Fourteen boats are entered for today’s Bean Rock Race, with unsettled weather ahead of the scheduled 10am start. Supporters will also be able to follow the fleet through a tracker trial.
Graham Matthews’ Equilibrium has won line honours in both opening rounds. It returns alongside Nirvana and Rum Bucket, its closest rivals in the PHRF standings. Steve Mair’s Clockwork is back after missing round two, the Roy McDell Memorial. Carrera 3 and Wasted Away arrive having been part of a closely fought handicap contest at that event. The entry list also includes Tonto, Whitebait, Questa, INDIS, Flying Boat, Fulcrum, Visage and the multihull Levity.
Rain could prove more troublesome than the breeze
The forecast northerlies of 8 to 17 knots, gusting to 23 knots, are familiar territory for this fleet, and the breeze is expected to ease later in the day. Seas may reach 0.9 metres near Whangaparāoa, but neither the wind nor the waves look especially unusual for racing on the Gulf. Heavy rain could make things less straightforward, particularly if visibility drops. MetService has a Severe Thunderstorm Watch in place until noon, which brings the possibility of sudden squalls and lightning.
Following the race from shore
We’re trialling the same tracker used during last weekend’s Fitzroy Bay Race. Follow the fleet live here.
The tracker lets readers keep an eye on the yachts as they head towards Mahurangi and back without being on the water. It’s still being tested, so a few hiccups are possible. The published full course is approximately 44 nautical miles.
For the championship standings, previous results and more about the race, see our earlier Bean Rock Race preview.
