News library

David Abercrombie, Yachting New Zealand Chief Executive, advises that Application for resource consent, submitted to Auckland Council by the Harbour Access Trust has now been officially notified to the public.

The 2015 49er and 49erFX skiff National Championships were recently hosted by the Royal Akarana Yacht Club. Given New Zealand is a world leader in both these classes, and the fact that the event attracted some top international talent from Brazil, the 2015 regatta was the most hotly contest in recent memory.

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.

Many are calling this year’s regatta the toughest in the 30 year history of running the OKI 24hr race. With winds consistently 20 to 30 knots throughout the entire 24 hours and squally rain showers in the middle of the night, there were a number of masts broken and sails ripped – making this year’s event one for the history books.

The NZ Sailing Trust has spaces available for paying guests to join Steinlager 2 for the Auckland to Tauranga Race in April, and Lion New Zealand to view the Volvo Ocean Race in-port race this Saturday…

Another busy month has come and gone. The beginning of 2015 is flying by! Since returning from Miami in early February, I have been back into my NZ summer training routine that has included lots of sailing and fitness work. The conditions have been ideal to work on some areas that were identified from racing in Miami, and it has been awesome to see some gains there. Besides having all the other NZ Laser guys out to train with, I have also been fortunate to have a group of international sailors training with us off off Takapuna for the past month which has made training that much more intense and beneficial.

NZ Team Sailing Association is requiring umpires for the Secondary Schools Team Sailing National Championships, being held at Lake Taupo Yacht Club from Tuesday 14th to Saturday 18th April.

Command coaching and giving feedback

I have recently spent a bit of time observing different coaches around the country. One thing I saw a lot of was command coaching.

A fun and relaxed sailing regatta for girls only (eg no boys to compete with) in the Waitemata Harbour off Kohimarama Beach racing in Optimist, P-Class and Starling boats. An Optimist Green Fleet race course will be provided.

Coaching at the Monsoon Cup in Johor Malaysia

The Monsoon Cup is the final event on the World Match Racing Tour; it also has the largest prize purse in sailing 415,000USD. 

The 3.7 Class National Championship was held at the Bay of Islands Yacht Club, Waitangi with 23 entrants March 7-9.

Entries close 1700 hours 13th March

CIORC is Yachting New Zealand’s Cruising Inshore and Offshore Racing Committee. Formerly KORC, this new committee was formed a year ago, and has since been meeting regularly to discuss and further interests of both competitive and recreational sailors in keelboats, trailer yachts and multihull yachts.

The NZL Sailing Team and Southern Spars, World leaders in carbon spar design have formed a unique partnership, with the New Zealand marine industry heavy-weight helping out with a special request from Yachting New Zealand.

2015 Oceanbridge Sail Auckland was once again hosted by Royal Akarana Yacht Club gathering together all of New Zealand’s top Olympic and Paralympic campaigners, and the youth that wish to emulate them.

The 2015 NZ Women’s Keelboat championships will be held on the 28th & 29th March 2015 and will be run by the Royal NZ Yacht Squadron.

The Auckland Grammar team helmed by Sam Morgan win the 2015 Harken Schools Regatta. Sam and his team of Tommy Hayes, Alex Wotton and Alejo Redriera were the successful winners of the Gold Fleet with a total of two race wins and 16 points overall. In a nail bitter finish that saw the top 3 teams only separated by 1 point each, Auckland Grammar were the victors with a total of 16 points, Hutt International Boys School next on 17 points and third overall was St. Kentigern College on 18 points.

Panmure Lagoon Sailing Club has had yet another successful RSA Laser Regatta that saw 39 Laser sailors and their steeds from all over the World – Canada, Austria, Switzerland –as well as the North Island, Taipa, Onerahi, Hamilton and Lake Ngaroto come and do battle on this challenging spot of water in Auckland.

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.