Tauranga boats Windarra and Open Country are struggling to get out of Doubtless Bay and around the Karikari Peninsula on the longest leg of the SSANZ Round North Island race.

The start of the second leg at Mangonui at 10am today was in a light breeze, says SSANZ president Brian Murray.

The Windarra.

Both Tauranga were in the middle of Doubtless Bay about 11am. Open Country's spider tracker shows its speed at four knots.

'We are on the start boat, it looked like five knots and less, it looked like enough for the boats to have momentum so there was no stalling out, so the boats are moving,” says Brian.

Organisers expect the leaders to round Cape Reinga sometime overnight.

'The weather predictions over the next few days as they get over the top, I think it's going to turn into a south, southwest situation. And there are predictions that it could rise up to 25 knots. That might only last for a day or so. It's pretty unpredictable.

They can expect something on the nose.”

Windarra finished the first leg 15^th and Open Country 18^th.

The Tauranga boats are among a fleet of 34 boats competing in the short handed race this year.

The left Auckland on Saturday, and expect to round the Island in about eight days. The current leg from Mangonui to Wellington is the longest in the race.