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Kiwi sailor Ian Vickers has opened his IOM World Championships campaign with a seeding race win and a creditable 6th place in race 2. Unfortunately a Black Flag Disqualification in his third race dropped him out of the top, A-fleet. He finished in the B-fleet for races four and five. 

The Finn class is making a welcome return next week to the beautiful city of Split, Croatia, for its 2015 Junior and Senior European Championships. Around 80 sailors from 29 countries have entered for the first major championship of the year. Five years ago Split also hosted the European Championship, with local sailor, Ivan Kljakovic Gaspic (CRO) taking a close win after a dramatic medal race.

Ian Vickers will represent New Zealand at the IOM (International One Metre) World Championships; starting in Foster City, California, on 8 May.  The International One Metre class is arguably the most competitive of the radio sailing classes.

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.

There are changes coming for Health and Safety regulations which will affect clubs. The new Health and Safety at Work Act is expected to come into effect in the third quarter this year. 

If you’re keen on learning to sail the exciting youth 29er skiff class – get along to Murrays Bay Sailing Club for a have a go day this Sunday. 

The New Zealand Symphony Orchestra presents Into the Storm – a concert that will rattle, unnerve and animate the senses, while celebrating the forces of the ocean. 

I’ve spent the past three weeks in what has become a very familiar town and sailing venue to me over the past five years of my Olympic Laser sailing campaign. Located on the beautiful South coast of France, Hyeres has become like a second home to me while in Europe having staged an ISAF Sailing World Cup event there ever since I began racing the Laser competitively on the international stage. Upon arriving, memories always start flashing through my mind as I drive past all of the towering palm trees lining the road, before passing through the final roundabout, seeing my ‘regular’, the best patisserie in town and then into the local port where the majority of my time is spent for the duration of my stay. Having some great memories from previous World Cup events in Hyeres, including my first ever ISAF Sailing World Cup event medal in 2012, it is always a welcoming venue that I look forward to returning to.

The Marauder 8.4 Owners Championships were held at Gulf Harbour Yacht Club on 18th - 19th April 2015. 

At the end of the Summer season, Napier Sailing Club run an afternoon on the water to find the Champion of Champions… the ‘top’ sailor of each class (which this year included Optimist, Starling, Europe, Laser, OK, Paper Tiger, Div 2 T S and Nolex 25) is put forward to represent that class and race against the others. 

The legend of big swells in past Starling Nationals hosted by the New Plymouth Yacht Club continued as the National Championships Regatta held recently battled with a couple of weather  systems passing through.