Venue

Evans Bay Yacht & Motor Boat Club, Wellington, New Zealand.

Dates  

12th -16th April 2001

Sponsors

Category 

Sponsor 

Website 

Event Sponsor 

P&O Nedlloyd

 

 

Racing

Victorian sailor Ben Deed put together an excellent series to win his third consecutive Paper Tiger Catamaran International Championship, held over Easter at Wellington, New Zealand.

A high quality fleet had gathered for the event, with the New Zealand contingent consisting of four national champions and the Australian Team also containing four national champions as well as three past winners of the event, including defending champ, Deed.

"Windy Wellington" certainly lived up to its name. Thursday (12th April) was measuring day followed by Heat One. Measuring went quite smoothly. Heat One was an altogether different story. It would in fact be another two days before we got to sail it. We did head out for the start of this race on the Thursday in a very stiff Northerly, however the race committee wisely decided it was too strong and sent us back in. 

The following day, Good Friday, we were again confronted with very strong winds, this time from the south, ripping down Evans Bay at around 40 knots and looking very uninviting. After sitting around for a few hours, the race committee decided that it just wasn't going to happen. Go-karting became the accepted method of pitching Aussie against Kiwi!

 

On the Saturday, we were faced with the prospect of losing yet another day because of the high winds. However it did start to ease slightly and the race committee decided it would try for two races that afternoon. They also warned us that it would be very cold and that we should dress accordingly. They also let us know about the local Kathmandu store (outdoor clothing and gear shop) having a sale. Stocks were quickly depleted of thermal headgear, gloves, socks and undershirts by the bargain hungry and very cold Paper Tiger sailors!

 

We did race and sailed a shorter course at the end of Evans Bay, instead of heading out into the harbour proper. Local sailor Peter Robins read the conditions extremely well and had heaps of speed to record a win. This was by far his best race of the series. His 17th the following morning was his next best. Peter had a great tussle with Ben Deed, the defending champion, and other heavy weather performers Ian Maclennan (NZ) and Grant Allen (NZ) and they finished in that order.

Because the breeze had piped back up again, it was decided to abandon the second race, so we headed back to the club.

On the Sunday, the southerly had died away and there was pretty much no breeze to speak of except for the odd light puff from the north. It seems to only blow from two directions in Wellington ? north or south. The race committee decided they wanted to try for four races, so we were prepared for a long stint on the water.

 

Because the wind was virtually non-existent, we all got on the water quite early, allowing more than an hour and a half to get to the start area for the proposed 10am start. This would not have been enough if the various rescue craft hadn't started towing people. In the end, there was no point, as we sat around till about midday in zero wind. By then the race committee decided that we should be fed, so the pre-ordered lunches were handed out by one of the rescue craft. Shortly after, a northerly started to filter through and built to a very pleasant 12 knots or so. We managed to get three races in, by which time the light was starting to fade. That was quite a cold sail back to the clubhouse, especially once we entered the shadow from the hills.

 

Results wise, Ben Deed dominated the day, winning all three heats. Neal Schneider (Aus) was second in the first one of the day, then followed this up with two fourths. Mark Wiggins (Aus) ended the day nicely with a second placing. Terry Valder (NZ - invitee) improved through the three races to post a third in the final one of the day, while NZ Team member and National Champion, John Thomson, stated the day well with a second and third, then dropped to a 13th.

 

On the last day, Monday, the northerly was still blowing across the harbour, probably a few knots lighter than the previous day. The race committee was going to attempt to get all three remaining races in, although they couldn't start a race after about 2pm due to a restriction in the sailing instructions. Ben Deed was fired up and went out strongly to win the first race of the day, with Neal Schneider second after a close race-long tussle. Ben got a bit conservative in the next race and started poorly, recovering to seventh at the finish. Terry Valder, who ended up being the best placed Kiwi in the series despite not being a team member (he hadn't attended the Nationals), won this race in fine form, with an excellent performance by Bryan Anderson (Aus) in second. Neal Schneider was third with the series looking well out of reach for him by now.

 

Schneider did put it all together in the last race and won it from Ben Deed, with John Thomson, Terry Valder and Bryan Anderson following them.

In the end, the new International Champion was Ben Deed, which made it three consecutive Internationals victories for him. Neal Schneider was second, the same placing he had occupied in the previous International Series. Third place went to Terry Valder. Congratulations and well done to these guys. The first actual New Zealand Team member was John Thomson in fourth.

 

The Australian Team, which was sponsored with free sea transport to the series to the event by P&O Nedlloyd, ended up with 534 points compared to New Zealand's 623. This was quite a bit closer than it had been during the previous competition, held in Adelaide last year.

 

Special Mentions
  • P&O Nedlloyd for getting the Australian Team to the event by providing free use of a shipping container and free sea transport.
  • The friendly hosts who billeted the Australian Team during the event, making their stay so much more pleasant.
  • The ferry & ship captains who chose NOT to plough straight through the middle of the course.
  • The Kiwi ladies who happily collected our trolleys and then had them back ready when we returned to shore. Your dedication was amazing.
  • The organising team for the event, namely Glenn Syman, Darren Kingi, John Thomson and John Tattersall.
  • The rescue crews and race committee who at times endured some very demanding conditions.

 

Results

Download the Overall Results

Team Results:

  1. Australia - 534pts
  2. New Zealand - 623pts

Top Ten Gear

Download the list of the gear used by the top ten sailors at the event

Interview with the Champ

Read an interview with the 2001 International Champion, Ben Deed, conducted shortly after the event.