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Five Medal Races wrapped up the action at ISAF Sailing World Cup Melbourne. A strong northerly breeze met athletes at Sandringham Yacht Club for the final day of ISAF Sailing World Cup Melbourne. With gusts over 20 knots there were thrills and spills aplenty on the Stadium course as fans gathered on the Yacht Club balcony to enjoy the spectacle.

Fantastic news with Scott Leith securing another World Championship with a day to spare.

Media are invited to join the NZL Sailing Team to celebrate the successes of 2013 and the launch of the 2014 NZL Sailing Team.

At its November meeting, the ISAF Council and the ISAF Racing Rules Committee authorised an urgent rule change to Appendix B of the ISAF Racing Rules of Sailing. The change will come into force on 1 January 2014.

The construction of the Westhaven Promenade is underway and over the next ten months 600m of timber boardwalk and 900m of concrete path will be constructed from just east of Swashbucklers, to the Westhaven Drive/Curran St intersection.

A completely different set of conditions prevailed for the second day of racing at ISAF World Sailing Cup Melbourne. In contrast to the high temperatures, fresh winds and blue skies of the opening day, racing in the first session of the day limped away in light southerly winds, with overcast skies, light rain at times, a cross-sea and plenty of postponements.

There was a great turnout for the two day Wairoa Regatta held over the weekend of 30 Nov – 1 December.

A little update to let you know what we have been up to, in this past month, not long since our last post, but we have been keeping busy! It has been no rest for the wicked as we headed off overseas again, this time to Oman and Malaysia. Two countries that we hadn’t been to before, so we were looking forward some new experiences.

Summer arrived for the first day of racing at ISAF Sailing World Cup Melbourne as a hot northerly wind from Australia's outback blasted across the city and onto Port Phillip Bay. In the early morning the breeze driven by temperatures in the mid to high 30's, gusted to 25 knots but had eased to a more pleasant 15 knots by the start of racing. Being an offshore breeze, the water was flat and conditions were perfect for sailing.

Kohimarama Yacht Club is proud to be hosting the Auckland Champs for two of New Zealand’s biggest youth fleets in the waters off Kohimarama Beach over the Auckland Anniversary long weekend.

The dedicated and hard-working team behind the hugely popular Bay of Islands Sailing Week has been recognised after it was revealed at last Friday night’s 2013 Volvo Yachting Excellence Awards that the regatta scooped the prestigious Yachting New Zealand President’s Award.

Wakatere Junior Regatta Sat 14 Dec 2013: Wakatere would love to see all the junior sailors at the 2013 Wakatere Junior Regatta. NOR attached. Pre-registration with a lunch option is available. More information can be found at the Wakatere Boating Club website

Hamilton Yacht Club invites Opti sailors to ‘Come and improve your sailing’ at HYC’s OptiSail 2014 camp on 13-16 January 2014.

If you only do one boating event this summer, make it the Ports of Auckland Anniversary Day Regatta on 27 January 2014, and be in to win a trip to Hawaii, a voyage of the Spirit of New Zealand, a Stand Up Paddleboard, cash, or prizes from iconic Auckland businesses, is the call from the country’s oldest sporting event, that originated as a celebration of Auckland’s founding 174 years ago.

Rolling over in the sun, I turn and ask Andy if he was nervous about laying aloft. A few seconds passes, before his lopsided, sunny grin breaks through, and he shakes his head erratically: "Nup." His father, leaning against a pin rail and backlit by the blue Tasman waters, ruefully admits "I've never liked heights. But it was a real moment."

Voodoo (RAYC, Simon Manning, Andy Robertson with Andrew Brown/Adrienne Rekke) won the 2013 North Island Champs hosted by Sandspit Yacht Club and sailed in the waters of Kawau Bay.

Following on from Kate Spackman’s news of their very successful learn to sail programme in Christchurch, there is a similar set up at the other end of the country in Kerikeri.

Organising the level 1 sailors

Do you live within the catchment of Nelson Yacht Club? Do you have a disability, and are you keen to try sailing? New Zealand's oldest yacht club is in for something new - accessible sailing.

On the golden anniversary of the Award the prestigious 2013 House of Travel Sailor of the Year has gone to Peter Burling and Blair Tuke.

Prior to the Round White Island Race commencing, 19 boats had officially entered making it the biggest fleet to line up for some time. 17 of those boats made the start line and nine finished the 320 nautical mile challenge.

Thirteen Wetas turned up at Tauranga Yacht and Power Boat Club late Friday afternoon and quickly rigged and got out on the water for the rum race.

Chris Bouzaid and the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron are seeking an indication of potential interest in a proposed “One Ton Cup Revisited” regatta, in Auckland, New Zealand, in February/March 2015.

Yachting New Zealand is seeking to recruit Double Handed Olympic Class coaches on a contract basis to prepare crews for the 2016 Rio Olympics.

On Monday the 25th November Sandspit Yacht Club (centreboard division) hosted the Mahurangi College forms 1-4 Regatta at Algies Bay.

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.

Lake Wakatipu Yacht Club has been successful in preventing a ferry development on their doorstep which would have a significant impact on the safety of their sailors and access to the water.

Volvo National Sailing & Boating Day on Sunday 16th February 2014 is shaping up to be a fantastic day around the country with a wave of Clubs registering for the fun promotional day with Yachting New Zealand.

The 2013-14 Volvo Sailing… Have A Go! season is in full swing with Instructors Paul Moriarty in the Southern Region, Reuben Corbett the Northern Region and Jordan Stock our Central region all settling into their regions and life on the road.

Yachting New Zealand continues to protect New Zealand’s cruising hot spots and race routes with advocacy work for boaties, and the proof is in the pudding with the latest decision on aquaculture positioning in Northland.

Yachting New Zealand wishes to thank Clubs for the great response to new deadlines around membership fees introduced this year, and we want to let you know about the launch of a new investigation into potential membership models.

Coffee makes the world go round...faster. Well that’s true for many of us who can’t bear to face the day until we’ve had our caffeine fix – let alone think about competition on the water. With your daily performance-enhancer ‘cuppa’ in mind and to combat the legendary ‘cafe coffee queue’ a new breakfast option will be available at the Regatta base on shore.