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Racing at ISAF Sailing World Cup Palma shifted up a gear for the NZL Sailing Team on day four with the first round of finals races now underway pitting the absolute best from around the world against each other in very close racing.

For their 2013 Nationals the Elliott 5.9 Class Association chose to join the Auckland Regatta to celebrate 30 years of Nationals event racing for the E5.9. The fleet is growing steadily and involves some well known sailors, with a successful Traveller Series that focuses on five weekend events each year, followed by the class Nationals.

This year, it was New Zealand’s turn to host the Interdominions in the 14-foot Javelin Skiff. The Bay of Islands put on some superb racing conditions for the fleet with sunny weather and anything between 5 and 18 knots of wind. True to its purpose, the practice race was held in a steady moderate breeze, and even Flying Circus made it around the course upright although stand-in skipper David Rohwetter had never helmed a Javelin before. Both Australian boats left the competition far behind.

The ISAF Sailing World Cup Palma, has hit the midway mark with more racing for the NZL Sailing Team overnight. With day three wrapped the qualification series is done and the regatta now heads into the business end. New Zealand is in good shape with the Maloney and Meech siblings leading the charge. Three kiwi crews – Laser men Andy Maloney (pictured) and Sam Meech, and 49er pair Alexandra Maloney and Molly Meech - are sitting top three in their fleet.

You know about Burling and Tuke – but have you heard about Marcus Hansen and Josh Porebski? Both just 20 years old they are the NZL Sailing Team’s ‘other’ 49er campaigners, and last year they achieved a major career highlight with a sixth place finish at the 2012 49er World Championships.

It has been another excellent day for the NZL Sailing Team in Spain for ISAF Sailing World Cup Palma, where day two racing has just wrapped up. Among the New Zealand sailors to climb up the standings were Andy Maloney, up to 4th in the Laser; Josh Junior, moving four places to 6th in the Finn, and Paul Snow-Hansen and Daniel Willcox rising to 5th overall in the Men’s 470.

For the first time in years the Nelson Yacht Club’s Kaiteriteri Regatta tempted a group of young sailors from Golden Bay’s Pohara Yacht Club to cross the Takaka Hill and be part of the action.

Wind and waves delivered exciting and challenging racing on day one as competition got underway for the NZL Sailing Team sailors in Palma de Mallorca, Spain at the ISAF Sailing World Cup Palma, also known as Trofeo Princesa Sofia Regatta. Sam Meech was New Zealand’s standout of the day placing 2nd in his two races today in the Laser fleet, with team mate Andy Maloney also on the pace with a 5th and a 3rd. Overall they sit 3rd (equal) and 7th respectively in what is the largest fleet in Palma comprising around 110 sailors split into two fleets for qualifying racing.

The first European stop of this world sailing circuit starts tomorrow with the practice race with strong winds forecasted in the bay of Palma. The Princesa Sofia Mapfre Absolute winner trophy has the names of the 43 winners of the regatta engraved. Among them, the King of Spain and five times Olympic medallist Ben Ainslie

This drill is designed to create situations for boats already on the start line, and others trying to find a space from the pin end. Set a start line and lay a mark off the pin end.

New Zealand’s new major yacht race - the A2B Ocean Race will set sail from Auckland on the 9th of February 2014. It will travel the length of the country, departing our largest city - Auckland and arriving in our smallest port town – Bluff. On route, it will head up through the Bay of Islands, round Cape Reinga, down the West Coast before rounding the base of the South Island and into the town famous for its oysters and southern hospitality – Bluff.

The Notice of Race for the Santander 2014 ISAF Sailing World Championships Test event, Ciudad de Santander Trophy, has been released.

Bay of Plenty residents and visitors need to continue to be aware of the risk of paralytic shellfish toxin poisoning. “Levels of toxin found in shellfish along parts of the Bay of Plenty coastline remain high. Shellfish in the affected area should not be taken or eaten,” says Dr Neil de Wet, Medical Officer of Health.

A strong New Zealand Paper Tiger Team heads for Wellington this Easter weekend for the 2013 Swire Shipping International Paper Tiger Catamaran Championships. The venue is Muritai Yacht Club, on the eastern shores of Wellington Harbour. Muritai is familiar to many Paper Tiger sailors from both Australia and New Zealand, and has a strong history of running national championships, however this will be the first time the class has hosted an International event this location.

