2018 Regatta and Centreboard Cup
The 2018 Centreboard Cup was another great day on Sloanes Beach. Despite a poor forecast, the day was perfect without even a drop of rain. The wind was a consistent easterly, making for great sailing for the old mullet boats in this year’s Centreboard Cup. The racing got underway off Sloanes Beach, Herne Bay, at 1pm, with Nick from Hopetoun Brown (and ex Supergroove) providing the start signals on his horn. The mullet boats were then individually serenaded by Nick as they crossed the finish line. After fun and games on the beach, the crowd was fed by a Hawke Sea Scout sausage sizzle, and then entertained by the Hopetoun Brown duo. Thanks to Hopetoun Brown, Hawke, the Ponsonby Cruising Club, the Richmond Yacht Club and the Herne Bay Cruising Club for supporting this 2018 Centreboard Cup.
You can view photos from the day on our album and our 2018 Facebook page. See also the Waitemata Woodys write-up.
Download Centreboard Cup Race Instructions 2018 vB (including a course chart) or view online Centreboard Cup chart
The Herne Bay Cruising Club (HBCC), Ponsonby Cruising Club (PCC) and Richmond Yacht Club (RYC) celebrated the inaurgural Centerboard Cup in November 2013 as part of the 100 year birthday of our clubhouse on Sloanes. This Centerboard Cup and regatta now runs every year in November/December with a mix of sailing, historic mullet boats and beach games.
Sloanes Beach Regatta and Centreboard Cup at Sloanes Beach, 33/35 Marine Parade, Herne Bay, will be on Saturday 15 December with racing planned for a 1pm start (subject to change if required). There will be fun and games, from 12pm onwards. Hawke Sea Scouts will be providing a sausage sizzle.
We will be running our usual mix of childrens’ games, mucking about in boats, and around-Watchman-Island racing for centreboard boats big and small. As in past years, our racing will feature the historic Mullet boat fleet in all their glory. The racing starts at 1300hrs (centreboard boats 18’ and over) and 1305 (for the smaller centreboarders), and will be run by the Ponsonby Cruising Club. All centreboarders are welcome. High tide is 2.9m at 13.56pm. There will be fun activities on the beach from around 1200pm, including rowing and/or short sailing races. The format will be similar to past events.
Bring along a picnic and enjoy a relaxing time watching the old Mullet boat yachts racing in their traditional upper harbour fishing grounds. The club BBQ will be available for you to cook your sausages on. Our friends from Hawke Sea Scouts will also be running a sausage sizzle.
Fri 14 Dec Race Entry & Briefing: 1800 Ponsonby Cruising Club, Westhaven
Note: The Ponsonby Cruising Club Xmas function is on the same night at 730pm, so we may have to meet downstairs and not at the bar.
Entries and the race briefing will take place at the Ponsonby Cruising Club on Friday December 14th at 1800hrs. If you cannot make this, then late entries will also be accepted at Sloanes Beach from around 1200pm on Saturday 15th (but we prefer that all boats enter on Friday night).
We would welcome a $10 entry fee donation for non-mullet boats; mullet boats enter in the normal way for their summer series.
Sat 15 Dec Sloanes Beach Regatta & Centreboard Cup
1200 Late Race Entries accepted at Sloanes Beach
1215 Games and Picnic on the beach
1230 Cook your own sausages on our BBQ, or grab a sausage from the Hawke Sea Scout sausage sizzle
1300 Race 1 Starts: Boats 18’ and over, which we expect to be following the long course
1305 Race 2 Starts: Boats under 18’, which we expect to be following the short course
1356 High tide 2.9m
Followed by Prize Giving & Music featuring Hopetoun Brown & special guests
Centreboard Cup Race
We celebrate a rich history of shallow draft sailing in the upper harbour with two Centreboard Cup races. All centreboard boats big and small are invited. Racing will be organised by the Ponsonby Cruising Club in their Watchman committee boat; we are are very grateful for their support.
Race Instructions and Online Centreboard Cup map
Download Centreboard Cup Race Instructions 2018 vB (including a chart) or view online Centreboard Cup chart
We have both clockwise and anti-clockwise versions of the same course as these allow us to better match the prevailing wind. (The clockwise course will be used if the wind is westerly/south westerly.) We will announce which course to follow at the Friday briefing, and again on Saturday at the race entry desk.
Anti-clockwise course. The planned anti-clockwise courses are shown on the Centreboard Cup map. There will be two divisions, one for boats 18 feet and longer (which includes the Mullet boats), and a second for smaller boats. The start and finish lines will be between a yellow conical buoy laid off Sloanes beach and the HBCC Clubhouse on Sloanes Beach. We expect that the longer boats will start off Sloanes Beach (crossing the start line in a north-easterly direction, yellow conical buoy left to port). If following the anti-clockwise course, boat then go around Watchman Island (leaving it to port), then around the Chelsea Buoy (port) (buoy 19 on this chart, 36°49.68S 174°43.80E), then back to Sloanes Beach and around the yellow conical buoy (left to port), then Watchman Island (port again), Chelsea Buoy (port again), and then cross the finish line between the yellow conical buoy and the HBCC Clubhouse (leaving these to starboard and port respectively, heading in a south-westerly direction). The anti-clockwise plan is similar for the smaller boats, with a start off Sloanes, going around Watchman Island (leaving it to port), and back to the finish line off Sloanes beach.
Clockwise course.The clockwise course will be similar except that all marks are left to starboard, meaning boats 18′ a over go: start line between HBCC Clubhouse and yellow conical buoy (crossing the start line in a north-easterly direction, yellow conical buoy left to port), Chelsea Buoy (starboard), Watchman Island (starboard), yellow conical buoy (starboard), Chelsea Buoy (starboard), Watchman Island (starboard), and finish line between HBCC Clubhouse and yellow conical buoy (leaving the conical buoy to starboard, heading in a south-westerly direction). Shorter boats complete just one lap of this course.
These courses may change to suit weather conditions; any such changes will be advised at the race briefing. You can check the weather conditions recorded by our weather station.
Course changes will be announced on VHF 77 (and, technology willing, via Twitter under #centreboardcup).
Safety Boat Watchman and Channel 77 Radio Communications
We expect Ponsonby’s Watchman patrol boat to be on watch in the area. They can be contacted on VHF 77.
Charts and Launching Ramps
Please see the Centreboard Cup chart and map for the planned courses and suggested launching ramps at Westhaven and Birkenhead.
Facebook & Contact
Any questions? Feel free to email me (Andrew) at centreboardcup@hbcc.net.nz, or call me on 021884673. Or, use our 2018 Centreboard Cup Facebook Page, or (on the day) VHF 77.
You may wish to look at our pages for the Centerboard Cup and Regatta 2017 (and Facebook page & Gallery)
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