A strong javelin contingent will take part in the fourth annual Harken Bay of Islands Yacht Club Regatta with North Island champion Ben Bax from Tauranga heading the field. Organisers were excited at the prospect of Kaikohe's Phil McNeil, the South Pacific champion, starting along with a number of vintage javelins(pictured above are regular javelins) including Ella Mae from Hamilton. The Waitangi-based yacht club will open the weekend with the Bay Race, a 6-7 nautical mile race where any boat can take part. It also kicks off the sailing season for senior centreboarders and catamaran classes. "Entries are welcome - virtually any small boat from splashes, lasers, dinghies to the 3.7, moths, javelins and paper tigers - you name it, you can probably race it at Labour weekend," yacht club committee member Catherine Langford said. "An exciting first for the Bay is the entry of a musto skiff from Auckland - a single-handed skiff with trapeze, wire and geneker, quite a handful. And Bay of Islands Yacht Club javelin sailor Antje Muller is looking forward to taking two on in the Bay Race." The Bay Race is scheduled with a mass start at 1pm tomorrow so sailors coming up on boats for the Coastal Classic, which finishes at Russell Wharf, can take part. Class racing is on Sunday and Monday.
