Helly Hansen Three Kings Race: Start date and time delayed due to weather

The start of the 2024 Helly Hansen Three Kings Race has officially been delayed due to the unfolding weather situation.

General Committee Member and Race Director Scott Wilson advised the new start date and time after the decision was made on Tuesday, 9th April.

“We’ve made the call to delay the start of the Helly Hansen Three Kings Race to Friday 12th April, with the new start time being 0900 hours,” said Wilson.

With the change in start time, the race briefing will now be held at 1800 hours on Thursday 11th April at RNZYS.

There are no other changes to the race, with the fleet still rounding the famous Three Kings Islands which mark the halfway point to the 500nm Category 2 race.

The delayed start was sparked by a weather event unfolding on Thursday morning and through the first night. With the fleet originally scheduled to start at 1500 hours on Thursday and given the northeasterly direction of the 30+ knots, having the fleet start in stressful conditions wasn’t doing the race or the competitors any favours.

“The safety of our fleet is paramount, so delaying the start should ensure a smooth yet exciting race,” continued Wilson.

17 boats are set to start at the new time of 0900 on Friday 12th April, with the bigger boats set to finish anytime from Sunday onwards. The weather routing for Brian Petersen’s TP52 V5 shows them finishing at approximately 0600 on Sunday the 14th April.

The fleet ranges in size from Ross 930s all the way up to TP52s and a Botin Carkeek 55.

Each boat will be fitted with a YB Tracker so land lubbers and supporters back home can watch the race unfold in real time. The tracker will be available on the race website – rnzys.org.nz/rnzys-events/three-kings-offshore-race

The major prize on offer is a $12,000 OMEGA Seamaster timepiece which will be awarded to the top placed RNZYS boat on PHRF overall. In addition to this fantastic prize, Helly Hansen also has a rack of prizes on offer which will be presented at the official prize giving ceremony at 1900 hours on Friday the 3rd of May at RNZYS.

For those racing, Helly Hansen has also provided social media contribution prizes. Competitors are encouraged to tag @rnzys and @hellyhansenanz to be eligible for these prizes. Alternatively, sailors can provide their content directly to the social media race contact via WhatsApp number +6421892004.

ENTRY LIST 

#	BOAT NAME	Division	SAIL NO	SKIPPER	DESIGN
1	AKONGA	Shorthanded	9407	Nick Roberts	Dehler 41
2	CLOCKWORK	Fully Crewed	NZ110011	Steve Mair	Shaw 12
3	EQUILIBRIUM	Fully Crewed	9380	Graham Matthews	Marten 55/Botin Carkeek 55
4	FAVOURITE…	Shorthanded	9023	Andrew Aitken	Elliott 1350
5	HOTDOGGER	Shorthanded	4812	Sinisa Grujicic	Ross 930
6	INDIS	Shorthanded	9877	Andrew Benton	Sun Fast 3300
7	MR KITE II	Fully Crewed	16522	Nathan Williams	Cape 40
8	PERFECT STORM	Fully Crewed	9565	Lori Tyrrell	Stomp 38
9	PLAYBUOY	Shorthanded	136	Guy Pilkington	Stewart 34
10	RAGNAR	Shorthanded	10082	Derek Kerr	Sunfast 3300
11	RUM BUCKET	Fully Crewed	NZL9674	Quintin Fowler	More 55
12	SERENA	Fully Crewed	28538	Josh Adams	T1150
13	SHIMMER	Shorthanded	4379	Ben Freedman	Townson 34
14	START ME UP	Fully Crewed	K4903	Peron Pearse	Ross 930
15	V5	Fully Crewed	NZL55555	Brian Petersen	Alan Andrews Tp 52
16	VIXEN	Fully Crewed	NZLO76	James Tucker	Verdier 40
17	WIRED	Fully Crewed	NZL10303	Rob Bassett	Tp52 Bakewell/White