Largest-ever fleet for yacht race

Yachties from both sides of the Tasman are zeroing in on Port Taranaki for next month's 2010 Solo Tasman Challenge.

There were more than 40 expressions of interest in the 11th singlehanded race to Mooloolaba, but the number was whittled down to a fleet of 18 skippers for the Fitzroy Yachts-sponsored race, starting on Sunday, April 4.

Each yacht will be fitted with a satellite transponder, enabling supporters to follow the sailors' progress via the race website, www.solo-tasman.org.nz.

"It's state-of-the-art stuff. It will take the race and New Plymouth straight on to computer monitors all around the world," organising committee chairman Ron Scott said.

The race was first held in the late 1960s when New Plymouth sailor/boatbuilder Dennis Lobb realised he couldn't afford to sail to England and start in the Observer Singlehanded TransAtlantic Race.

Lobb sat down with fellow yachtsmen Howard Vosper and Phillip Goodsell and a plan was hatched.

"If Lobb couldn't make it to the race, why not bring a race to Taranaki?"

Yachting authorities vigorously opposed the singlehanded Tasman race, calling it "foolhardy and dangerous".

But the men persisted and in 1970 five yachts sailed out of Port Taranaki towards Mooloolaba for the inaugural singlehanded Tasman yacht race.

Since then, many of Australasia's most accomplished sailors and a few sailing eccentrics have competed.

"The race is unique in that, as soon as the boats leave the breakwaters at Port Taranaki, they're at sea – until they reach the Mooloolaba breakwaters. There's no coastal sailing. The course is all offshore," Scott said.

"You don't have to be a millionaire or a world beater, but you have to be made of stern stuff and have a keen sense of adventure."

Previous race fleets have been limited to 15 yachts because of a lack of small craft facilities at Port Taranaki.

"But thanks to the generosity of Port Taranaki Ltd and David Thorp, a Lepperton farmer, who donated the mooring blocks, we've been able to place 20 temporary moorings in the harbour."

Only two women have competed in the race until now – Annette Wilde in 1974 and Kay Cottee in 1986.

This year's fleet includes two women – Mooloolaba's Jennifer Fitzgibbon in her 10.6m sloop Soothsayer, and Auckland's Trish Lewis sailing her Whiting Reactor, Wishbone.

Several entrants from the 2007 race are competing again.

Napier's John Burns will be sailing his classic 11.06m S&S design, Panther and Queenstown dentist Ross Buchanan will be back with Scoundrel, a 10.5m kauri yacht designed by Ron Holland.

Auckland painting contractor Ian Lillie, who was first singlehanded monohull across the line in 2007, is also back to defend his title.

Auckland sales executive Alan Yardley will be racing Mephisto, a 12.6m Kaufman sloop he sailed home from his OE in Europe a few years ago, and another Aucklander, Richard Raea, will be back with the smallest boat, his 7m JOG sloop Nimbus.

Truxton, Auckland skipper David Tiller's self-designed and built 10.6m composite sloop, is also back for a crack at the race after completing the 1998 event. Both skipper and boat have had a lot more experience since then and they could be the ones to watch in the competitive 10-11m size range.

The team to beat for line honours, though, will be Bruce Arms and his high tech Chamberlin catamaran, Big Wave Rider.

Arms is a two-time race veteran and sailed the 14m multihull in the 2007 race. The boat was new back then and pretty much an unknown entity, so Arms sailed a prudent race and light winds foiled him from having a crack at the six days, eight hours and 50 minutes race record, which was set by Ian Johnston in the trimaran Bullfrog Sunblock during the 1986 race.

Arms' cousin, Steven Arms, launched his own 10.6m Chamberlin catamaran last month for the race and is working out a few teething problems.

Five Australian boats will be sailing to Port Taranaki for the start and racing back again, including Jim O'Keefe in a 13m Adams cutter, Hullabaloo, and Rick Morgan sailing his 12.47m composite sloop, Dream Lover.

Many of the Australian entries are still an unknown quantity at this stage, but the big fleet of similarly sized yachts, competitive skippers and top class technology will make for some interesting racing.

- © Fairfax NZ News