Royal Akarana Yacht Club, Tauranga Yacht & Powerboat Club, New Zealand Multihull Yacht Club and Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron join forces for the ultimate New Zealand Blue Water Championship.
The PIC Coastal Classic, Akarana 350, Altex Yacht & Boat Paint Auckland to Tauranga (Altex A2T) and Yates Cup are the four races which will make up the 2022/2023 edition of the Blue Water Championships, set to kick off on Friday 21 October.
Totaling 824 nautical miles, the four-race series will determine which boat and crew are crowned the Blue Water Champions – bringing to the forefront that Kiwi offshore sailors are some of the best in the world. While four races are scheduled, three will count towards the overall result, with the winning crew claiming the Ran Tan II Memorial Blue Water Championship trophy, which was donated by Brian Petersen.
The winner will be the crew who have the lowest total points across their three best races of the four scheduled and will be calculated using PHRF as well as a multihull division. If you’re an enthusiastic long haul offshore sailor, then this is the series for you! Start planning as the PIC Coastal Classic is only a handful of months away.
2022/2023 Blue Water Championships
Race 1 PIC Coastal Classic (NZMYC) Cat3 119nm 1000hrs, Friday 21 October 2022
Race 2 Akarana 350 (RAYC) Cat3+ 350nm 1000hrs, Friday 25 November 2022
Race 3 Altex Auckland to Tauranga (TYPBC) Cat3 125nm 1600hrs, Friday 31 March 2023
Race 4 Yates Cup (RAYC) Cat3+ 230nm 1600hrs, Friday 12 May 2023
The clubs involved are fully supportive of this move to encourage and develop offshore keeler and multihull racing and other yacht clubs will be welcomed and encouraged to join in this new series with the aim of creating special mana and acclaim for the winner. It is proposed that the winner will be presented with the RAYC Blue Water Championship trophy and prizes with the podium winners receiving accolades at the annual Yachting New Zealand prize giving awards dinner.
Details on entering will provided in the coming weeks.
For more information contact:
Roger Rushton Suellen Hurling
A2T Coordinator Live Sail Die
TYPBC RAYC
Auckland to Tauranga Race Committee
Tauranga Yacht & Power Boat Club
Ph: 07 578 5512
90 Keith Allen Drive, Sulphur Point, Tauranga 3110