillips and even the leaders were wearing round in unison. Of about 30 odd starters only nine managed to survive to the finish with Joe Porebski taking a win from Greg Wilcox and Nick Crapper (who took the lead three times but kept chucking it in!). Sensibly the second race of the day was abandoned.
The last day dawned with decreased wind and three races to be sailed. Greg Wilcox showed his superior speed to lead throughout to win the first. A confusion on start lines and times in the second saw Robert Deaves port tack the fleet to lead up the first beat. Eventually though Crapper pulled through to win.
The last race saw all to play for so Nick consolidated with a 10th, while Jörgen Lindhardtsen took the bullet. Most of the fleet missed the start as the wind had died to nothing and ended up reaching after the still beating fleet as the sea breeze came in. An interesting warm up to the Nationals and worlds although most people were more interested in the beer and the New Year’s Eve party which ended about the 3rd January (and you think I’m joking!)
| Pos | Name | Sailno. | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | tot |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nick Craig | GBR 2104 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 10 | 16 |
| 2 | Joe Porebski | NZL 509 | 1 | 10 | 7 | 2 | 20 |
| 3 | Andrew Philips | NZL 483 | 8 | 3 | 11 | 5 | 27 |
| 4 | Greg Wilcox | NZL 512 | 2 | 1 | 13 | 11 | 27 |
| 5 | Jørgen Lindhardtsen | DEN 1280 | 34 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 41 |
| 6 | Robert Deaves | GBR 2081 | 6 | 18 | 5 | 20 | 49 |
| 7 | Duncan Gourley | NZL 476 | 34 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 50 |
| 8 | Adrian Mannering | NZL 504 | 4 | 8 | 18 | 23 | 53 |
| 9 | Sel Pedersen | NZL 515 | 34 | 11 | 3 | 6 | 54 |
| 10 | Tony Clifford | NZL 474 | 37 | 9 | 10 | 4 | 60 |
| 11 | Mike O’Dwyer | NZL 472 | 34 | 7 | 9 | 13 | 63 |
| 12 | Jason Trow | NZL 490 | 34 | 16 | 12 | 7 | 69 |
| 13 | Darren Hunt | NZL 498 | 9 | 23 | 23 | 16 | 71 |
| 14 | Rob Hengst | GBR 494 | 34 | 14 | 14 | 18 | 80 |
| 15 | Ben Morrison | NZL 511 | 34 | 6 | 8 | 34 | 82 |
| 16 | Richard Barker | NZL 497 | 34 | 5 | 34 | 12 | 85 |
| 17 | Gavin Waldron | GBR 2085 | 34 | 15 | 17 | 19 | 85 |
| 18 | Phil Rzepecky | NZL 466 | 34 | 13 | 6 | 34 | 87 |
| 19 | P Ejlertsen | NZL 468 | 34 | 19 | 16 | 18 | 87 |
| 20 | Simon Shaw | GBR 2065 | 34 | 20 | 15 | 21 | 90 |
| 21 | Stanley Chan | NZL 488 | 37 | 17 | 20 | 17 | 91 |
| 22 | John Hoogerbrug | NZZL 360 | 34 | 12 | 14 | 34 | 94 |
| 23 | Richard Parke | NZL 458 | 34 | 22 | 21 | 22 | 99 |
| 24 | Jin Hong chul | KOR 1 | 34 | 34 | 34 | 3 | 105 |
| 25 | Graham Lambert | NZL 493 | 34 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 106 |
| 26 | Lachie McLean | NZL 468 | 5 | 34 | 34 | 34 | 107 |
| 27 | Mike Inwood | NZL 484 | 34 | 21 | 19 | 34 | 108 |
| 28 | Rob Coutts | NZL 463 | 7 | 34 | 34 | 34 | 109 |
| 29 | Alec McWhinnie | NZL 464 | 34 | 19 | 22 | 34 | 109 |
| 30 | Grant Pedersen | NZL 510 | 34 | 34 | 34 | 9 | 111 |
| 31 | Hamish Fenwick | NZL 505 | 34 | 34 | 34 | 14 | 116 |
| 32 | Sönke Behrens | GER 449 | 34 | 15 | 34 | 34 | 117 |
| 33 | Craig Pryce | NZL 479 | 34 | 34 | 34 | 19 | 121 |
| 34 | M Kenah | NZZL 508 | 34 | 25 | 34 | 34 | 127 |