It's now less than a month till the 2022 Altex Yacht & Boat Paint Auckland to Tauranga Race!
With this in mind, we have put together some important points to keep you all up to date.
COVID-19 Restrictions
The TYPBC A2T race organisers are pleased to advise that despite the Government's Red Traffic Light Red restrictions, the historic race is on. Some changes will be made to the NOR to address the safety of all competitors, staff and volunteers and these will be announced shortly. Stay tuned to our website for details of any changes to the NOR and the posting of the SI, 2 weeks prior to the start.
Apart from the Northern Triangle SSANZ races, this will be the first serious Coastal Yacht Race for some considerable time and we are really excited to have it take place.
The TYPBC are looking forward to having the privilege of welcoming all of you keen visiting yachties to Tauranga so get your entries in now and start planning the myriad of tasks that it takes to campaign a race yacht in a Coastal race!
Crew
You need an experienced core to help you through the long race. Get all the crew sorted out as soon as possible. Arrange transport, accommodation, food and water for the race. The comradery that develops on these races endures so plan to enjoy yourselves. Spread the word around your Yacht Club that you are racing in the A2T and challenge your mates to beat you if they can.
Free Berths at Tauranga Bridge Marina
Remember to contact Bridge Marina Manager, Tony Arnold at tony@marina.co.nz or
07 575 8264 for a free berth for up to 1 week.
There will be modest live aboard costs to use the facilities.
PHRF
I see that a lot of PHRF’s are expired so don’t leave these to the last minute!
The PHRF Application Forms take a while to fill in if you are doing it for the first time. Your sailmaker should have all the required measurements so is normally a great help. Make sure that you use only sails declared for this PHRF Certificate or risk disqualification i.e. Masthead Code Zero.
Category 3 Safety Certificate
Book your local YNZ Safety Inspector for an inspection and get your new Cat 3 Cert.
Once again, if you are doing this for the first time, set aside a day to sort it out. It can be quite time consuming.
Getting things like Life Raft certified (can take a week), EPIRB checked that it is in date and test the battery, Fire Extinguishers certified, Gas Cylinders certified, Jack Stays fitted, Emergency Flares in date, Chart Plotter is working reliably, Boat VHF and Handheld VHF are working well, Paper Charts as per NOR are on board, Medical Kit is complete and in date, Engine serviced with sufficient clean fuel poured into the tank, Inflatable Life Jackets serviced, Safety Harnesses, Anchor chain and warp checked for correct size, strength and length.
In addition, check your sail wardrobe, have any repairs sorted. Check your electrics thoroughly. Navigation and Instrument Lights need to be working reliably. Check your halyards, sheets, winches and connecting fittings. You do not want them to breakdown during the race. Lastly, book in a hull bottom clean close to race start time to make the yacht nice and slippery!
Race Tactics
Everyone has their own ideas about race tactics and no one is right all the time, but some sailors are right most of the time. What influences their decision making in a Coastal Race like the A2T? The Weather.
Predict Wind, one of our race Sponsors, will provide an excellent weather forecast at the online briefing so make sure you take note of the advice given. They usually provide an optimum course for yachts of your boat’s size and speed and then it is up to you to plan accordingly.
See more race tactics in our article here!
Race Rules
Read the NOR and the SI carefully. Race Officials are concerned about yacht entrant’s crew safety during the race and need to know where you are at all times. Make sure you comply with all Mark of the Course Rounding/Passing requirements.
Prizes
There will be lots of winner prizes as per last year. Gold Sponsor Altex Yacht & Boat Paint have made this possible, along with Sail IQ, Sue Hooper & Harcourts, Port of Tauranga, Burnsco, Tauranga Bridge Marina, Bridge Marina Travelift, Gulf Group, all contributing generously.
The ultimate Spot Prize will again be a Chart Plotter from Silver Sponsor, Pro Marine Electrical & B&G to some lucky person. There will be lots of other spot Prizes including two Jewellery Prizes from Peet’s Jewellers for the ladies and many more prizes to lucky yachties.
The Race Record
The A2T Race record stands at 13hrs 35mins 01secs and is held by the Maxi Zana. A foiling monohull or multihull averaging only 20knots could reduce this record to just 6 hours similar to Beau Guest in the Coastal Classic. With a fresh, consistent, North Wester and the right yacht and crew, it could just happen. If you think you have the yacht and crew, enter now for the glory and prestige of seeing your name in the highlights and on the record books?
For further details, contact the TYPBC Altex Yacht & Boat Paint A2T 2022 Yacht Race Coordinators:
TYPBC - office@yacht.org.nz or 07 578 5512
Roger Rushton - 0274 714 715 (Race Organiser)
Adrian McHardy - 021 399 656 (Race Chairman)
Reina Del la Varis - a2t@yacht.org.nz (Race Media)