In the drink but where's the beer

A crewman on the yacht Men At Work falls overboard. Photo / Brett Phibbs

Crew on the yacht Men At Work definitely lived up to their name when one of them fell over while competing in yesterday's Auckland Anniversary Day Regatta.

But there were plenty of laughs too.

Auckland man John Caldwell took a dive when strong gusts turned the yacht around.

"We were just hauling the spinnaker back out and I tripped and I went overthe bloody side," Mr Caldwell said, laughing.

"I just hung there for a while and the other guys grabbed me legs and hauled me in. I got a bit wet - but nothing that a beer can't fix. It was all good fun."

Teammate Jeremy Kerr said that his friend had a tendency to fall out.

"The winds spun the boat around from behind and he got flicked off like a bogey," he laughed.

"It was a rugged day - everybody broke things and tore sails. But it was a great day."

Hundreds of people turned out to see the annual event, now in its 171st year. Organisers said it proved to be a fantastic show, given the windy conditions.

Regatta spokeswoman Susan Robinson-Derus said that although the weather had been less inviting for spectators than in previous years, many people still turned out to see the big event.

"It was quite dramatic at times," she said.

"The winds got up to 35 knots at one point, but it was an absolute joy for those on the water and those on the land."

There were hundreds of various vessels out on the water yesterday, including tugboats, classic yachts,tall ships, modern-day keelers and dinghies.

A unique part of the regatta was the Waka Ama race, which gave spectators more to see at the event, said Mrs Robinson-Derus.

The Men At Work crew - who took first place in their keelers division last year - gained second place this year, in the division four keelers group.