1981 New Zealand Admiral's Cup trials

This post features photographs taken from slides that form part of the Auckland's Maritime Museum's online collection. These photographs are from the 1981 New Zealand Admiral's Cup trials, that were contested by eight yachts over a course of observation races in March 1981 followed by a selection trials series proper. The trials were won by Swuzzlebubble III, a Holland-designed 40-footer, and she was joined in the New Zealand team by near sistership Epiglass New Zealand, renamed Wee Willie Winkie for the Admiral's Cup itself to avoid Rule 26 (sponsorship) complications, and Marac, a fractionally-rigged S&S 46-footer, later re-named Inca for the same reason. Other contenders in the series were Feltex Roperunner (a Farr designed 40 footer for Don Lidgard), Spritzer (a masthead Holland 40), Monique (a masthead Holland 42-footer), Ngaruru (S&S 46, sistership to Marac/Inca). Digby Taylor also used the series as a warm-up regatta for his Whitbread entry, the Davidson 50-footer Outward Bound. While Swuzzlebubble III went on to be the top individual yacht in the Admiral's Cup that year, Wee Willie Winkie and Inca could only manage 26th and 42nd respectively, and the New Zealand finished in sixth place overall.

Epiglass New Zealand to weather of Spritzer, soon after the start of one of the trial races in easterly conditions on the Auckland Harbour

Evan Julian's S&S 46-footer Marac (rating 34.5ft IOR) crosses Epiglass New Zealand and Feltex Roperunner (4499)

Ngaruru (4513) leads Monique (3325), Spritzer (4490) and Swuzzlebubble III (4466)

Epiglass New Zealand (30.6ft IOR) skippered by Stu Brentnall - note the hard turn in the sheer between the maximum beam point and the stern, as a way of maximising crew leverage between these two measurement points

Ian Gibbs' Swuzzlebubble III (30.2ft IOR) sails past Islington Bay towards the Motuihe Channel

Swuzzlebubble III sails into the Motuihe Channel in perfect easterly conditions

Marac sails back into Auckland Harbour

Feltex Roperunner, the lowest rating boat in the series (30.1ft IOR), runs downwind through the Motuihe Channel back into Auckland Harbour

Spritzer sailing past Motuihe Island - a similar design to Epiglass New Zealand and Swuzzlebubble III but masthead rigged (30.2ft IOR). She competed in the Admiral's Cup for Bermuda as Flirt of Paget.

Epiglass New Zealand sails downwind past Rangitoto Island with Sprizter to windward and Feltex Roperunner astern

Spritzer and Epiglass New Zealand head out into the Hauraki Gulf

Epiglass New Zealand sails past Gannet Rock 

Feltex Roperunner sails past Motuihe Island and out into the Hauraki Gulf in a fresh south-westerly