There’s plenty of dockside action in Opua with 2013 Bay of Islands Sailing Week set to get underway tomorrow, Thursday.
The set up began at 7.00am Tuesday with big trucks arriving carrying well organised canvas awnings to become the North Sails Marque. The day began cloudy but warm with an 8-10 knot breeze.
The Manukau Harbour is vast, immensely tidal, and virtually empty of traffic, and with a clear run for the prevailing South-Westerly, can offer exceptional and challenging sailing. French Bay Yacht Club invites sailors to cross Auckland for its annual regatta, to take place on Sunday 10 February.
The Auckland boats are packed in containers, travel arrangements have been made, the road trippers have planned their route and the 50th Anniversary Flying Fifteen National Championships are well planned and waiting to go…..
Just one week before NZ’s Premier Olympic and Paralympic Class regatta, Oceanbridge Sail Auckland, the country’s top disabled sailors will sail in a mixed fleet against able bodied people to contest for the Access Class National Championships and Kiwi Cup.
A 2011 Southern Pacific 4.7metre RIB was stolen from Bucklands Beach Yacht Club and the Club would like to hear from anyone with any information that could lead to its recovery.
Competitors enjoyed fine, sunny conditions with a 15 knot easterly for the final two races of the 2013 Laser National Championships regatta hosted by Napier Sailing Club last weekend.
With the exception of a wind shadow from a departing cruise liner briefly affecting the course for the Masters the breeze stayed true throughout both races with good waves for downwind sailing.
With just three days left for competitors to register in NZ’s premier Olympic and Paralympic class regatta, Oceanbridge Sail Auckland, a major incentive has been added. “We’re pleased to announce that the Oceanbridge Sail Auckland Organizing Committee has two travel vouchers each worth one thousand dollars to award randomly at the close of the regatta” said Regatta Director Simon Manning.
The three day Starling Match Racing Championship finished today (Monday) at Glendowie Boating Club where a full complement of twelve sailors from New Zealand’s twelve regions came together on Saturday for a round robin series followed by semi finals and finals.
Markus Somerville and Jack Simpson have won the 29er National Championship sailed at Murrays Bay Sailing Club from January 18 to 20.
“It was a fantastic regatta with some great sailing and a huge improvement in performance from the newer sailors,” reports Kim Admore, Regional Support Officer. “This class is one to watch with a lot of young sailors who are likely to be in the 29er for a few years. Congratulations to Markus Somerville and Jack Simpson for taken the regatta out with results of 9 firsts and a 2nd after drops of a 2nd and a 3rd. This is going to be a hard record to beat.”
For the last three seasons, French Bay Yacht Club in Titirangi has teamed up Elements Sailing School to run dedicated Learn to Sail and Refresher Courses for Adults.
Get those Splashes out from under the trees, give them a good wash down and come along to Kohimarama Yacht Club February 9th, 10th and 11th and get two regattas in one.
Kohi is running the Junior Sail Auckland in conjunction with the Splash National Championships.
Bay of Plenty residents and visitors remain at risk of paralytic shellfish toxin poisoning. “Levels of toxin found in shellfish are still high and there have been two further cases of illness reported over the Christmas and New Year holiday,” says Dr Jim Miller, Medical Officer of Health for Toi Te Ora – Public Health Service. This brings to 29 the total number of people who have been poisoned by eating toxic shellfish collected from the Bay of Plenty coastline since mid-December.
Clear sunny conditions, a gentle sea breeze which never got over 12 knots and some waves to work with greeted the fleet today. Yesterday’s 180 degree shifts, calms and gales were forgotten and it was ideal sailing conditions for all, allowing the race officer to lay the course and run races continuously to get the regatta fully back on schedule.
Day two of the Laser Nationals got underway where day 1 left off; 180 degree wind shifts, zero to 25 knots every half hour and tricky tidal flows generally providing a nightmare for both the race committee and the sailors.
It was a frustrating day for all at the first day of the Laser National Championships at Napier Sailing Club. The fleet of over 100 was on the water for the scheduled 1pm start but the wind spent the whole afternoon boxing the compass and constantly varying from nothing to 20+knots so only one race was completed for the Laser Open division with none of the other divisions managing to complete a race.
