07/06/2026
Autumn Series – 7 June 2026
The forecast 13-knot southerly was certainly in attendance when skippers arrived at Onepoto for the new winter start time of 1:00pm. The usual Onepoto swirls and gusts were also present, but that comes as no surprise and is simply part of racing at our venue.
Nine skippers made it to the start line for Race 1, with Tom becoming our tenth competitor shortly afterwards. Unaware of the change to the earlier winter start time, he arrived just after the first race had concluded.
It was also great to welcome Grant and David from Kensington, who joined us for the afternoon's racing and boosting the fleet to 12. Although they were not included in the official placings, it was fantastic to have them on the water, and we hope they become regular competitors in our fleet.
What did catch many of us by surprise was the amount of floating debris on the water. Leaves and small sticks from the surrounding trees proved to be a constant nuisance, frequently becoming lodged on keels and rudders. This resulted in many boats making an unscheduled detour past the shoreline for a quick clean-off before rejoining the racing.
Not everyone enjoyed a trouble-free day. Rick suffered servo issues with his yacht and was forced ashore in race 3. Fortunately, Daves spare boat 13 was powered up and stationed in the pits so after a few tweaks to the radio (reverse sail servo direction) and some rig settings, Rick was soon back on the water and back in the racing.
Peter was sailing Mike R's club boat, number 37, and also encountered technical difficulties. A rudder problem during Race 5 sidelined the yacht, forcing him to sit out the final race of the day.
The racing itself featured an interesting zigzag course designed by Chris. The layout saw boats crossing paths on different legs, adding an extra dimension to the racing and requiring skippers to remain alert throughout. Despite the potential for congestion, there were no issues that I am aware of. Courses like these really enhance the competition, as some of the legs can be particularly challenging and create opportunities to gain or lose ground with every metre sailed.
One unusual incident, or should that be two, occurred during Race 2 involving Boat 3 (Dave) and Boat 37 (Peter). Shortly after the start, the two boats became entangled by their masts and began a slow drift downwind. After several minutes, they were recovered to shore, untangled, and promptly sent back out to continue racing.
Remarkably, after rejoining the race and making their way back towards the start area, the pair managed to tangle masts again — in almost exactly the same spot just beyond the start line! Once again, the boats embarked on a leisurely drift downwind before being recovered. Any chances of catching the fleet had long gone.
As the saying goes, lightning never strikes twice — although on this occasion it certainly seemed to! In reality, it was simply a case of unfortunate timing, with a gust of wind causing one yacht to heel over into the other. The only real solution would have been a little more separation between the boats in the challenging conditions.
Following the racing, a review of the Race 6 finish video revealed a couple of points that were not apparent at the time. Boat 23, sailing on port tack, appears to have incurred a penalty involving Boat 2, which was on starboard tack. The incident was not called on the water, it was only identified during the post-race video review. The footage also confirmed that Boat 185 crossed the finish line ahead of Boat 47. As a result, the placings have been adjusted and corrected accordingly.
Despite the debris-filled water, technical gremlins, and occasional mishaps, another enjoyable afternoon of racing was had by all. The challenging conditions, innovative course design, and friendly competition combined to deliver another successful event, the last round of the 2026 Autumn Series.
Below is a summary of the series created by ChatGPT.
One of the more interesting aspects of the NZRYS Autumn Series scoring system is the significant impact of the discard rule. With the final standings based on each skipper's best four scores from the five race days sailed, a single poor result can either be a minor setback or the difference between several championship positions.
At first glance, Dave's series victory appears comfortable, finishing on 54 points and nine points clear of Bruce. However, a closer look reveals just how important the discarded score was. Dave's 22 points from Race Day 4 became his throw-away result, allowing his total to drop to 54. Without the discard, his score would have been 76.
The battle for the remaining podium positions was even tighter. Bruce secured second place on 63 points, while Tom finished third on 70. Bruce's discarded 55-point score from Race Day 3 proved crucial, as it removed a major blemish from his series. Likewise, Tom was able to discard a 55-point score from Race Day 2, keeping him comfortably on the podium despite missing a race day.
Further down the standings, the discard rule had an even more dramatic effect. Rick's discarded 55-point score allowed him to finish just one point behind Tom on 71 points. Without the discard, Rick would have been well adrift. Similarly, Mike G's discarded 34 points helped him hold onto fifth place, only 16 points behind Rick.
The rule particularly rewards consistency and participation. Skippers who attended all five race days had the opportunity to absorb one poor performance, while those who missed race days were often carrying one or more 55-point penalties that could only partially be offset by the single discard. This is evident with sailors such as Laurie and George, whose standings improved significantly once their worst result was removed, yet they still carried the effects of missed events.
Looking at the final table, the discard system ensured that one bad day did not ruin an otherwise strong series, while still rewarding sailors who consistently scored well throughout the season. The final placings demonstrate that a single discarded score can easily be worth several championship positions, making every race day—and every point scored—important right through to the final round.
