BLINK
| Design | Shaw 12 |
| Sail Number | 110011 |
| Length overall | 12.0m |
| Length waterline | 11.70m |
| Beam | 4.0m |
| Draft | 3.0m |
| About the boat: | Blink is a Shaw 12 designed by Rob Shaw and built by Craig Partridge Yachts. Blink was designed by Shaw to maximise the performance potential of a 12m offshore monohull, with the capacity to sleep a full crew and with a usable interior. Blink is a versatile boat, set up for high performance racing either short-handed or fully crewed, both in harbour and offshore. Blink was built with robust construction and systems, foam core, and options chosen with the wisdom that ‘to win you must first finish’ in mind including twin rudders, twin hydraulic rams, and dual hydraulic keel power sources (electric and engine pumps). In the 2020 RNI Blink will be skippered by Tony Wells & Craig Shearer. |
| Home base | Wellington |
TONY WELLS
| Name | Tony Wells |
| Age | 52 |
| Relationship to Co – Skipper | Shoutee |
| Yacht Club | RPNYC |
| Have any of your family members done the RNI before? | Yes – my wife Vesna and I did the 2017 edition, She’s a faster learner than me, doesn’t want to do it again. |
| Have you done the RNI before? | Yes. Half an RNI on Clear Vision (Young 11) in 2011, 2014 with Rob Shaw (designer of Blink), 2017 with Vesna. |
| Tell us a little about your sailing history/ background | Summer of 2007 did a learn to sail course. Liked it enough to buy a boat in 2008. Too frightened to sail it if there were whitecaps for the first few months, decided racing was the way to learn to be a competent sailor quickly. Got hooked. All downhill from there really. |
| What are your essential food items during the race? | Iced Coffee. |
| What will your meals be like during the race? | Deluxe military rations. |
| What’s your favourite point of sail and why? | Is there a point to sailing? |
| What do you like most about the boat you are sailing on? | Rob Shaw’s sportboat smarts applied to a 12m offshore canting keel boat. What’s not to like? |
CRAIG SHEARER
| Name | Craig Shearer |
| Age | 58 |
| Relationship to Co – Skipper | Crew Mate |
| Yacht Club | RPNYC |
| Tell us a little about your sailing history/ background | I’ve sailed in lots of boats including P Class, Moth, Tornado, windsurfer and multiple keelers and have clocked up miles doing the Sydney to Hobart, Auckland to Fiji, Auckland to Noumea and multiple trans-Tasmans and Pacific crossings. |
| What appeals most about doing the RNI | The challenge. |
| What are your essential food items during the race? | Chocolate. |
| What will your meals be like during the race? | Freeze dry. |
| What’s your favourite point of sail and why? | Reaching with FRO, it’s fast and exciting. |
| What do you like most about the boat you are sailing on? | Quick to get up and go. |
| Describe your skipper/co-skipper in 5 words | Calm, methodical, big brain. |
| Tell us about the training and buildup that you have been doing for this race both on and off the water? | Indoor rowing for the distance of leg one. Stationary bike circumnavigation of the North island in 30+ km intervals. Preparing the best play list. |
| What’s your favourite drink and why? | Water… goes with most things. |
| Will you be taking any luxury items on the race? – If so, what is it and why? | Bean bag. Is that a luxury? |
| What’s your biggest fear when you think about the RNI? | Gear breakage. Southerly gales down the West Coast. |
| Who’s your biggest opposition and why? | Booboo by at least 10 kg. |
| What sound system do you have on board? What’s likely to be playing? | Fusion. RNI playlist… |
| It’s the night before the big race – how do you get your head in the game? | Weather downloads for the tenth time. Final boat prep. then leave it alone…. |