The 16th Solo Trans-Tasman Challenge is underway. At noon Saturday, the multihull fleet crossed the start line off Opua Cruising Club into a northeast breeze, on schedule to the minute.
Guy Chester was first away aboard Oceans Tribute, the 35-year-old Crowther carbon fibre trimaran clearing the line and finding the wind almost immediately. Within moments she was 200 metres clear of the field and accelerating hard toward Cape Reinga.
Chasing is Electron, skippered by Australian James Foster. A heavy aluminium catamaran, Electron arrived in New Zealand a few weeks ago and has been on the dock at Opua while Foster prepared her for the passage home. She was building speed as the two boats headed northwest together.
As the multihulls cleared the line, the horn sounded for the monohull five-minute warning. The full fleet follows at 12:05.
Follow the fleet live at boatingnz.co.nz/sttc.
