Flipped trimaran boat damaged but crew grateful for urgent rescue from Tauranga Harbour

The Trimaran outside the Tauranga Yacht and Power Boat Club the morning after its collapse. Photo / Talia Parker

When a trimaran flipped in one of Tauranga Harbour's main shipping channels the main concern was an incoming "big container ship".

But quick work by the Coastguard saw crisis averted.

The trimaran had been racing in the Burton Sails Twilight Series in the Tauranga Harbour at 6pm Wednesday when their vessel ended up upside down.

Tauranga Coastguard went into action, concerned a container ship was about to travel right into the path of the stricken vessel.

Coastguard unit manager Dane Robertson said they were out on the harbour training when the distress call came in.

Robertson said the vessel capsized while it was in the Stella Passage, one of the harbour's main shipping channels.

The distress call that came through was a "PAN-PAN", which means a vessel is in an urgent situation but no one's life is in immediate danger.

"It's not a mayday, but it's a step down from a mayday.

"One of the concerns at the time was that there was a vessel that was going to be going through there, a big container ship."

Robertson said the 223-metre ship was of such a size "they definitely can't just hit the brakes".

Container ship Maersk Bogor was due to arrive at the Port of Tauranga at 8.05pm.

It was lucky the coastguard was already on the water and was able to make it to the Sledge within a couple of minutes.

The coastguard towed the Sledge away so the ship could pass, then returned the ship to the passage to right the boat before it came to shore.

Yesterday, the vessel was floating in the shallows in from of the Tauranga Yacht and Powerboating club.

The club posted a photo of the Sledge being pulled to shore in the comments of their social media post about the race.

The boat's skipper John Minnee helped take the boat out of the water.

Minnee said he was just glad no one was hurt.

"At least we're alive."