The Donald Hay Classic yacht race between Kingston and Queenstown got off to a good start on Saturday morning - only for the wind to disappear halfway through, leaving most of the 51 boats entered stranded in the middle of Lake Wakatipu.
One boat - Badonkadonk, skippered by Philip Auger, of Christchurch - was able to take advantage of the conditions but voluntarily did not accept any placing because of uncertainty how the new design should be handicapped.
Although the Shaw-designed 6.5m yacht technically fitted the entry conditions of being a "trailer sailer" with a motor, it was at least half an hour ahead of the rest of the field - many of who abandoned the race as news of it's arrival spread.
"It's a really new sort of design," a member of the race organising committee, Andrew Husheer, told the Queenstown Times.
"It is broadly a trailer sailer - but it's not much more than a dinghy really and there isn't enough information available on how to handicap them yet."
Mr Auger realised the difficulties and voluntarily withdrew from contention for the cup, although his finish time did start the clock on the two-hour race cut off.
A Queenstown yacht enthusiast and the winner of the inaugural Donald Hay Classic 30 years ago, Clive Manners-Wood, managed a respectable fourth place in Firefly T4201.
Mr Husheer said only eight boats finished but despite that the race had been a good day out.
"There was a nice little southerly breeze up to the Devils Staircase but then it dropped off," he said. "Then there was a lot of sitting around waiting for a gust and sitting in the sun."
Many of the other boats had aborted the race by 6pm, with most motoring straight to the Wakatipu Yacht Club headquarters in the Frankton Arm.
It was the first time the race had taken its original course in four years and, despite the difficult conditions affecting the race at the weekend, organisers said it was better than last year, when the event was called off because of strong winds.
Mr Husheer said the Wakatipu Yacht Club committee would discuss the race's future format.
"It brought a lot of guys out of the woodwork again this year. I think a lot of people like this format for the race."
Results. -Reprieve, Richard Hawkins (Dunedin), 1; Rattle 'n' Hum, Jeff Mercer (Otago Yacht Club), 2; Freak Brothers, Bill Fratter (Timaru), 3; FireflyT4201, Clive Manners-Wood (Wakatipu Yacht Club), 4. Badonkadonk, Philip Auger (Christchurch), took line honours but was later voluntarily disqualified from the race.
