BMW Wrap from Creepy Crawler...

"Well it was a nice fresh start to the beginning of the BMW Regatta.

The Friday was blowing 20 gusting 30 and there was plenty of carnage off the line for everyone! Freedom broke a centreboard before the start and Rental lost both their hatches and broke a rudder putting paid to their regatta. The leaders in the fleet had a quick getaway under gennaker down to a turning mark off Issy bay which saw Epsom Salts absolutely hauling, spray flying everywhere and at the other end of the fleet the Putiki was doing a similar thing- flying their big kite and nipping on the heels of the GBE's. Then it was a fantastic death reach along the southern side of Motuihe for everyone, apart from Frantic who ended up sending it a bit too far. The following two windward leewards races were frantic and punishing. Epsom cracked their centreboard cases and retired and Whio cracked a rudder box. There was a little too much wind to try out the new gennaker on Creepy let alone the new rig which went loose mid race. OP managed to make the 6 o'clock news on TV One!

Saturday dawned with a sunny light Southwesterly which built slightly for the first race, died completely after the second with-the AP flag up till the Seabreeze came in after half an hour and then settled in as a nice 12-15knot North Easter. Up the front of the fleet there was plenty of battling going on between Attitude, Deeds and Lucifer. There was also plenty going on behind the leaders too, with all the GBE’s and Creepy having close racing on Saturday and Sunday. Plenty of wind shifts throughout the regatta kept it interesting as people choose different sides of the course. Ocean Pacific ended up trawling their kite at the top mark on the last race of Saturday and losing the prod under the boat with the seagull striker being bent over with it. Freedom's boys managed to slot their new centreboard (built frantically on Friday -it helps when all the crew are boat builders) straight out the bottom of the boat and had to pull their sails down and go swimming to retrieve it mid second race. Creepy was filling up with water from a crack between the hull and water stay chainplate. There was plenty of action all round!

Sunday started off with a nice steady breeze blowing for what was to be a great long harbour course. The Trimarans looking competitive up wind, and the cats looking fast off the wind, there was plenty to watch with all the 8.5’s sailing through the fleets of boats. As the race got down to the last two or three marks, there was a nice wind hole that held its place between North head and Rangitoto. Several boats sailed into the hole and ended up drifting through it, proving interesting for some.

Overall great racing between the boats throughout the regatta with ten 8.5's entered -the highest of any class/division in the regatta -but suffered a high attrition rate. We're looking forward to more boats showing as the year continues.

Thanks to the organisers and handicappers for a great regatta and congratulations to Dirty Deeds who once again took the line honours prize with 6 first places and 3 seconds in nine races; and to Lucifer who took the regatta on handicap by half a point from us!"

racing day 2: thanks to Ivor Wilkins for pic

see results at : http://www.bmwaucklandregatta.co.nz/site/bmwar/files/images/BMW%20Regatta%20Series%20Results.pdf

Pictures Here: here