16:36.34S 151:33.36W The Tahiti Pearl Regatta

The Tahiti Pearl Regatta Here we are back on the boat in beautiful French Polynesia.
Rob has been working hard getting “things done”, Louis has had a sojourn in
Ireland and Sabine in California. Our new crew is installed, Heidi and Liz, finally
the girls outnumber the boys! Since the girls arrived it has been all go! Irene IV was
registered to race in the Tahiti Pearl Regatta some time ago and Louis had
invited an all-star crew – Kirsty and Callum from Intrepid, Raul and Sofia from
Serendipity, and Ed, Adam, Joau and Alia from Black Lion. An insurance hiccup
necessitated a quick change of vessel, Irene IV remained on her mooring while
Black Lion ran the course. This year the 4-day regatta is supported by the Ministry of
Youth and Juvenile Crime Prevention, responsible for Sport. As a result, there
were many very young crews among the 43 participating boats. Three Oysters from
the Oyster World Rally, Nakaia, Seabird and Black Lion (in Irene IV’s stead)
took part, the others ranged from outrigger canoes to decked out racing yachts,
with Hobie Cats and high-performance dinghies in between. Quite a spectacle,
especially around the starting line. The base camp for the regatta was on the graceful
and softly textured island of Taha’a, famous for vanilla production. Taha’a is
encircled by a lagoon, which it shares with the high and imposing island of Ra’iatea,.
Day one (25th May) was for registration,
practice, and preparation. Day two was when the rubber hit the road and the
real racing began. The 3 Oyster yachts were vying with each other. The race
started in the Taha’a lagoon and ran down the east coast of Ra’iatea for 23.5 nautical
miles. The competition was fierce and the winds favorable. Nakaia squeaked a first-place
finish, ahead of Black Lion with Seabird tagging behind. Day two had the girls
joining the Seabird crew as they were shorthanded. The day started with a
delivery of baguettes to each participating boat, a lovely French touch! The 4 Passes
Race was 28.5 nautical miles of absolute focus - dodging coral reefs, shallow
water, rushing currents, wind shadows, and other boats, some racing with us,
some at anchor, some out to watch the fun. The Around Taha’a Race on day three
was a day of gorgeous views, with less stress, as we raced only inside the
aquamarine lagoon. Great fun was had by all, both on the water and at the
awards party on the final night. Oyster made a significant appearance on the
winners’ podium whetting our appetites for the next regatta on Australia’s Hamilton
Island in August/September. The regatta committee provided special compostable bags with
instructions to separate plastic, glass, cans, and other rubbish. They even
picked it all up on the final morning. Every effort helps. We have just read that the Great Pacific Garbage Patch is 3
times the size of France, 1 million square miles, and located in the North Pacific
between San Francisco and Hawaii. This is the stuff of our dinner conversation! |