V5 smashes the Auckland to Gisborne race

SMASHED IT: The canting keeler V5 skippered by David Nathan stormed across the finish line of the Royal Akarana Yacht Club's Auckland to Gisborne yacht race at 2.59.59pm yesterday afternoon, just under 30 hours after leaving Auckland. "We kept close to the land on our run down the East Coast and then we saw the gorgeous Gisborne coast. It was amazing," Nathan (thumbs up, centre) said. They finished the length of the East Coast ahead of the rest of the fleet. Picture by Suellen Hurling /Royal Akarana Yacht Club

THE 50-foot canting keeler V5 more than lived up to its pre-race favourisitism when it smashed the rest of the fleet yesterday in the reborn Auckland to Gisborne yacht race.

All seven boats in the Royal Akarana Yacht Club event finished overnight.

The David Nathan-helmed V5 crossed the finish line in Poverty Bay before 3pm yesterday afternoon, just under 30 hours after leaving Auckland.

They finished the length of the East Coast ahead of the other six boats in the classic.

“We kept close to the shore on our run down the East Coast and then we saw the gorgeous Gisborne coastline,” said skipper David Nathan dockside yesterday afternoon.

“It was amazing coming into Poverty Bay.”

V5 was a spectacular sight as she charged across the finish line in 35 knots of north-westerly wind.

“This has been a good workout for everyone on board.”

V5 and her crew of 10 won the start in Auckland and kept a slight lead in the tight early stages of the race as the fleet sailed out of Auckland. They were first to round the tip of Coromandel Peninsula and then the race opened up for them.

Champagne sailing“We got some extra breeze and tide assistance going round Coromandel and once we did that we just bolted away,” Nathan said.

“It was champagne sailing the whole way really, it was just gorgeous sailing.”

The Royal Akarana Yacht Club got support from the Eastland Group to stage the race again after a break of 15 years. It was last sailed in 2000.

The Gisborne Tatapouri Sports Fishing Club and the Gisborne Yacht Club were also heavily involved in getting it back on again.

Nathan said he hoped this would be the start of a regular biennial event.

“This is a really major event for our yacht club, for Auckland and New Zealand yachting in general," he said.

“It’s just great to see it established again. We’re all so grateful for Gisborne hosting the event and we’re all certainly looking forward to having a lovely time here.”

Ran Tan 11, skippered by Brian Petersen, crossed the finish line in second place at around 11pm last night followed in by ‘AJ” Reid and Anarchy Racing in third.

“It was a spectaular sight to see Anarchy powering up the finish line in the dark last night,” said Gisborne Yacht Club vice commodore Peter Millar.

“We met them all out in the Bay in the Poverty Bay Rescue Craft Charitable Trust Niaad inflatable, so it was a long night.”

The next to finish was Ray Haslar’s Rikki, followed by Laurie Needham and Lawless, Chris Skinner and Truxton and Josh Tucker and Sun Fast 3600.

“The final five boats were roughly about an hour apart,” Mr Miller said.

“We were glad the wind dropped off a bit through the night because it was absolutely hammering out there earlier in the day.”

The fleet will sail out of Gisborne progressively tomorrow to make the return trip to Auckland.