Anticipated time: 27 hours. Actual time 43 hours.
The start outside Devonport YC was very hot in light wind, lots of boats on the start line but not much shouting ... CV was in danger of being luffed/jammed at the starboard end of the line by the boats under us (line was set at about 60 deg to TWD) so given the length of the race we elected to jibe and start slightly late rather than start a huge race with an incident. Our Midnight Express friends hit the pin at the start, and had to re-cross the line, putting them in last place - but John and Bretta more than made up for that later. Team Vause once again helped enormously before the start, as did Westy. Westy had to go back to Wellington but Karen and Pete drove up to Mangonui to meet us. Family and friends from Australasia had also arrived to see us off on the start line.
We popped a spinnaker up as we rounded Devonport, and sailed in light conditions out of the harbour.
We seemed to be all alone, with lots of boats on both sides of us, which led to the realisation that we were in the middle of the channel in adverse tide, we had to decide which way - in close to shore or on the Rangitoto side of the channel. We were on starboard Jibe so tempted to carry on, but the Expedition software said to go in, right in, so we jibed, took a flyer out left near Long Bay, and did well. One for Expedition. So much so that in light air off the Whagaparoa peninsula in fickle conditions we were second in the fleet of 38 (of which we should be about the 24th fastest boat). From Kawau Island to Cape Rodney was nice sailing, warm, 15 knots of wind, kite up, over 8-9 knots of boatspeed at times. Unfortunately that was not quite enough to really light up CV, so the heavier boats were still up with us and the high power-to weight ratio boats lit up and took off. So we were inshore and the rest of the fleet seemed to be heading that way too.
Seemed like the right choice, but Expedition and the 'Predictwind' data it uses had another surprise for us, anticipating a big R shift with 10-15 knots outside the Hen and Chicken Islands (and much lighter inshore). So we jibed, sailing for a little while at 90 degrees to our intended course, to Cape Brett, and then sure enough we got the big wind shift and with the pole right forward cranked CV along, heading in exactly the right direction fast. Two for xpedition. There was a little rain too, so maybe minus a half for that. We carried the kite for a total of 12 hours when it was time to bring it down.
Then with most of the fleet well inshore of us, tracking along the coast, we
were planning to go straight to Cape Brett, with the tide behind us, in light air. Normally not a big problem.
But just after the sun rose rather fetchingly behind the Poor Knights islands, the wind dropped to effectively nothing and sea went glassy smooth. Smooth, that is, apart from the big, slow, rolling 2m swell that not only stopped the sails from filling but slapped the sails and the gear from side to side with a crash. On every wave. For about 14 hours solid.
Not fast and not fun. Expedition thought we would round Cape Brett with the tide behind us, and so plotted a course for us straight at it. But we got caught because we were so slow. Minus one for expedition. On reflection, however, a more complete answer might have included mention that we were much slower sailng than anticipated,so got caught by the tide change. Tne only beautiful thing to be admired at Cape Brett during this time of frustration was the rising moon. It was a huge orange leicester cheese coloured full moon - nothing like we had ever seen before having seen the same moon rise many a time!
After Cape Brett, to releive the monotony of 10+ hours of hot weather, slatting sails in no wind, etc etc ... the sun set. Still no wind for a few hours, but there was a forecast southerly of 10 knots that, maybe katabatic breeze. No matter what it was called, it was a great relif to be able to move. Later, mostly because Vesna was asleep and therefore couldn't worry about being close to rocks, we took the inside line on the Cavalli Islands.
To follow the theme of this leg, the breeze died completely just as we approached the finish line, and we drifted across the line agonisingly slowly in the incoming tide.
Midnight Express and plenty of other boats made a great job of getting their boats to move in the difficult conditions, we really missed not having a large upwind sail - hardly need them in Wellington! - we finished in the bottom 1/4 of the fleet.
Things improved from there: Mangonui Cruising Club put on a superb team and great atmosphere.
There was chaos in the highly tidal anchorage when the tide changed, then more as a sea breeze started against the tide direction.
Pete and Karen met us in Mangonui and organised quite sneakily a room for us to stay in. A real bed for the night, a hot shower and of course, a good feed of Mangonui fish and chips! Not only that, but Karen had arranged for the superb meals she had prepared for us to be frozen and brought up in Dave Roberts' portable freezer so that we had two hot meals for each day of the next leg. The support that we are receiving from all our friends and family is humbling - they are just amazing people and it is a privilege to have them as our extended family.
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