Issue date
In our regular focus on the regions, the regional support officers provide an update on what is happening in clubland.
Gulf Harbour Yacht Club
Photo: Sarah Morgan.
Last weekend a fleet of 18 boats lined up for a spectacular day on the water for race five of the Hibiscus Marine Coatings combined Weiti Boating Club and Gulf Harbour Yacht Club Winter 2020 Series.
Flat waters and a freshening 10-18 knot breeze presented idyllic conditions for Boadicea to lead both fleets around the course. Some interesting kite action nearing the bottom mark made for good watching.
The next race in the series is due to held on Sunday with a 2pm start, although please check with the club given the move in the Auckland area to alert level 3.
Standings from the Winter Series racing (18 boats):
Line Honours - Boadicea II
Gold Division
1st: Stark Raven
2nd: Peacekeeper
3rd: Gentleman Joe
White Division
1st: Boadicea II
2nd: Sniper
3rd: Southern Rebel
The Gulf Harbour Yacht Club are delighted to have a number of younger sailors taking part in the Winter Series on the back of their youth sailing programme, aimed at providing keelboat opportunities for youth sailors.
Building on last year's popular education evenings, which covered basic pilotage techniques, coastal navigation and chart work, the club are running over the winter a series of lectures on technical and engineering skills (the last two sessions have more than 70 attendees filling the clubhouse).
All of these have utilised the skills and knowledge of people within their own membership.
Vauxhall Yacht Club
A handful of radio controlled yachts on the start line kept things interesting. Photo: Vauxhall Yacht Club.
Sailing has resumed in Dunedin out of the Vauxhall Yacht Club, with six events staged in their Sub Zero winter series.
The series is open to all centreboard sailors but is mainly made up of Lasers from local clubs. A few radio controlled yachts also took part, just to mix it up and to make it interesting for Laser sailors to experience the might is right rule.
The weather in Dunedin has been kind and they have not missed any Sunday events yet, although a few events have seen just the hardy few.
Racing is arranged on the day to suit those who turn up and the conditions. The club hope to see more competitors for the last few events with the weather improving.
Napier Sailing Club
The Napier Summer Regatta has continually grown over the last few years and record numbers are expected for this year's event in November.
Three courses are planned for the regatta, and organisers and competitors hope Covid-19 doesn’t disrupt the event in any way.
The 12-foot skiffs are using the regatta as their national championships while the Zephyr, Laser, Waszp, Flying Fifteens and Flying Dutchman classes are using the regatta for their North Island championships.
Other classes in attendance will be Optimist, O'pen Skiff, Starling, Sport Boat, Paper Tiger, OK Dinghy, Finn and Europe Dinghies.
Waszp Midwinter championships
Pic: Mattias Coutts finished second after 10 races. Photo: Conor Corgard.
Sam Street dominated the Waszp midwinter championships at the Murrays Bay Sailing club last weekend, winning seven of the 10 races against a host of up-and-coming young sailors.
Street finished nine points ahead of Mattias Coutts, with Seb Menzies another three points back in third. Tim Howse was awarded to have had the biggest wipeout with his pitchpole on the first day.
Howse, who is the current Tanner and Tauranga Cup champion, was competing in his first Waszp regatta and said he can't wait for the next event.
“The best thing I like about the Waszp racing is how laidback racing is compared to other classes and how much fun it is learning to foil," he said. "I am always learning new things from the other guys that are super helpful. The biggest challenge is probably the time and distance with the starts and learning the angles but, just like any boat, time on the water is everything."
Competitors were greeted with perfect foiling conditions on both days, with consistent breezes and flat waters making it easy for race officer Sir Russell Coutts and Alex Mitchell-Baker.
The next big event is due to be the Murrays Bay Sailing Club's winter championships on October 4-6.
Results and standing from the Auckland Foiling Midwinter Championships at the Murrays Bay Sailing Club:
Waszp (9 boats)
1st: Sam Street (MBSC) (3) 1 1 1 1 1 1 (2) 2 1 - 9 points
2nd: Mattias Coutts (Manly Sailing Club) 1 3 3 2 3 (5) 2 3 1 (5) - 18 pts
3rd: Seb Menzies (MBSC) 2 (4) (4) 3 4 3 3 1 3 2 - 21 pts
