2016 Mahurangi Regatta programme
Helping push the Auckland Regional Parks 50th anniversary boat out
Regatta Day Saturday 30 January 2016
This is a good old-fashioned leave-your-wallet-at-home picnic regatta—no food or drink is on sale.
Regatta-goers are invited to keep an eye out for folk who may have arrived having made the not-unreasonable assumption that they could buy food on site, and to offer to share a little of their picnic with such first-timers.
Friday Night-Race to Mahurangi
- 3 pm
- Classic A and Modern Classics
- 3.05 pm
- Classic B
- Sailing Instructions
Regatta 102.4 fm: This year, regatta-goers handy to Sullivans Bay can listen to the dulcet tones of the entertaining shoreside regatta commentator and race caller Cluny Macpherson on 102.4 fm. Next year this service will follow the action to Scotts Landing so that any locals and visitors not near the marquee can hear what they are missing—the Prohibition Big Band live! This, of course, all thanks to the new Mahurangi Regatta principal sponsor, Teak Construction.
Mahurangi Regatta
Generally held at Sullivans Bay*
*In the event of strong easterly wind, sailing entries will be taken at Scotts Landing
*In the event of strong easterly wind and/or heavy rain, shoreside events will be cancelled.
Low tide 6.17 am (-1.01 m above mean level of sea)
High tide 12.32 pm (1.08 m)
Low tide 6.48 pm (-1.00 m)
High tide 12.55 am (31 January 2016) (0.89 m)
Another Year Another Yearbook Masterpiece: The Mahurangi Regatta 2016 – Mahurangi Cruising Club Yearbook 2015 is latest in an almost uninterrupted series that have become an integral part of what makes the regatta a memorable, significant annual regional event, beautifully book-ending, with the Auckland Anniversary Regatta, the long weekend where everybody who can snatches a last lingering summery break from the city. image and design Lyn Bergquist
- 9–11.30 am
- Entries (for sailing events and log race)
- 9–11 am
- Launching of trailered boats associated with regatta, at Sullivans Bay
- 10.30 am
- St Ayles skiffs—around Saddle Island and back
- 11 am
- Shoreside events begin—dinghy, kayak, open (sit-on) kayak, swimming, blindfold boat, lost-the-dinghy-oars, rowed inflatable etc., and any other event suggested that seems a good idea at the time! (enter by presenting at starting line)
- 12.00 pm
- The Jane Gifford assumes her station as start boat
- 12.30 am
- Master of the Mahurangi
- 1 pm–2 pm
- Sailing events (and launch log race) commence
- Sailing Programme
- Sailing Instructions
- Course
- Course for strong easterlies
- Entry form
- 1 pm–2.30 pm
- Friends of Regional Parks sand sculpture. Prizes for under 7 years, 7 to 11 years, 12 to 16 years, adults—Theme: Regatta and the regional parks
- 1.30 pm–2.30 pm
- Idle Alongs, Mistrals (contact Katharine Sampson), and hopefully many other classes
- 2.00 pm
- Shoreside events resume—running, three-legged, sack, spud and spoon, water run, egg throwing (enter by presenting at starting line)
- 3.30 pm–4.30 pm
- Retrieval of trailered boats associated with regatta, at Sullivans Bay
- 4.00 pm
- Tug-of-war
- 4.15 pm
- Humongous annual egg-throwing competition
- 4.30 pm
- Lolly scramble (grand finale of shoreside events)
Mahurangi Regatta Prize-Giving and Dance
Held at Scotts Landing
Revived by Mahurangi Action in 2004 in the form of a regatta ball as the grand finale of Warkworth’s 150th celebrations, then as a prize-giving dance, the traditional format, from the following year. In 2011, ex-tropical cyclone Wilma cancelled the regatta, and in 2012 a combination of mediocre weather and a lack of financial support precluded the event, but from 2013, largely thanks to the support of the Rodney Local Board, and from 2014 with additional help from Auckland Council’s regional events fund, the future of the prize-giving dance has been secured.
Free use of gas barbecues—no ‘bar and burgers’ since 2010
There is no longer a cash bar nor burgers for sale. From 2013, the format returned to that of the prize-giving dance that prevailed before the regatta lapsed during World War II, when it was on bring-your-own basis. This makes the event much less financially risky, particularly when wild and/or wet weather intervenes, as it did, spectacularly, in 2011.
Mahurangi Regional Park and all 28 other region parks are now smoke free.
- 1.00 pm-ish
- The free Scotts Landing regatta shuttle commences operation, Craig: +64 21 123 3725
- 3.30 pm
Second volunteer regatta shuttle driver, Phil, takes over: +64 21 956 905
- 6.00 pm
- Third volunteer regatta shuttle driver, Mark, takes over: +64 21 378 791
- 6.00 pm
- Pre-prize-giving trio/quartet performs
- 6.30 pm
- Prize-giving dance commences: Prohibition Big Band
- 7.00 pm
- Prize giving
- 8.00 pm
- Prize-giving dance resumes: Prohibition Big Band
- 9.30 pm
- Final volunteer regatta shuttle driver, Cimino, takes over: +64 27 462 4872
- 11.00 pm
- Last dance
- 11.10 pm
- Last call for the free Scotts Landing regatta shuttle: +64 27 462 4872
Sunday Morning Mahurangi To Auckland Mark Foy Race
- First Start 9.30 am
- Sailing Instructions
- St Ayles skiffs—up the Mahurangi River to Warkworth and back