Long-running model

Demolishes own record

International Marine introduced the Mk III Caribbean 35 in 2010 and this is the most significant upgrade since then. The Melbourne-based boat builder believes the 35 is the world’s longest running boat model in continuous production. The company began building the 35 in 1970 under licence to Bertram, USA.

The Mk 1 was produced from 1970 and replaced in 1986-7 by the Mk II with modifications to the hull to accommodate a second cabin. The Mk II ran from 1987 to 2010, branded a Caribbean from the early 1990s after Bertram USA got into financial difficulties and the licensing arrangement with International Marine ceased.

International Marine decided to brand its big boats ‘Caribbean’ in line with its popular range of smaller GRP trailer boats. The Mk III Caribbean 35 debuted in 2010 with a completely new, lock-up flybridge that was considerably larger than earlier versions.

To date the company has built more than 700 Bertram/caribbean 35s and around 55,000 boats in total.

LIVELY PERFORMER

Also new for this model are the engines: a pair of 350hp Cummins QSB all electronic common-rail turbo-diesels. The 6.7-litre engines are housed under the saloon sole in an engine room that also contains the 7.5KVA Onan generator.

Access is reasonable, especially when all the floor panels in the saloon are removed, and the space is well lit. The wiring and labelling are tidy and, in keeping with Caribbean’s reputation and the long legacy of this model, the boat appears well engineered and strongly constructed.

The boat’s solid GRP hull has hardly changed since 1970. The Caribbean 35 is descended from a 31-foot deep-vee hull originally designed by Charles Raymond Hunt in 1960. All Caribbean boats share the same DNA and Scott White made the observation: “Caribbeans all feel the same, no matter what their size.”

The Caribbean 35 is a great rough water performer with a ride quality usually associated with much bigger craft.

The new Cummins QSB engines are smoother, quieter and more powerful than before, resulting in improved hole shots, better performance in the mid-range and improved fuel economy. Four-bladed Teignbridge propellers have been matched to the new engines.

Night Hawk II is a 30-knot-plus boat. At wide open throttle we saw 31 knots on the GPS with the Cummins engines synchronised to 3050rpm. She cruises happily at 26 knots, each engine burning 45 litres per hour, while at trolling speeds fuel consumption drops right back to 4.7 lph at seven knots and 21 lph at nine knots. Engine controls are electronic and twin screws make the boat easy to handle dockside.

The revamped Caribbean 35 is a worthy upgrade on a popular model. New engines provide a useful boost to performance and fuel economy while the interior is a step up in luxury, bringing it into line with the Express models. She remains a great sport fishing boat, but is also a comfortable family cruiser that offers excellent sea keeping and safe, predictable handling. B

Strong winds propelled Manouch Moshayedi’s supermaxi Rio 100 across the Pacific to set a new Pacific Cup Fastest Passage record. With an elapsed time of five days, two hours, 41 mins and 13 seconds, Rio 100 knocked two hours off the record set in 2004 by Robert Miller, whose 139-foot Mari Cha IV finished with an elapsed time of five days, five hours, 38 minutes and 10 seconds.

Since 1980, the Pacific Cup has been sailed from San Francisco Bay to Hawaii every other year, and since 1988 the finish has been at the warm and welcoming Kaneohe Yacht Club on the island of Oahu.

Rio 100 sailed a course slightly above the rhumb line for the entire race, taking advantage of breezes fed by the well-behaved Pacific High as well as remnants of Hurricane Celia. Many of this year’s crew of 16, including navigator Christopher Branning, were also onboard for the 2015 Transpac when Rio 100 won the prestigious Barn Door Trophy with an elapsed time of seven days, five hours, 34 minutes, and 07 seconds.

In a remarkable display of high speed offshore sailing, the Oatley family’s supercharged supermaxi, Wild Oats XI, demolished the course record time she set in the Brisbane-to-keppel race in 2011.

The 30m yacht covered the 348-nautical mile course at an average speed of 21 knots. Propelled by a solid south-easterly wind over the entire course, she covered the distance in less than 17 hours; a performance that saw her carve almost seven and half hours off her previous record time.

The Keppel race was the first chance Wild Oats XI’S skipper Mark Richards and his 19-man crew have had to test the yacht since her hull was dramatically modified late last year. The rig has also been refined significantly in recent months.

“She’s a different yacht,” an elated Richards said after Wild Oats XI crossed the finish line. “It was a phenomenal performance; a dream run. We were averaging 25 knots for quite a while, and all the time she was a delight to handle. She was always responsive to the helm, and never once showed any sign of wanting to nose dive – which was one of the problems we had to contend with before we changed the shape of the bow.”

Launched in 2005, Wild Oats XI is the most successful yacht in the 71-year history of the Rolex Sydney-hobart race. She has been first to finish on eight occasions, set a course record twice and won on corrected time on two occasions. In a hypothetical scenario, should Wild Oats XI achieve a similar average speed in this year’s Rolex Sydney-hobart race she will demolish her current race record time by more than 12 hours.

One of New Zealand’s most important keelboat competitions – the IRC Nationals – returns to Bay of Islands Sailing Week in January 2017. The IRC Nationals sees yachts race against each other under the internationally recognised IRC rating system. Participants compete for IRC titles alongside the usual regatta trophies, making it an easy decision for many of those who are already taking part in the Bay Week regatta.

In 2016, the IRC Nationals brought an international standard of competition to Bay Week, with competitors from around New Zealand and overseas taking part. After the success of their previous partnership, Yachting New Zealand ( YNZ) has again asked the organisers of Bay of Islands Sailing Week to host the prestigious event.

Bay of Islands Sailing Week Committee Chair, John Grant, says it’s great to have the Nationals back at Bay Week again. “It’s a testament to the quality and popularity of the regatta that YNZ see it as the ideal venue for one of the country’s most important keelboat competitions.”

The 2016 IRC Nationals saw 12 yachts compete across two divisions, or IRC classes, which corresponded with the existing A and B divisions of the Bay Week regatta. This year, organisers hope even more regatta participants will compete in the IRC Nationals, thanks to the addition of a third IRC class for smaller boats.

IRC Class Three will be open to boats competing in C division, which commonly includes designs such as Farr 1020s, MRXS and One Tonners. But regatta organisers stress any boat competing in divisions A to C is welcome to compete for the additional IRC trophies. They will just need an endorsed IRC certificate, which is available through YNZ.

Organisers also hope to attract more overseas entries, particularly grand-prix yachts from Australia. Many Australian and overseas teams will have just taken part in the Sydney to Hobart race, so there’s just a short trip across the Tasman between them and another of the South Pacific’s premier yachting events.

Ray Haslar, from the Bay of Islands Sailing Week Committee, says New Zealand has developed a really strong fleet of 50-footers in recent years, especially with the growth of the TP52 class, so the standard of competition is going to be very high. “We hope this will be a big drawcard for racing teams from Australia and elsewhere in the world.”