Issue date
What started off as looking for a date to programme a women’s race during the yachting season turned into a pretty big thing for Pleasant Point Yacht Club in Christchurch.
Club committee member Noemi Gulliver took on the task of organising a women’s race day and decided this would be an event for women organised by women.
The women’s race day soon became a two-day event with the first day being a have a go day and the second a race day for all women sailors. This soon became known as Wāhine on the Water and was timed perfectly to align with the Southern Hemisphere edition of the Steering the Course Sailing Festival.
The temperature (1 degree) might have been cool but the atmosphere was warm as 34 participants took part in the have a go day.
They all learned how to fit buoyancy aids, tie specific knots, rig a yacht and watched a video about sailing before hitting the water. The light wind conditions made it easy for sailors to try a variety of Optimists, Walker Bay, Sailqubes, Topaz and Sunbursts as well as the club's Sigrid Trailer Yacht and a Weta trimaran.
"From being very quiet and hanging on to mum, many of the young girls went onto a boat with mum but, after swapping around, ended up coming ashore having had a thoroughly good time," commodore Ian Douglas said. "They decided they could do this sailing thing without m and, of course, the mums probably thought it was great they could go sailing while their youngsters were safe and enjoying themselves. It was all very positive."
Three sprint races were held the following day for the Wāhine on the Water Margaret Kennett Memorial Trophy.
Peter Kennett, husband of the late Margaret, gave those present an idea of what Margaret was like and told of her long involvement with Pleasant Point Yacht Club, Canterbury Yachting Association and NZ Yachting Federation (YNZ predecessor). He was very happy the trophy bearing the name of Margaret was to be used as a trophy for women’s sailing.
Yachting New Zealand board member Viki Moore, who is also Sail GP on-water operations manager and event coordinator, was on hand to present the trophy to the winner Brigid Sheen of Pleasant Point Yacht Club.
Now it's time to debrief and plan for next season’s Wāhine on the Water.
