DUTY FREE

Design Farr 1220
Sail Number 6697
Length overall  12.19m
Length waterline  10.24m
Beam  3.81m
Draft  2.4m
About the boat: Duty Free is a Farr 1220 by Bruce Farr and built by Sea Nymph Yachts. Skippered by SSANZ President Andrew Mackmurdie & Jennifer Haliday, Duty Free is a regular on the SSANZ & wider Auckland Racing scene.
Home base Westhaven
Facebook Duty Free – Make Mine a Rum!

ANDREW MACKMURDIE

Name Andrew MackMurdie
Age 63
Relationship to Co – Skipper Friend
Have you done the RNI Before? Yes – on Duty free in 2014 with Brendon Guerin.
Yacht Club RNZYS & SSANZ
Tell us a little about your sailing history/ background Introduced to small boats early on and was an active canoeist in my teenage years. I was reintroduced to sailing as a 17/18 year old in Seattle where the harshness of being foredeck during the winter polar bear series made me want to experience the lounge at the back of the boat more often —- after university I crewed on a Trailer Sailer out of Bucklands Beach followed by a stint working overseas. On return to NZ I bought into a H28 (Alouette ) followed by a C&C 34 (Odyssey ). Then l crewed on Mahia (Lotus 1280) for 10 years in all Squadron races, before buying a Farr 1020 (The V Team ) and started doing Squadron races, Coastals, Auckland / Tauranga, SSANZ series. This was followed by buying Duty Free (Farr 1220) with the express purpose of doing longer races/cruising type activities.
During this time with Duty Free I did the 2014 RNI with Brendon Guerin, continued with the SSANZ series, Squadron races and Coastals etc. I was persuaded to join the SSANZ committee, being suckered into becoming the Secretary and now the President.
What appeals most about doing the RNI The Challenge.
What are your essential food items during the race? Apples.
What will your meals be like during the race? Well thought out, very tasty, easy to heat/eat and filling.
What’s your favourite point of sail and why? Reaching – possibly not the fastest for us but still enjoyable if not over powered.
What do you like most about the boat you are sailing on? Comfort and feeling that we will survive anything thrown at us.
Describe your skipper/co-skipper in 5 words Talented , gutsy, intrepid, try anything.
Tell us about the training and buildup that you have been doing for this race both on and off the water? We have sailed together for about 10 years , multiple Squadron races fully crewed, 2 handed in SSANZ series for a couple of years , the Enduro 250, White Island 2 handed.
Currently doing gym work /distance walking for stamina.
What’s your favourite drink and why? Gin and tonic, Rum and Coke in equal measure.
Will you be taking any luxury items on the race? – If so, what is it and why? Good food, rum /Whiskey , warm clothing /change of clothes /sheets and blankets for night snoozes, 2 bean bags.
What’s your biggest fear when you think about the RNI? Night time sailing when tired.
Who’s your biggest opposition and why? No idea
Tell us about your biggest supporters Paulette King (Partner and No 1 supporter) , followed by my regular crew, followed by my parents, followed by my work team.
What’s most exciting/challenging about this race for you? I ran myself into the ground last time and have been the butt of many jokes from my ex crew mate – this time l want to manage my physical well-being better and to get round without too many dramas.
What sound system do you have on board? What’s likely to be playing? Complete range of music from classical, to bagpipes to reggae -anything and everything.
It’s the night before the big race – how do you get your head in the game? Have a drink (or 2 ) and go to sleep after looking at the weather forecast.

JENNIFER HALIDAY

Name Jennifer Haliday
Age 55
Relationship to Co – Skipper Sailing Buddy
Yacht Club RNZYS
Tell us a little about your sailing history/ background Earliest recollections are of being put in the forward-hand position and told to do what you’re told in Dad’s Frostply before I was old enough to go to school.
Started crewing regularly from about age 8 with Mum Pauline (nee Newland) at the helm of Tosca. Pauline is one of NZ’s pioneering female competitive dinghy sailors and is the source of my sailing inspiration.
A chance opportunity saw a step into keelboats on Farr 1020 The V-team, then Farr 1220 Duty Free. Since 2007 I’ve sailed out of Westhaven, competing in the various RNZYS series races each year. I’ve completed several longer races including multiple Coastal Classics, Auckland-Tauranga, White Island and SSANZ Enduro. With owner Andrew Mackmurdie I’ve been a regular co-skipper in SSANZ 2-handed series for the past 6 years!
What appeals most about doing the RNI Everest is out of reach so this is the next best thing.
What are your essential food items during the race? A bag of crisp apples.
What will your meals be like during the race? Will plan for 5-plus a day but reality will be daily sausages in bread with tomato sauce.
What’s your favourite point of sail and why? Upright is always handy.
What do you like most about the boat you are sailing on? Super-comfy.
Describe your skipper/co-skipper in 5 words Captain Araldite.
Will you be taking any luxury items on the race? – If so, what is it and why? Electric toothbrush (is that a luxury?)
What’s your biggest fear when you think about the RNI? Falling off the bloody boat.
Who’s your biggest opposition and why? Titanium & Motorboat – because they’re really good short handed and seem to perform well consistently.
Tell us about your biggest supporters My husband Leighton. Always supportive and encouraging – he’s preparing the game fish lures for our Northland leg.
What’s most exciting/challenging about this race for you? How to interpret early morning hallucinations.
What sound system do you have on board? What’s likely to be playing? My i-tunes store. Blues, jazz, rock – Nick Cave, Radiohead, Amy Winehouse, etc etc. Anything that keeps me awake.