108 Boating New Zealand
members who come and go, depending on commitments and
the occasion.
Among the crew tonight are Cat and Cat from the Squadron- events manager Catriona Stanton and operations director
Catriona Bunce – and Squadron Youth Training Programme
member Niall Malone. (Another regular crew member is
Squadron rear commodore Aaron Young, grandson of Extreme’s
designer Jim Young, but he’s on photo
duty tonight.)
As we rig up on the dock, the
important jobs are allocated:
mainsheet, trimming, bar and DJing.
he soundtrack for this cruise seems
to be Solid Gold 80s, which is good
enough for me. here’s a mix of
experienced sailors, newbies learning
the ropes, and those just along for the
ride. “I want to involve everybody, but I
still want to win,” Roberts notes.
here is just enough breeze to keep
us moving in the prestart. We’re in
the second division (E), up against
some MRXs, the Flying Tiger 10 Tigga,
and the hompson 850 Rapid Ride.
It’s going to be a bit light for one of
those, but we get of to a good start, on a tight two-sail down to
Stanley Point. Because of the relative lack of wind and proximity
of dusk this time of year, we’re sent on the shortest course
possible: reaching back and forth to Stanley buoy twice.
Roberts might have said he was in this for the fun, but it’s
clear he’s pretty serious about the racing. It’s not until the
second leg that things get really serious – the stereo gets turned
down quite a bit too. With its lifting keel half-up, Extreme is
tender, and crew weight needs to be moved in and out almost
constantly as the light breeze comes and goes.
At the irst mark we manage to get inside running on Namu
and round in second place. So far so good. Now we just have to
track down Rapid Ride.
It’s just an absolute pleasure to be out on the water. he
afternoon light is fading on the city and, as the race progresses,
the sun starts to set. I can’t think of anywhere I’d rather be than
...this way I get
to do forty-five
races a year, and
most race boats
might only do
twenty.