Issue date
In our regular focus on the regions, the four regional support officers look at what has been happening in their areas and also provide some advice on what your club can do to make sure it's ready for the new season.
Now is a good time to look at how you can get your yacht club facilities and vessels up to scratch so you're ready for the coming season.
It’s amazing what you can achieve when you have a good turnout, so plan it early and make it easy for your volunteers.
Working bees
- Let members know well in advance so they can put it in their diaries
- Have a list of priority jobs that need doing and start from the top
- Does anyone in your club have contacts for trade pricing for paint and hardware?
- Check out discounts available on the n3 discount card or Yachting New Zealand member card that might help
- Don’t make volunteers work all day. Suggest a split shift roster crew (morning and afternoon)
- Reward your volunteers with a BBQ and drink. This is also a good way for members to get to know each other
Rescue boat maintenance
Now is also the best time to get your rescue and coach boats serviced. See if you can work out a deal with your local marine mechanic.
- Check your boats log books and get feedback from people who use the boats regularly
- Is your club MOSS exemption documentation been reviewed and up to date?
Other things to consider
It's also really important to have a club calendar. Work in with other clubs and encourage your members to support their special event so members at those clubs are inclined to support yours
And does your club have a roster system for volunteers? It's a good time to ask members when they are available to help with club days. People are very busy these days, so you need to ask well in advance.
Tauranga Yacht & Power Boat Club
The cold winter weather isn’t putting any hardy Tauranga sailors off sailing. Last weekend saw some great racing in Tauranga harbour, with 22 keelboats and trailer yachts racing in the fourth round of the winter series.
The young kids were just as keen to hit the water with a hardy bunch of Optis and O'pen Skiffs also heading out for a bit of coaching.
SSANZ
The SSANZ Lewmar Triple Series race 2 starts in less than four weeks.
With 50 entries already signed up, there is going to be some great racing, so don’t miss out.
You can find the entry details here.
Lake Pupuke racing
It's often said that summer success is made in the winter, so what better way to prepare for the competitive season than some Sunday afternoon racing?
Optimist racing is held at Lake Pupuke every Sunday afternoon from 1.30pm during the winter and costs only $5 (entrants also get a free sausage and drink after racing).
This is done as part of the Sunday afternoon racing run by the Pupuke Boating Club, which also has P Class boats, Ilca 7 (Lasers), Ilca 6 (Laser Radials) and Starlings.
Former Olympian and NZIODA committee member Andrew Brown also provides some coaching for Optimist and P Class sailors from 11.15am. Andrew does this from shore, so young sailors need to be competent because there is no rescue boat.
See here for more details or email Andrew Brown at andrew@forceracing.co.nz.
Waikawa Boating Club
Clive Ballett was awarded the Pop Jorgensen tray for the most races entered in a season. Photo: Lisa Delaveau.
The Waikawa Boating Club put the spotlight on the high performing sailors as well as the up-and-coming crew and boats at the annual prize giving awards held at the club recently.
The ceremony was an opportunity for winners of well recognised races like the Race to Tarakohe and Women’s Regatta to receive their trophies and shields. Some awards remained locked away this year, however, with the pandemic forcing the cancellation of some weekly club racing and the WineWorks Wine Race to Wellington.
An impressive performance from Clive Ballett on Coup d’etat saw him awarded the silver Pop Jorgensen tray for the most races entered in a season. Clive managed to get his yacht to the start line a very impressive 55 times during a shortened 65-race season.
Club commodore John Jackson was also recognised for supplying his own boat week after week to enable the club to go racing, which earned him the Above and Beyond Award.
You can find the full list of prize winners here.
The new winter season is under way at Waikawa and this will lead into a full calendar of racing.
Anyone interested in sailing can register with the club and go on a list of crew to be matched with skippers. Simply email the club office@waikawaboatingclub.co.nz
Manly Sailing Club camp
One of the highlights on the Manly Sailing Club's calendar is Queen's Birthday Weekend at Camp Bentzon.
Last year it was cancelled due to Covid-19 which made this year's event even more special.
Most of the group (30 kids and 25 adults) caught the Kawau Island ferry on the Friday afternoon, while two ribs and two Hobie Waves were also taken to the island to ensure sailing and watersports in the bay could be enjoyed as much as possible.
Camp Bentzon is a great destination for a sailing camp, located in a beautiful bay. They also own eight colourful Optimists, 24 kayaks, plenty of supplies for raft building and many other activities.
It was a great way to bring the Manly Sailing Club community together, through shared meals, marshmallows by the open fire, bushwalks and event doing the dishes.
All the kayaks, paddle boards, Optimists, rafting gear and Hobie Waves were well utilised by everyone, and many of the children got the chance to go biscuiting or foiling over the weekend.
Many parents also took the opportunity to sail as well and wharf jumping was another favourite activity.
See here for more information about Manly Sailing Club and here for more on Camp Bentzon.
Port Ohope Yacht Cub Regatta
It’s not very often you have no wind for the whole day at a regatta but that’s what sailors faced at the recent Port Ohope Yacht Club regatta recently.
Fortunately the second day had good wind and six short races were completed for the 40-strong fleet. It was great to see support from the other clubs, especially from Tauranga and Taupo who helped with on-water support and have this regatta firmly in their calendar as a must-do.
P Class and Starling camp
Gareth Moore is running a three-day sailing camp for P Class and Starling sailors on July 11-13 at the Torbay Sailing Club.
It is limited to between five and 16 sailors and will involve a range of topics on top of the sailing, including sail making, splicing and, of course, the annual sailors cook-off.
It costs $345 for the three days or $120 per day if you can't commit to all three days, and covers all meals. There is also an option for some sailors to be billeted close to the yacht club.
See here for more information, including registration form.
