Business House Yacht Race 2010 encounters windy weather

by RPNYC Events on 15 Mar 2010
The Royal Port Nicholson Yacht Club held its annual Sailing Academy fundraising Business House Yacht Race on Friday 12 March. 10 businesses had entered teams and were spread across 13 boats in a pursuit race with first group away at 2.30pm. The day started well with perfect starts for all boats in great conditions.

The majority of the race was completely before the southerly hit. A decision to shorten the race had already been made by Race Officer Paul Davies. The southerly hit the fleet at approximately 4.30pm - late in the race – with the leading boat, Montego Bay III, already around the White Lady and heading for the finish line.

Sailing Academy manager, Matt Wood, witnessed and recorded the front striking several boats off Kau Bay. He and the crew on the rescue boat Te Ruru went to assist Nedax Racing, who had been knocked down.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBlXDOlv25Y

Before arriving to assist Nedax Racing, a man overboard call went up from Flying Circus and Te Ruru diverted to assist.

Brandon Clarke, crewing on Flying Circus was pulling the head sail down when the squall struck, sending him overboard. He kicked the sail free, and trod water for about five minutes. Thanks to good information regarding their location being given from Flying Circus he was located within a couple of minutes and brought safely on board Te Ruru.

No sooner had he been recovered than a Mayday was received from Andiamo. By this time visibility off Kau Bay had dropped to virtually zero and the search for Andiamo commenced.

Over the next ½ an hour the crew on Te Ruru that consisted of Academy instructors Matt Wood and Nick Hathaway, together with Chris Coad and Kelvin 'Hippo' Weir, plus Brandon Clarke, searched for Andiamo. During this time Te Ruru took several large waves over the bow and took on a quantity of water. Matt Wood on the helm recalls 'while motoring from Point Halswell towards the mussel farm we launched off a particularly big wave and came to rest in the bottom of a trough, the next wave broke over Te Ruru causing one engine to stall, while trying to re start the engine we surfed away down two or three more waves with only partial control.'

By the time Andiamo was located their crew had done a great job of securing the boat and passengers and despite having a sail wrapped around their propeller were making 3 or 4 knots across the wind with reasonable steerage. Te Ruru stayed in the vicinity of Andiamo until a Wellington Pilot vessel initiated a tow.

Over the next hour Te Ruru transported 11 cold passengers from various boats to the shore. Nedax Racing was also towed from Kau Bay back to Lambton Harbour.

A number of the fleet took shelter from the storm in Kau Bay and made their way safely back to their marina berths after the storm had passed.

The largest gust recorded by the Pt Jerningham weather station was 78 knots.

Club chief executive Dean Stanley said the safe return of all the boats and guests was 'a fantastic testament to the seamanship of the skippers and a credit to the judgement and communication demonstrated by Race Officer Paul Davies and his team of Elizabeth Sandford and Leslie Hamilton'.