Republished with permission from Live Sail Die
The inaugural BOP380 (BOP = Bay of Plenty) will set sail from 1000 hours on Friday 24 November 2023 from Orakei and entries are open now to all monohulls 8m and over and multihulls 8.5m who meet the requirements of the Notice of Race.
The BOP380 is a new race on the calendar and replaces the Round White Island Race, which has been on hiatus since the tragic volcanic eruption of White Island back in 2019. The Round White Island Race was held just weeks prior to that eruption…
With the Round White Island Race on hiatus for the foreseeable future, this created an opportunity for RAYC to create a new race and fill the void. Longer races like the BOP380 enable sailors who are keen to take part in races like the 2024 Auckland Noumea and the Sydney Hobart the chance to stretch their legs and experience more nighttime racing.
The BOP380 will kick off in the traditional RAYC starting area off Orakei Buoy leaving and then…
- Whale Island (Moutohora) to port
- Volkner Rocks (Te Paepae o Aotea) to port
- Burgess Island (Pokohinu) to port
- finishing back at Orakei.
The race committee has the option to reserve this course and to keep sailors on their toes, they will announce the direction of the course prior to the warning signal by displaying the appropriate numeral pennant – 1, or 2. Navi-guessers are encouraged to study the forecast to get an inside scope of which course option will be selected.
Sally Garrett, past Commodore and offshore committee member of RAYC, is an active sailor with over 40,000nm under her belt, came up with the course concept with the desire to do something different.
“This new course design has heaps of corners and overtaking lanes, which should mean that both the fast sleds and those good at upwind slogs, should have a chance! This is definitely a race for everyone!” said Sally.
The race will provide distant views of the White Island volcano, however, the fleet won’t be sailing around it in close proximity as they have in the past. Crews will also be treated to views of Great Barrier Island and the Mokohinaus.
The race is classified as Category 3+ with the additional requirements being a life raft, danbuoy, and 30% of the crew having successfully completed an advanced sea survival course.
Life is busy, but there’s always time for a yacht race! So get those entries in before midnight on Wednesday 15th November and race in the BOP380!
