A hooter sounds as yacht 4065 glides across the finish line. A polite 'thank you” the only words spoken. The large spinnaker is taken down through the hatch in the foredeck.

Elliott 5.9 helmed by Simon Manning.

The fleet under spinnaker.

White Heat, an Elliott 7 metre trailer yacht finishes ahead of the other A division boats. It was their seventh win from eight races. White Heat is crewed by Tauranga sailors Steve Smyth (foredeck), Ian Gilpin (keyboard), Bob de Fluiter (mainsheet) and Bob Smyth (helm). They sailed the series with quiet efficiency over the weekend in which the wind never rose above ten knots.
Tauranga Yacht and Powerboat Club hosted the 2009 Trailer Yacht Association North Island Championships. Boats from Kerikeri to the Kapiti coast made up the 24-strong fleet on the harbour over the weekend.

The action was in the Elliott 5.9 division. Tight racing from very competitive crews made rounding the leeward mark unsuitable for those with a touchy ticker. Often, with less that the thickness of a spinnaker sheet separation between boats, the slightest mistake meant a spanking. Hard won gains made on the other legs of the course could be lost within seconds. Coming out cleanest was professional sailor Cam Horne sailing ‘Slam Dunk' from Gulf Harbour. Three firsts, three thirds and a second was enough for them to take the title.
Dave Cochrane from Kerikeri was second and Simon Manning from Auckland was third. For the Tauranga crews, there was not enough action. They prefer heavier conditions.
Tauranga B division sailor Graham Burton won the cigar with eight wins from eight races, with enough in the tank to also win on handicap. Another local sailor, Mike McCormick helming a Farr 6000, Mintaka, with seven wins, won both line and handicap honours in C division. But not so for White Heat. The A division was won on handicap by the larger Young 7.7 metre Signs of Life helmed by Ross Currie. White Heat was second and INXS helmed by Rex Mangham, third.
On Sunday morning, while the wind was dragging itself up, kind clouds let the sun through and kept the rain away. Boats rafted up or drifted about. Sailors told stories and poked fun. Enhanced by the venue, this ambience is what land based sporting events dream of.

Report on 2009 Trailer Yacht Association North Island Championships, by Gun Caundle.