Coastal Classic gets off to brisk start after a three year absence + Start Video
by Richard Gladwell 21 Oct 2022 14:11 NZDT
21 October 2022
Coastal Classic - Waitemata Harbour - October 21, 2022 © Richard Gladwell - Sail-World.com/nz
The 170 boats in the 2022 PIC Coastal Classic got away too a good start, in a not-too fresh breeze, which should make a fast, but not hectic ride north.
This is the first PIC Coastal Classic to be contested for three years due to COVID-blamed Lockdowns and other requirements which made race organisation near impossible.
The event - which is now in its 40th edition - started in breezes being recorded as 15-20kts, but appeared to be at the lower end of this scale.
Again, the smaller boats were the first to start at 0930hrs with the Division 1 boats being the final start, 30 minutes later. There will be no race record set - on two counts - there are no supermaxis, MOD70's or suchlike. The SW breeze while favourable is too light for a fast 120nm blast up the coast to the finish line in the Bay of Islands. It will take a freak boat and freak weather conditions to set a new mark.
At 1500hrs, after 5hrs of sailing the leaders - the TP52 Wired and Crazy Train - a 10.4 Martell designed catamaran were the first to report at Sail Rock, the halfway point of the race, they were each making 12-13kts.
To follow the Coastal Classic got to coastalclassic.co.nz/watch
With no media boat available, we shot from the base of North Head and got a different perspective on the charge down the harbour.