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A meeting of 15 Lotus yacht owners at the Lowry Bay Yacht Club on 20 February enthusiastically ageed to re-establish the association. It had been in recess for several years. All classes were represented at the meeting including the Lotus 1280's which had previously not taken an active part in the association.

With the majority of OK Dinghy World Championship winners over the past two decades being production GRP boats, you could be forgiven for thinking that the home building roots of the class have long been forgotten. However this couldn’t be further from the truth.

Wellington’s Lowry Bay Yacht Club is holding an Orienteering Boat Rally on 15th March. The new initiative is a cross between the sport of orienteering and the Amazing race.

After successful campaigns in Waikawa and Wellington over the summer Craig Edwards and his team on Flying Machine must be seen to be the favourites to defend their Knight Frank South Island Young 88 title this weekend on Lyttelton Harbour. But Edwards is not expecting have it all his own way.

Almost 700 teams entered with just one month to go until the start of the Trofeo Princesa Sofia Iberostar

All skippers, crew, partners, friends and supporters of Stewart 34 Yachting are invited to attend the annual prize giving to be held on the 28 of March in the ballroom of the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron on Westhaven Drive.

A bottom mark collision between Flying Machine (Craig Edwards) and Legacy II (Colin Lock) was a dramatic end to an exciting final day’s racing in the Knight Frank South Island Young 88 Championship.

The Clipper Round the World Yacht Race is on the hunt for adventurous New Zealanders looking to take on the ‘Race of their Life’ in 2015 and beyond. Twelve New Zealanders are already signed up to compete in the 40,000 mile ocean odyssey raced by international amateur sailors from all walks of life.

It's a hive of activity down in the Race Village with more than 59,000 visitors flocking to the Viaduct over the weekend. All six of the Volvo Ocean 65 boats have now been hauled out of the water and lifted on to cradles for maintenance and repairs. The masts have been wheeled off site for their maintenance and The Boatyard is busy looking at any work required on the sails.

Thanks to Volvo New Zealand generously giving us one of their allocation for the 12 March Pro-am Race, Yachting New Zealand is inviting all boat owners with Yachting New Zealand registered boats to enter in the draw for this spot on board one of the Volvo Ocean Race yachts.

Yachting New Zealand has named 15 campaigns in the 2015 NZL Sailing Team.

Volvo New Zealand are extending a very warm welcome to all members of Yachting New Zealand clubs and Volvo vehicle owners to the SeaLounge at the Volvo Pavilion in the Viaduct Events Centre during the Auckland Stopover. This offer can be taken up any day of the Volvo Ocean Race, between the hours of 10:00 – 11:00 or 3:00-4:00.

Yachting New Zealand and the NZL Sailing Teams’ technical clothing partner, Zhik, is opening a temporary showroom in the Auckland Viaduct, next to ‘The Crew Club’ at 220 Quay Street. They are showcasing their full yachting clothing range, including a limited amount of Zhik NZL Sailing merchandise.

Have you been looking to try small boat sailing? Yachting New Zealand will be running the Volvo Sailing... Have a Go! programme for the duration of the Auckland Stopover of the Volvo Ocean Race from Saturday until 15 March. Come meet us outside the Viaduct Event Centre for a free sail in one of our four Topper Omega sailboats! Everybody over the age of 5 is welcome, and we will provide the lifejackets. No experience required.

On 19 February, the New Zealand Sport and Recreation Awards Judging Panel met in Auckland to select winners in six categories: Event Excellence, Community Impact, Communication Excellence, Innovation Excellence, Commercial Partnership and the C.K. Doig Leadership Award. Yachting New Zealand and Aon New Zealand have been named as one of three finalists in the Commercial Partnership Category.

Wakatere BC hosted a combined NZ Nationals for the 470 and Nacra 17's classes this weekend. A fleet of five took part in the 470 class, notably Olympic gold medalists Jo Aleh and Polly Powrie, and top men’s crew Paul Snow-Hansen and Dan Willcox who teamed up two years ago. Three Nacra 17 crews competed with hot favourites being Gemma Jones and Jason Saunders who have had good results on the international circuit in this new Olympic class.

Sailability Wellington hosted the 2015 Hansa Class National Championships, Kiwi Cup and Kiwi Ability Regatta at Lowry Bay, Wellington from 17th to 19th January 2015.

On 31 January Sailability Auckland followed in the wake of trendsetter Sailability Wellington and opened its new satellite branch at Whangaparaoa.

Unless you have been living down a very deep dark hole, you have probably heard by now that sailing has been excluded from the 2020 Paralympics to be held in Tokyo.

Wakatere Boating Club hosted a combined New Zealand National Championships for the 470 and Nacra 17s classes this weekend. A fleet of five took part in the 470 class, notably Olympic gold medalists Jo Aleh and Polly Powrie, and top men’s crew Paul Snow-Hansen and Dan Willcox who teamed up two years ago. Three Nacra 17 crews competed with hot favourites being Gemma Jones and Jason Saunders who have had good results on the international circuit in this new Olympic class.

Yachting New Zealand was saddened to learn that Past President, David Cook has passed away. David was a Tamaki Yacht Club man, and served as Yachting New Zealand President from 1995-96. He was awarded Yachting New Zealand Life membership for his services to the organisation.

It is hard to believe we’re into February 2015 already – but it is certainly a busy month in lots of ways.

The winner of the Volvo National Sailing and Boating Day photo competition, earning $1000 for the Club is… this photo taken at Kohimarama Yacht Club by Jason Morgan. Congratulations!

Oceanbridge Sail Auckland gets underway on Thursday 26 February and to date there are 177 boats who will line up to take on the four day event.

On Sunday 15th February, Howick Sailing Club hosted a 3.7 Class Regatta. Eight 3.7 Class sailors from Auckland and Waikato Clubs raced off for the 3.7 Howick Championship Cup with Hamish Hall-Smith from French Bay taking the honours.

The new face set from Opti & Starling brought exciting challenges to the fleet of eleven 420s.

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.

The RNZYS Harken Schools Regatta starts this Friday with a full complement of 20 teams!

Alex Bruce won the inaugural Farr 6000 Match Racing series recently held at the Port Chalmers Yacht Club. Alex has been having some great success in his Noelex 22, Charade, and he quickly came to grips with the Farrs to ultimately take the series despite getting off to a slow start in his first heat.

We are delighted to announce the Ross 930 Squid Vicious is our first entry to the Jack Tar Auckland Regatta and Charleston is our first multihull entry. Former owner of Django Andrew Reid has entered his new boat Anarchy which is yet to be launched. Now that’s impressive! Check out pics on our Facebook page.