For the first time in more than 10 years, a New Zealand Paralympic class Sonar team has entered a major regatta. David Barnes, Rick Dodson and Andrew May are a hot team to watch for at the Miami Olympic Class Regatta which starts on January 27th. Known as Team “Rio Gold” this team of individually accomplished sailors have recently started training in Auckland in the Etchell Keelboats, as New Zealand does not yet have any of the three person Paralympic class Sonar keelboats in the country.
On January 27th 2013, Olympic Gold Medallist Jo Aleh will be one of the many helping Sailability Auckland celebrate 20 years of organized sailing for people with a disability in New Zealand
Entries are now firming up as boats complete their qualifications. So far we have 8 boats entered from Wellington and Nelson, with Wedgetail and Am Meer completing their qualifying voyages over the Christmas break.
If you haven’t already completed the Advanced Sea Survival course, a reminder that Wellington Ocean Sports is running one over the weekend of January 26 – 27 so get in quick. Click here to register, or contact them direct for more information.
There will be plenty of action off Maraetai Beach in Auckland late January when the Maraetai Sailing Club host the 2013 New Zealand Paper Tiger Nationals from January 24 to 28.
The event will see over 50 boats from all over the country competing in spectacular fashion off Maraetai Beach in the Tamaki Straits with the racing format expected to produce some very tight results.
Sailors from all over New Zealand descended upon Wellington this past weekend for the Seaview Sails and Rigging Starling North Island Championships regatta for 2013, held in Eastbourne and hosted by the Muritai Yacht Club.
Held over three days in what can only be described as boat and sailor breaking conditions, over 50 competitors took to the water in their singlehanded dinghies to contest the nine race series. The regatta was a closely fought contest, with most of the top positions not decided until the final race.
A number of yacht clubs are finding a school holiday programme delivering Learn to Sail 1… Start Sailing! over a four-day intensive a popular option through January.
Notices of Race have been released and online entry is now open for two Regional Championships: the 2013 Asia Pacific Access Class Championships and the 2013 European Championships. We have the links for you
Anyone planning to compete in Auckland Anniversary Regatta should get their entry in as soon as possible.
Approximately 500 boats are expected on Monday 28 January, and although late entries are accepted, organiser Joyce Talbot asks that entries are submitted before the late entry date (21 or 24 January depending on the event entered) wherever possible.
The M Class association with the support of Hyundai Motors New Zealand and the Royal Akarana Yacht Club are proud to announce the celebrations for the 90th anniversary of M-Class yacht racing.
The 2012/13 season will mark 90 uninterrupted seasons of racing on Auckland’s Waitemata Harbour for the iconic M-Class, affectionately known as the ‘Emmy’.
Just like the city itself, Auckland Anniversary Regatta is a melting pot of cultural experiences, and the regatta is pleased to welcome the return of Dragon Boating.
It's the Chinese year of the Water Dragon, and Dragon Boats will take to the water, for Auckland Anniversary Regatta, on Monday 28 January.
Crewed by ten paddlers, plus a drummer to set the rhythm, and a sweep or helm to guide the boat in a straight line, the boats, which are from Auckland, the Bay of Plenty and Hamilton, will be based at Waitemata Plaza, and will race from approximately 10am-4pm in the Viaduct Basin.
Peter Burling is not the only kiwi showing them how it’s done across the Tasman – Nick Egnot-Johnson has finished at the top of the leader-board at the 2013 Australian Optimist National Championship Regatta where a fleet of 130 sailors were racing in the Open division.
This race coach course will be held at Wakatere Boating club on Friday 8th and Saturday 9th February. 8th February 5-9pm. 9th February 9am-5pm. Bring along; Your laptop or a notebook to take notes, Sailing gear (the Saturday you will sail and be on the coach boat doing some practical elements of the course).
Peter Burling has cleaned up the 2013 Australian Moth Championships Regatta held over the last week at the Wangi RSL Sailing Club, north of Sydney in New South Wales, Australia.
During the 15 race series staged over six days, Burling dominated the fleet winning no less than ten of those races. He only finished outside the top six in just one race and concluded the regatta 14 points clear of second place-getter Scott Babbage. Reigning world champion in the Moth Joshua McKnight finished third.
Radio controlled sailing isn't just for retired yachtsmen: the current generation of America's-Cup pros are also enjoying the challenges of racing miniature boats, and Wattle Farm in Manurewa is one of the best venues in New Zealand for the purpose.
The 47th Black Heart Hartley 16 Nationals to be held in New Plymouth next week are ready to go with 23 boats entered coming from Whangarei, Auckland, Napier and New Plymouth.
