Thirteen monohulls crossed the start line at 12:06, a minute behind the scheduled noon start, into sunshine and a building northeast breeze. Malcolm Dickson timed his start to perfection, pulling clear of the fleet while the rest were still finding their lanes.
Joan, his wife, watched from the dock as he sailed away.
"Good start, great start, timed that perfect," she said. "I guess he's watched enough yachting over the years to know how to start."
At 79, Dickson is the oldest competitor in the fleet, and this is his fourth Solo Trans-Tasman. The first was a learning experience. Before leaving the dock he acknowledged that, with such a diverse fleet, anything could happen, though he made clear he would be doing his best.
Nothing about those opening moments suggested a close contest was coming. Dickson stretched clear almost immediately, twelve boats strung out behind him as the fleet headed north. The wind had filled in at Opua a couple of hours before the start, the sun came out, and both fleets got away cleanly. All 15 boats are now at sea.
