RELAPSE

Design Young 50
Sail Number  8681
Length overall  15.3m
Length waterline  14.9m
Beam  5.2m
Draft  3.0m
About the boat: Relapse is a custom designed Young 50 by Jim Young. Relapse will be skippered by SSANZ Committee Members, and father and son combination Mark and Ash Edwards. Relapse was built by her skipper Mark Edwards in Kumeu over 5 years as an afterhours project. When she was launched she embarked on a 5 year family cruising adventure covering 17000nm around the Pacific and South East Asia. More recently she has made Westhaven home and Mark and Ash have been working hard to get Relapse ready for her Round North Island adventure in 2020!
Home base Westhaven
Facebook Relapse Racing

MARK EDWARDS

Name Mark Edwards
Age 55
Relationship to Co – Skipper I’m a co creator
Yacht Club SSANZ
Have you ever done the RNI before? I did the RNI in 2002 on a 35 footer loved it hope this will be as good
Tell us a little about your sailing history/ background 50,000 miles offshore sailing over 40 years, won’t bore you with details!
What appeals most about doing the RNI Well run, challenging, fun, and the camaraderie of all the competitors.
What are your essential food items during the race?  Cones for the ice cream.
What will your meals be like during the race? Deluxe roasts or Military rations? Gourmet with all the trimmings (yeah right!)
What’s your favourite point of sail and why? Any where as long as the windex isn’t pointing to it.
What do you like most about the boat you are sailing on? Sanding the bottom doing maintenance and paying marina fees. What else is there in life?
Describe your co-skipper in 5 words Rabid sailing enthusiast.
Tell us about the training and buildup that you have been doing for this race both on and off the water? I’ve been sailing every one else’s boat and not my own. But on the plus side Ash and I have already done 4 years and 17000 miles of cruising around the Pacific and Asia on Relapse so we know the boat fairly well.
What’s your favourite drink and why? Beer because it keeps my weight down.
Will you be taking any luxury items on the race? – If so, what is it and why? Beer, lots of nice fluffy dry towels for those long hot showers that every one has on the way round.
What’s your biggest fear when you think about the RNI? Doing a Ken and running out of beer on day 1 of the Wellington leg.
Who’s your biggest opposition and why? Ourselves.
Tell us about your biggest supporters My wife – she is very supportive and understanding. (I just hope she doesn’t find out what it really costs or she will not be so supportive and understanding.)
What’s most exciting/challenging about this race for you? Doing the race with my son.
1What sound system do you have on board? What’s likely to be playing? Don’t need one – Motorboat’s will do the whole fleet.
It’s the night before the big race – how do you get your head in the game? Just chill out.

ASH EDWARDS

Name Ash Edwards
Age 20
Relationship to Co – Skipper Son
Nickname Cinders
Yacht Club RNZYS & SSANZ
Tell us a little about your sailing history/ background I’ve grown up cruising keel boats my whole life, my first big sailing adventure was with my mum, dad and younger brother when I was 6, for 6 months in Fiji on an Elliot 35 Carpe Diem. When we got back dad wanted to go further afield so he built our current boat, Relapse, a Young 50. We spent 4 years cruising the Pacific and South East Asia covering over 17,000 miles in the boat with just the 4 of us on board for the most part. While we were away I got into yacht racing so when we got back I joined the YTP and sailed on Wired as the mast man where I have now moved forward to mid bow. I’m now helming in my 3rd year of YTP and also thoroughly enjoying myself on my own Platu 25.
What appeals most about doing the RNI Just the huge challenge it represents both physically and mentally.
What are your essential food items during the race? Copious amounts of lollies.
What’s your favourite point of sail and why? Blast reaching in heavy air, the boat just starts to light up, plus who doesn’t like to send it?
What do you like most about the boat you are sailing on? Being able to have hot showers, cold beers and ice cream whenever I like, none of these items will be under stocked *cough* Gale Force *cough*
What’s your favourite drink and why? Rum and Powerade because prevention is better than cure.
Will you be taking any luxury items on the race? – If so, what is it and why? I’m really looking forward to sleeping on a lovely mattress with a duvet and feather pillows.
What’s most exciting/challenging about this race for you? Just the simple fact that for most of the race you are sailing the boat solo!
What sound system do you have on board? What’s likely to be playing? That sounds like a big boss problem, but I’m sure we’ll be able to hear Motorboat from anywhere anyway.
It’s the night before the big race – how do you get your head in the game? A few beers with a few friends, some really terrible stories and a really good sleep.