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The Mahurangi Regatta will return in all its glory to the waters off Sullivans Bay on January 28.
The all-day event will start with beach races and a picnic run by the Friends of the Mahurangi at Sullivans Bay from 9.30am onwards.
Then the popular parade of classic launches from Scotts Landing to Sullivans will start at 10.30am. One of the oldest launches in the parade this year is expected to be Kumi, built in 1904, and owned by Haydon and Linda Afford.
Kumi won the inaugural Rudder Cup in 1908 and took part in a handicap race from Devonport Wharf to Sail Rock, off Langs Beach, to mark the cup’s centenary. Kumi also received the Classic Yacht Association’s Outstanding Achievement Award after a three-month circumnavigation of New Zealand in the summer of 2012/13.
The race itself is expected to attract more than 100 classic yachts from the Mahurangi Cruising Club, as well as Auckland-based clubs and associations.
Some of the older yachts expected to race include Viking, built in 1892 by Charles Bailey Jnr and Waitangi, built in 1894 by Robert Logan Snr.
Mahurangi Cruising Club captain Martin Howson says it is a spectacular sight when the race is underway, just because of the size of many of the yachts when they are under full sail.
Boats will sail in seven divisions, including a sailing dinghy class and a mid-century classic division, and trophies and prizes will be presented immediately following the race at a function at Scotts Landing.
Meanwhile, the 29th edition of the Mahurangi Cruising Club Yearbook is now available. The magazine is a major fundraiser for the club, with copies available from Mahurangi Matters, Leigh General Store, Paper Plus, Matakana and Snells Beach Gull Stations, and the Warkworth Information Centre, as well as other outlets. The cost is $20.
