Sailing: Fast time likely for Classic yacht race

A good weather forecast means there is a chance that TeamVodafoneSailing will break the record again in this year's Coastal Classic Auckland to Russell Yacht Race, when it starts this morning.

Last year the 60-foot trimaran set a race record of 5h 44m 31s averaging 20 knots for the duration of the course and hitting a high speed of 34.8 knots.

The wind forecasting site PredictWind.com is suggesting that the boats will encounter a strong 25knot south west breeze off the start at 10am. That scenario will see most boats hoist brightly coloured spinnakers or gennakers at the start and leave the Hauraki Gulf quickly and mean the bigger boats will make good time to Russell although the wind may moderate at night.

Skipper of TeamVodafone Sailing, Simon Hull, is trying not to think too much about the prospect of a back-to-back record in the famed New Zealand race.

"If it's a good forecast, which it is, then it's bound to turn bad," he jokes, "but it's looking hopeful for a similar sort of race to last year, so we have got to have a chance at slicing at least a few minutes off the record," he said.

Hull said that the race conditions will be similar, but slightly lighter than 2011.

The lead monohulls will take eight or nine hours, and a mid speed keelboat, such as a Farr 1020, will finish in about 14 hours.

Slower boats, like the Farr 727 crewed by Edwin Delaat (16) and solo world circumnavigator Laura Dekker (17) will be out most, if not all, of the night, but will enjoy good sailing conditions.

The Coastal Classic starts off Devonport Wharf in Auckland, and finishes off Russell Wharf in the Bay of Islands. The race is 119 nautical miles in length and 170 boats are expected to start.