One Ton Revisited 2015 - Race 4

Rainbow II turned the clock back 46 years today and clinched the One Ton Revisited sailing series with a race to spare. In 1969, the S&S 36, skippered then, as now, by Chris Bouzaid, won four straight races to win the coveted One Ton Cup off the North Sea island of Heligoland. Fast forward, and today she nailed a 2/1/1/1 series to guarantee victory on overall points even though there is still the 1.5-points race finale scheduled for Saturday (7 March).

Rainbow II slips along upwind in light airs on her way to winning the fourth race, and clinching overall honours, in the One Ton Revisited 2015 regatta (photo RNZYS)

The course today was from the start in the vicinity of Rangitoto Light, to Orarapa Island (The Haystack) in Rakino Passage, around the Navy Buoy in Tiri Passage, to a mark off Narrow Neck, and then to the finish off Orakei, at the entrance to Auckland Harbour. 

Pacific Sundance - took line honours in race 4 but again could not save her time on IRC against the rest of the fleet (photo RNZYS)

The 8-knot north easterly at the start became a 10-knot northerly off the Whangaparaoa Peninsula. The Farr 40 Pacific Sundance (Bernard Hyde) led from the start and around the Haystack. But she was only 4m 19s ahead of the second-placed Rainbow II at that turn and it was already clear that she was going to struggle to match the former One Ton Cup winner on IRC corrected time. 

Revolution before the start of race 4 where she finished fourth on line and corrected time (photo RNZYS)

The gap was 8m 42s rounding the Navy Buoy in Tiri Passage to start the 12-mile light airs run back into the harbour. The Farr 36 Revolution (Tony Wallis/Max Cossey) was third around, another 8m 37s behind Rainbow II. By this stage, the 34ft Lidgard design Impact (Kevin Kelly), the smallest boat in the fleet, was more than 30 minutes behind Pacific Sundance. 

Wai Aniwa had a good day, finishing in second place on IRC to move up to 2nd overall (photo RNZYS)

Pacific Sundance continued to creep away on that long return to Rangitoto Channel and Orakei and crossed the line at 16.57.45hrs – some 14m 38s ahead of Rainbow II. The Lidgard 36 Result (Bevan Hill) was third across the line, picking off Revolution on the way home and finishing 6m 14s behind Rainbow II, while the Carter 39 Wai Aniwa (Roger Foley) and Impact did well to contain the deficit on the leader. 

Pacific Sundance hoists her spinnaker after rounding the Haystack (photo RNZYS)

But, there was only going to be one winner on corrected time.

The superbly-sailed Rainbow II clung tenaciously to the stern of fleet leader Pacific Sundance to ensure that the Farr boat would never make up the required time on handicap. In the process, Rainbow II burned off her closest boat-for-boat opposition and won on corrected time by a daunting 14m 47s. Bouzaid’s other One Ton Cup winner, Wai Aniwa (1972) bounced back from mast problems to take second place today and move up into second place on overall points. The margins between second and fifth are, however, very small and there will be a lot at stake when the fleet goes to the start line for the final time at 10am on Saturday.

Revolution approaches the Haystack, ahead of Result and Impact (photo RNZYS)

Overall placings after four races: 1st Rainbow II (31.5pts), 2nd Wai Aniwa (21.5pts), 3rd Impact (19pts), 4th Revolution (18pts), 5th Pacific Sundance (14pts), 6th Result (11.5pts).

Article provided by Alan Sefton