Sailing: Coastal Classic ready to excite

Defending champion boat Team Vodafone will be back under a new alias. Photo/Stephen Western

With 150 sailing boats and crews preparing to race, the annual PIC Insurance Brokers Coastal Classic is looking like it'll be an absolute spectacle.

Considered one of the world's most famous yacht races, the Coastal traditionally attracts the very best of New Zealand yachting to race alongside a colourful fleet of boats of all shapes, sizes and abilities.

The event is organised by the New Zealand Multihull Yacht Club, with crews racing from Auckland to Russell.

Frank Sailing - racing the Orma 60 trimaran formerly called Team Vodafone - is back on the start line to try to defend the race record it set in 2014 of 5 hours, 13 minutes and 21 seconds.

Sailing is freshly returned to New Zealand after setting a new record for sailing around the French territory of New Caledonia in 2 days and 33 minutes.

Sailing alongside them will be the likes of the Beale 33 Leading Light and her crew - a team of youth from the Tuakau Sea Scouts who are lining up for their first serious coastal race, and the pocket rocket Spank (pictured), inspired by Mini Transats and built in the Kerikeri home of owner Mark Beauchamp.

For every boat that claims victory sailing into Russell just hours after the start, there are dozens who won't make landfall in Russell before daylight, and who can expect to sail well into Friday night, even into Saturday for the smallest boats, making the race a test of endurance and patience.

Race director Matthew Flynn said the race isn't just about crossing the finish line first.

"The Coastal Classic is as much about the challenge of getting a boat race ready, and working with your crew to make it through whatever is handed to you, safely to the finish," he said.

With wind speed likely to be in the mid teens, and blowing from the southwest, there is enough breeze, coming from the right direction, for the fastest boats, including the trimaran Frank Racing (formerly Team Vodafone) to arrive in Russell during the mid afternoon, and to possibly even crack the race record of 5 hours, 13 minutes and 21 seconds.

According to PredictWind.com's weather router, smaller multihulls, including the 8.5m class, can also look forward to arriving in Russell before dinner time, while the top keelboats can expect a dusk finish, arriving in Russell on Friday evening.

The bulk of the fleet, based on the performance of a Young 88, will be out well past midnight, but can expect to sail in a reasonably consistent breeze throughout.

This year for the first time the race has a single-handed division, and short-handed sailing is becoming more and more popular in New Zealand as skippers seek to push themselves to achieve new challenges.

There are 16 divisions in total and with a great range of boats on the start line, results are calculated both by finishing order, and by handicap.

• When: The race starts off Devonport Wharf in Auckland at 930am on Friday 21 October.
• Where: Devonport Wharf and North Head are great viewing spots in Auckland, but you can catch glimpses of race boats from any location that has views of the water between Auckland and Russell
• Distance: 119 nautical miles
• Sponsor: PIC Insurance Brokers
• Website: www.coastalclassic.co.nz and tag #coastalclassic on Facebook