Former Queenstown resident Matt Hunter, with his son Oscar Hunter and Alana Vining, of Queenstown, won the 2012 Donald Hay Classic for the second time on Saturday.
Hunter, now Invercargill based, skippered 7m-long Elliot Ness alongside 26 other boats, which set off from Kingston at 10.13am. Crews experienced light southerly winds on Lake Wakatipu, which caused a slow pace on the 34km course.
Elliot Ness sailed over the finish line at 4.15pm, 45 minutes inside the time limit, with all other boats finishing in the following two hours qualifying.
Commodore David Stringer said he was "chuffed" there were more competitors than last year and from further afield, given the economic climate. Along with competitors from around the Wakatipu there were challengers from Wanaka, Dunedin, Invercargill, Bluff, Oamaru and Christchurch.
The prizegiving was held by the Wakatipu Yacht Club upstairs at the Pig 'n' Whistle Pub on Saturday night.
Line honours: 1st Elliot Ness - Matt Hunter, of Invercargill, 2nd Fine Arts - Peter McGrowther, of Dunedin, 3rd Deep Purple - Clive Manners-Wood, of Queenstown.
Handicap: 1st Garfield - Tony Cuthbertson, of Dunedin, 2nd Jade II - Hamish Jackson, of Queenstown, 3rd Sweet Talker - Murray Gardiner, of Queenstown.
Ross 780: 1st Fine Arts - Peter McGrowther, of Dunedin, 2nd Three Beers - Wayne Shaw, of Queenstown, 3rd Kaos - Derek Stewart, of Queenstown.
Noelex 25: 1st Huia - Jock Jeffrey, of Queenstown, 2nd Dawn Breaker - Owen Cambridge, of Wanaka, 3rd Impulse III - Doug Riley, of Invercargill.
