Hooters arrives at Kawau Island Race Week as one of those boats that quietly embodies what the week is about. Campaigned by Craig Haslip, the silver Sele Open 8.5 catamaran sits firmly at the sharp end of the grassroots multihull fleet, light, simple, and built purely to race. We caught up with them soon after the 2025 PIC Coastal Classic. Even then there was no attempt to dress Hooters up as anything else. Comfort is secondary, weight is everything, and the boat’s purpose is clear the moment the sails go up.
Hooters would normally compete in the NZMYC Open 8.5 class, where strict box rule limits keep hulls, rigs, and sail plans closely aligned. The result is close racing and small margins, exactly the kind of competition that suits Kawau’s closer inshore courses.
For Haslip and his crew, goals are as much about having a bit of a wind-down as getting good results. Race hard during the day, stay competitive in a balanced fleet, and then make it to shore in time to enjoy the evenings.
It is a formula that fits Kawau perfectly, and one Hooters continues to chase with quiet determination.
Photo: Keith Edwards
https://www.coastalclassic.co.nz/post/hooters-and-the-friday-night-goal