“…Day after day, day after day
We stuck, nor breath nor motion;
As idle as a painted ship
Upon a painted ocean"

The widely known verse from Coleridge’s Rime of the Ancient Mariner was beginning to be the experience of yachts competing in Port Macquarie Yacht Club’s Long Ocean Triangle event last Sunday 6 April 2025.

Fortunately that particular sailing adversity was somewhat less than “days and days”, but nonetheless frustrating for the three yachts that started in Sunday’s race. Ocean regulars Enticer, Mimosa, Third Man and Zig Zag were notable absentees, while the starters on the day comprised Cool Change, Kookaburra 2 and Solar Coaster.

At the race briefing, OOD Teddy Clausen nominate a northerly port rounding course and provided the BOM forecast, of 8 – 15 knots of breeze and favourable seas. Skippers waiting in the start area may have been forgiven for considering the forecast overly optimistic.

With an oily ocean surface and around 2.5 – 3.5 knots of wind, the start took place at the nominated start time. With an inshore southerly current and only occasional zephyrs of a breeze, 15 minutes after the start when all yachts were struggling to cross the start line the mercy rule was invoked and the start abandoned with a restart proposed dependant on the arrival of wind.

When the breeze finally arrived, it came in initially at a light but consistent 5 – 6 knots, sufficient for a race start. All yachts managed good starts and proceeded towards the C3 (sea) mark. Heading out to sea the breeze built steadily to around 10 knots while the southerly current picked up to around 3 – 3.5 knots around the mark.

Kookaburra 2 arrived first at the mark, and having overstood, approached the mark at speed, with cracked sheets, and was able to make a successful rounding. Both Cool Change and Solar Coaster approached the mark close hauled and became caught up in the current and had great difficulty rounding the mark, allowing Kookaburra 2 to take an unassailable lead.

Solar Coaster was the next boat to round successfully and chased, but was unable to claw back much of the lead established by Kookaburra 2. Cool Change having less sail area than the other two yachts struggled to round the mark, and with equipment issues ultimately was unable to finish the race. The final result mirrored the mark rounding, with Kookaburra 2 taking the honours from Solar Coaster.

Considering the delayed start and current racing out wide, crews were grateful to the OOD for good race management in not abandoning the event, which as it turned out, notwithstanding the dubious conditions at the start, and strong offshore current ended up producing a day of unusually good sailing that proved to be anything but average.