In 2019 the remarkable multihull Beau Geste sailed into New Zealand and set a new race record in the country’s most famous yacht race. It completed the 119 nautical mile course, which starts  in Auckland and finishes in Russell, in just 5 hours and 37 seconds, leaving yachting commentators asking if this was, finally, the unbreakable record for the iconic race. 

From 930am Friday morning (tomorrow) 170 yachts of all shapes and sizes will line up off Devonport Wharf in Auckland for the start of the 40^th edition of the PIC Coastal Classic.

And while Beau Geste looks set to keep its name on the top of the record books, there are records in the divisions for smaller boats that have been in place since as far back as 2005, which are ripe for the taking.

Top line honours

PIC Triple Series SSANZ Race 2. © Suellen Hurling – Live Sail Die

A scan of the fleet shows it’s almost definite that a multihull (catamaran or trimaran) will take line honours in 2022. Competitor Ed Ayre owns the trimaran Lucifer which won the race in 2019 on line and handicap. If victory doesn’t go to one of the ‘frighteningly quick’  bigger multis such as Apache (Erle Williams, NZMYC), Cation (Graeme Catley, RAYC)  or Romanza (Dougal Love, RNZYS) he says there are several smaller boats – Timberwolf (Liz Alonzi, NZMYC), Exodus (Ed Crook, WBC) and Crazy Train (Matt Middleton, NZMYC) – that could do the job.

Only one monohull (a boat with a single hull and keel) has taken line…