News library

Prior to the Round White Island Race commencing, 19 boats had officially entered making it the biggest fleet to line up for some time. 17 of those boats made the start line and nine finished the 320 nautical mile challenge.

Thirteen Wetas turned up at Tauranga Yacht and Power Boat Club late Friday afternoon and quickly rigged and got out on the water for the rum race.

Chris Bouzaid and the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron are seeking an indication of potential interest in a proposed “One Ton Cup Revisited” regatta, in Auckland, New Zealand, in February/March 2015.

Yachting New Zealand is seeking to recruit Double Handed Olympic Class coaches on a contract basis to prepare crews for the 2016 Rio Olympics.

On Monday the 25th November Sandspit Yacht Club (centreboard division) hosted the Mahurangi College forms 1-4 Regatta at Algies Bay.

Here’s a look at the up-coming sailing related events around the country for the next couple of weeks. See the YNZ on-line calendar for full details of these events and those on beyond that. Are you organising an event you would like to see included? Don’t miss out on some free promotion for your sailing events by adding them to the YNZ on-line calendar here.

Lake Wakatipu Yacht Club has been successful in preventing a ferry development on their doorstep which would have a significant impact on the safety of their sailors and access to the water.

Volvo National Sailing & Boating Day on Sunday 16th February 2014 is shaping up to be a fantastic day around the country with a wave of Clubs registering for the fun promotional day with Yachting New Zealand.

The 2013-14 Volvo Sailing… Have A Go! season is in full swing with Instructors Paul Moriarty in the Southern Region, Reuben Corbett the Northern Region and Jordan Stock our Central region all settling into their regions and life on the road.

Yachting New Zealand continues to protect New Zealand’s cruising hot spots and race routes with advocacy work for boaties, and the proof is in the pudding with the latest decision on aquaculture positioning in Northland.

Yachting New Zealand wishes to thank Clubs for the great response to new deadlines around membership fees introduced this year, and we want to let you know about the launch of a new investigation into potential membership models.

Coffee makes the world go round...faster. Well that’s true for many of us who can’t bear to face the day until we’ve had our caffeine fix – let alone think about competition on the water. With your daily performance-enhancer ‘cuppa’ in mind and to combat the legendary ‘cafe coffee queue’ a new breakfast option will be available at the Regatta base on shore.

New Zealand’s 2013 sailing success has been recognised at regional sports Awards around the country with acknowledgement in youth sailing, Olympic class sailing and coaching in Marlborough, Bay of Plenty and North Harbour.

Kohimarama Yacht Club sailors were to the fore in the annual Auckland Intermediate (Year 7 & 8) Regatta held Thursday 21 November in Auckland. Remuera Intermediate won the event which totals the points scored in fleet racing of the best three sailors from each school.

Are you a disabled sailor looking to race overseas in a Paralympic class boat? Have you got a classification to ensure you’ll meet the criteria for the type of boat you want to sail?

This Friday, 50 years on from the inception of the New Zealand Sailor of the Year Award, the Sir Bernard Fergusson Trophy will be presented to the winner of the 2013 House of Travel Sailor of the Year.

After an arduous seven day series including twelve races for the gold fleet sailors the 2013 Laser World Championships have come to a close at Musannah Beach, Oman. Just one race was possible on the final day of competition the start gun firing only a few minutes prior to the 3pm final cut off time giving competitors just one more crack on the race track to determine their final fate.

It was a day of incremental improvements for all three New Zealand sailors racing in the gold fleet at the 2013 Laser World Championships drawing to a close at Musannah, Oman. With one day remaining Sam Meech has moved up one position into 9th, Andy Maloney up two places to 14th while Thomas Saunders has climbed one place into 19th.

Sailors Taylor Burn and Henry Gibbs won the Marlborough Sports Team of the Year at the 2013 Marlborough Sports Awards on Monday night. “It was a great night” says Taylor’s Dad Rob Burn. “330 people, John Macbeth was MC and Sir Graham Henry was the guest speaker. “Taylor gave a great speech off the cuff - even thanked his parents and Henry's. Unfortunately Henry wasn't able to be there.”

Yachting New Zealand is pleased to announce the appointment of a new NZ National Classifier for sailing – Helen McKenzie. After attending the IFDS Classification Seminar in August 2013, Helen was awarded this designation which enables her to give a national classification to sailors with physical disabilities sailing in Paralympic class boats.

It was light and shifty again in Oman for the penultimate day of the 2013 Laser World Championships where kiwi campaigners Sam Meech, Andy Maloney and Thomas Saunders are all fighting it out in the gold fleet.

Researchers at the Kennedy Krieger Institute announced today the results of a pilot study demonstrating use of a virtual therapeutic sailing simulator as an important part of rehabilitation following a spinal cord injury (SCI). Auckland's Spinal Rehabilitation Unit based sailing simulator programme led by Sailability Auckland's Brendan Toruelle played a key role in gathering data, conducting the same measures and sharing data with the research team.

On 9- 10 November 2013 a keen group of first time sailors descended on Mount Pleasant Yacht Club for two days of sailing. Supported by the Halberg Disability Sport Foundation and Yachting New Zealand, 15 physically disabled people took their turn using an adaptive Hansa 2.3 dinghy on loan from Otago Yacht Club. In Otago, this boat enables an inclusive sailing programme also organized

After solid wind through the opening half of the 2013 Laser World Championships in Oman, day four provided sailors a new challenge with light and very shifty conditions at Mussanah Beach.

The 2013 Laser World Championships is proving to be an almighty battle as day three concludes and the six day regatta reaches the half way point in Muscat, Oman.

Seven individuals have been honoured with Yachting New Zealand Life Membership in 2013. The recognition will be celebrated at the 2013 Yachting Excellence Awards gala dinner on Friday November 29th at the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron.

This year seven Youth Performance Awards will be presented at the 2013 Volvo Yachting Excellence Awards recognising sailing achievements since September 1st 2012. Sailors in this category must be under the age of 21 years on December 31 this year.

Just one race counted on day two of the 2013 Laser World Championships on now in Muscat, Oman where a handful of New Zealand’s best Olympic class sailors are competing for the world title.

Minoprio is crowned the NZ Match Racing Champion for 2013.

The final day of the Optimist North Islands got underway in the continued light conditions of 4-6knots so it was a true day for good clear thinking and strategic sailing and it was Kiwi, Scott McKenzie from Kohimarama Yacht Club in the Gold Fleet who led the way with a great display of skill in reading the shifts and good boat speed in the conditions, taking two firsts to pull away from Australian Otto Henry to take the title by three points.

Nominees for the Yachting New Zealand 2013 Service Award winners included, once again, a truly inspirational bunch of individuals. They are people that continue to give their time, services, and skills to the sport, and are well worthy of recognition for their tireless efforts.