On Board
Rags
From onboard one of the all time classics, Ragtime, on their tour Down Under…
The Fusion Round White Island Ocean Race started off the Akarana Yacht Club, Friday night, 7:00 PM at the end of a large pier. Close in quarters with one end of the starting area a seawall. Got off the line OK, not great but it is a little harder with the strong incoming tide, a short, steeply angled line favoring a “land” start, and a few new crew members. Besides our race, Friday night beercans were underway in the harbor, and a crowd of boats out. After the start, winded out through a heap (look at me speak Kiwi) of islands on the way out to the headlands that form the eastern boundary of the Hauraki Gulf. Very scenic, and we had a good getaway avoiding the incoming tide and putting some distance on faster boats.