The 44 edition of the Trofeo Princesa Sofia Mapfre (ISAF Sailing World Cup Palma ) for Olympic Classes which kicks off this Saturday, arrives with many novelties and in an unusual Olympic campaign atmosphere in a post-Olympic year, according to the Organisation at the official presentation to the media this midday at the Mapfre in Palma.

Adam Minoprio, 2010 World Match Racing Champion is the 2013 NZ Open Keel Boat Champion. Who will follow Sam Osbourne and be the 2013 NZ Women’s Keel Boat Champion? We have two entries already including one from New Caledonia and the Canadian National Champion has also expressed interest in this regatta. The entry deadline of the 19th April which is just over 2 weeks away so it is time to get your crew together and enter the regatta. Entries will be accepted in order of receipt so enter now.

Join the cruising division of the RNZYS ocean race to Musket Cove, and get the benefit of a one-stop customs service, and a start at Opua or Auckland. Strong interest means up to 20 boats could be racing to Fiji on 1 June, including a contingent with something other than speed on their mind.

A team of New Zealand’s Olympic class sailors are gearing up for ISAF Sailing World Cup Palma where racing is set to get underway on Easter Monday. This ISAF Sailing World Cup Regatta runs over six days from April 1st-6th. With the NZL Sailing Team’s big guns – our 2012 Olympic medallists – targeting other international regattas in coming month and not sailing in Palma, the door is open for some of the less well known campaigners to step into the spotlight in Palma and make their mark early on in the four year Olympic cycle.

ISAF Sailing World Cup Palma will see two undefeated 49erFX crews go head to head for the first time on 1 April as racing begins at the third stop on the 2012-2013 ISAF Sailing World Cup Series. Held across Club Nàutic S'Arenal and Club Marítimo San Antonio de la Playa over 900 sailors will fight for the titles across the ten Olympic events with many expected to cast their eye over the sailors at the start of their Olympic campaigns in the 49erFX.

With the summer of 2013 apparently willing to hang around for ever, the competitors in the Auckland Regatta were treated to superb sailing conditions – albeit mainly in the light to moderate wind range – for the three days of the contest.

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.

Northland Sailor of the Year Chris Hornell has sailed his Reichel/Pugh TP52 Kia Kaha to victory once again, in last weekend's Auckland Regatta. With convincing wins in PHRF, IRC and line honours categories, Kia Kaha - which means 'stay strong' in Maori - continues to prove her mettle among New Zealand's sailing elite.

Do you know a young person that would benefit from racing offshore? This is their chance. Young people aged sixteen and over will have a unique opportunity to undertake their first offshore race experience aboard one of ocean racing’s most stalwart veterans, Lion New Zealand, in the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron’s Ocean Race to Musket Cove, Fiji, in June. A voyage on the boat has already kick started the offshore sailing career of Cory McLennan.

Yachting New Zealand are selling six Optimists that have been used as a part of the Sailing... Have A Go! programme. The boats are for sale as a group of six, not individually, and must be picked up from Auckland.

Start the drill with a downwind start line, approaching from to windward. Set 3 marks below the start line. The boats must slalom downwind around the marks, rounding the bottom mark before heading upwind to the finish line. This drill has starboard, port and port bottom mark rounding’s.

Over Easter weekend, New Zealand’s 2012 Access Liberty (servo) World Champion Helena Horswell will be back in Australia racing at the 2013 Centenary of Canberra Asia-Pacific Access Championships.

Yachting New Zealand is working increasingly to ensure freedom of access to the water for all members, yachties and powerboat owners alike. Here is an update on four cases that YNZ have been involved with on your behalf in the past year,

With just one week to go, there is still time to get yourself organized to be part of a great Easter Weekend on the water. TYPBC has decided to waive the late entry to entice those still sitting on the fence to jump off and come sailing! Looking forward to seeing some more of the Auckland based boats have a crack at showing the Tauranga crews how it’s done!

Join Sir Russell Coutts and Grant Dalton at this lavish gala dinner in Auckland prior to the 34th America’s Cup on San Francisco waters later in the year.

Just 14 months after a skydiving accident rendered Jonathan Martins a L1 paraplegic; he prepares now to become the first disabled yachtsman to complete a single-handed circumnavigation voyage around New Zealand.