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As well as being an important annual fixture for the OK class, this year's 'Monkey was also the final event in the qualifying series for NZ sailors hoping to claim one of the spots available for the 2014 OK Dinghy Worlds, being sailed at Black Rock in Melbourne at the end of this year.

Smooth American import Eric Rone is being called "The Wolf of Wakatere" after hunting down elusive wind shifts (and other prey) with seeming ease to take out the 2014 Brass Monkey in the OK Dinghy class in Napier over Queen's Birthday weekend.

With the breeze back in, the 2014 European Laser Standard and Laser Radial Championships rolled on in Split, Croatia today where five races have now been sailed over three days and the qualifying rounds conclude.

Winds were light for day two of the 2014 European Laser Standard and Laser Radial Championships being held in Split, Croatia and all fleets added just one race to their results before the diminishing sea breeze saw the second scheduled race cancelled.

As we all know, not all yachting is racing around the buoys. For many the fun of cruising is what ‘spins their wheels’ and in the deep south with an abundance of deep lakes in what could arguably be some of the country’s most spectacular scenery there are a band of enthusiastic Trailer Yachties that are always keen to tow their craft inland to one of the lakes.

Late February I received an email from Les Baker of Timaru inquiring about the possibility of some Timaru yachts having an Easter cruise on Lake Te Anau. After a quick phone around it was decided to move the Southland Trailer Yacht Easter Cruise from Lake Manapouri to Lake Te Anau.

Cruising in mid-autumn in the southern lakes probably doesn’t sound like everyone’s cup of tea but it seems very common to the yachting fraternity from Otago.

With the cruising rally boats and the line honours winner of the race fleet now in Denerau, Fiji the 2014 ANZ Sail Fiji is at the business end. After the race fleet departed Auckland Harbour last Saturday the 2014 ANZ Sail Fiji has seen plenty of action with four retirements from the race including Kia Kaha, Surreal, Crusader and Iemanja; and a couple of EPIRB false alarms.

Expressions of interest are invited for the position of a Head Coach for the Queen Charlotte Yacht Club.

Racing got underway today for the 2014 European Laser Standard and Laser Radial Championships being held in Split, Croatia where New Zealand’s best are competing.

Sam Barnett and Zak Merton, New Zealand’s representatives for Tavira in the Boy’s 420 class, are part of the growing list of talented sailors to come out of the Tauranga Yacht & Powerboat Club

The New Zealand team going to this year’s 420 Class Open World Championships are working hard to be the best prepared they can be for the Worlds regatta in Travemunde, Germany, July 25 to August 3rd, 2014.

Royal Akarana Yacht Club’s 22nd race to Fiji, ANZ Sail Fiji, got underway this morning at 1300 hours on a perfect, yet slightly overcast day in Auckland.

At 1300 hours today, Saturday 7 June 2014, Royal Akarana Yacht Club will star their 22nd race to Fiji, ANZ Sail Fiji.

Yachting New Zealand was saddened to learn that Tauranga based Yacht Inspector Murray Crapp passed away suddenly last Saturday while working on his own boat.

Getting funding for sports is never an easy task and when faced with a shortfall leading into the ISAF worlds Infinity Racing had to change tack and come up with a more cost effective way to make this event still happen!

Ali Nightingale is a 16 year old from Charteris Bay in Canterbury who will represent New Zealand in the Girl’s Laser Radial at this year’s ISAF Youth Sailing World Championships in Portugal.

Next week New Zealand’s best Olympic single-handed sailors will line up to contest the 2014 European Laser Standard and Laser Radial Championships. The regatta, being held in Split, Croatia, is expected to attract large fleets including a full complement of the world’s best in the Olympic single-handed dinghy disciplines for both men and women.

With the Inter Marina MRX Sailing Challenge just finished we now have the chance to recap on the season just been, get on with our winter maintenance and begin planning for 2014 / 2015 – which is already filling up.

IRC racing in South East Asia is well established, with popular regattas including Singapore Straits, Raja Muda and Phuket King's Cup attracting large and competitive fleets from around the region and further afield. There is a great deal of interchange between the IRC fleets, particularly in Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand, with many boats regularly travelling to regattas in other countries.

15 boats raced in the 2014 Auckland Champs hosted at Bucklands Beach Yacht Club, in what was the most competitive fleet for some years. Three brand new boats were launched on day one of the event, a tangible result of the Class Association sponsored new hull programme. Four are now racing and more hulls are expected to be built in the coming months.

The ever popular two handed champs followed on from the single handed event and brought ten quality entries out for another great day’s racing.

The 2015 ISAF Team Racing World Championship to be hosted in Great Britain by the Rutland Sailing Club will provide an opportunity to test your skills against the best Team Racers in the World. The organising authority is keen for expressions of interest from teams who are interested in taking part. Contact Event Director Steve Tylecote directly on fionaandstevec@aol.uk for more information. .

ANZ Sail Fiji gets underway on Saturday 7 June at 1300 hours and the 20 strong racing fleet is all but ready to go.

Armchair navigators around the world can "sail" in the ANZ Sail Fiji 2014 Race from Auckland to Fiji.

Whilst the ISAF Sailing World Cup - Melbourne is still several months away, it’s time to start planning your trip to Melbourne!

The two official cruising division entrants in the 2014 ANZ Sail Fiji race are berthed at Opua Marina in the Far North for final race preparations.

Trent Rippey is a returning NZL Yachting Trust Youth Team member from 2012 when he competed in the 29er class as helmsman. The 17 year old, who hails from Tauranga earned his place in this year’s team after placing 1st youth at the 2014 Laser Radial National Championships and 1st New Zealand youth at Oceanbridge Sail Auckland. At this year’s RYA Youth Nationals he scooped the silver medal in the boy’s Laser radial division.

Cruise Rally Drama / Brothers Race Together

To all fellow sailors, friends, business owners and good hearted people in the community: Come on-board, share the spirit of Kiwi windsurfers Finn, Coral, Patrick and Xanthe.