Strait whets appetite for wine

Dry land risked becoming anything but as 15 yachts raced across Cook Strait, each carrying a precious cargo of wine.

The fleet raced north to Wellington yesterday, each carrying a padlocked case of new-season Marlborough sauvignon blanc.

The yacht Global and its beaming crew were the first across the line outside the Royal Port Nicholson Yacht Club.

"We left the start line at 9am, so that's about 4½ hours, so a pretty good time," crew member Doug Avery said.

Fellow member Jeremy Turnbull said the crew took a different route to the other boats to avoid a well-known rip, but conditions had turned out well for everyone. "We went way south. We ended up the most southern boat out there."

The wine was locked up till a prizegiving ceremony to make a surprise out of which bottle made it to the North Island first - but also to stifle temptation, Mr Avery said.

In a previous year's race, one boat had been spotted zig-zagging wildly halfway through the race. "I don't think they trust us with the wine," he said.

Most of the crew were Marlborough sheep farmers, but some members - including skipper Ali Turnbull - had stakes in vineyards.

Race committee member Ian Blowers said the race had been held since 2001, and was now a part of Yachting New Zealand's official calendar.

"There's the potential there to get the numbers up a lot, maybe 200 yachts."

Eighteen wineries sponsored the event, which carried a $750 winner's cheque - and six bottles of Marlborough wine for every boat.

Despite the first-place finish for Global, a handicap system meant another boat, Beviamo, skippered by Ross Anderson, was judged overall winner.

TOAST AND A TIPPLE: Left to right, Jeremy and Tony Turnbull on the yacht Global in Wellington yesterday.