Issue date
Our NZCT regional development managers bring you the latest from their patches - from an adorable project in Lyttelton and a story of perseverance in Te Awamutu; to an update on the sailors to watch at the 2024 AIMS Games and an exciting new initiative for double-handed sailing in Auckland.
Naval Point Club Lyttelton is leading efforts to create over 100 ceramic penguins as part of a new installation. Photo / Naval Point Club Lyttelton
Kororā at centre of Naval Point Club Lyttelton project
Naval Point Club Lyttelton is hard at work on a big project featuring a tiny star.
The club is leading efforts to create an installation of over 100 ceramic kororā, which will be placed along the area's rocky ocean wall.
"The sculptures are created by members of the community who have a connection to our beautiful harbour," said NPCL membership manager Sabrina Saunders.
"This includes the scientists and artists of Know Your Place Environment + Art, Naval Point Club Lyttelton members and families, Lyttelton Primary School tamariki who learned to sail at the club this past year, and members of the Whakaraupō community."
The installation of the sculptures is planned to start in late November, with the kororā - or white-flippered penguins - taking centre stage.
Growing up to 30cm tall and weighing about 1.5kg, the kororā is one of the world’s smallest penguins. It is only found in Canterbury and breeds around the Lyttelton Harbour area, with many of the penguins calling the Port home during their nesting season. However, their numbers have been steadily declining in areas not protected from predators.
According to Saunders, the yacht club is hosting sessions for members to learn how to sculpt these penguins out of clay. The sessions are run by local artist Nikki Wallace-Bell, with the next one scheduled for September 10.
The kororā will also be the theme of a free family fun day at the club on November 24.
"There will be something for everyone, with little builders making penguin palaces (kororā nesting boxes) with the Lyttelton Port Company, or rat tunnels to take home with Predator Free Port Hills to keep our shorebirds safe," Saunders said.
"Future sailors can also participate in two of the modules from Yachting New Zealand's RŪNĀ school engagement programme, which teach tamariki about pulleys, knot-tying, boat building, sediments, wind, and much more. Blake NZ will also be here with VR headsets so the public can immerse themselves in the marine life around Aotearoa, while Sea Scouts will be fundraising with waterproof bags and picnic blankets made from repurposed sails."
For more information, email Saunders at manager@navalpoint.co.nz.
In-person Sailwave sessions for Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch
Yachting New Zealand's first Sailwave 101 webinar, held late last month, was a big success with over 90 people registered for the event.
Sailwave is one of the world’s most popular results programmes and is free for yacht clubs to use for their events.
Following on from the August webinar, further, more advanced sessions will be hosted by Sailwave expert Huw Pearce. These will be free and held in person from 7pm to 9pm in Wellington on October 3 (at Evans Bay Yacht and Motorboat Club), Auckland on October 17 (venue to be confirmed), and Christchurch on October 24 (at Naval Point Club Lyttelton).
Click here to register for the webinar.
Zofia Wells in action at the Optimist Europeans in Italy in July. Photo / Optiworld
AIMS Games: All eyes on Wells, Gaites
Finloe Gaites and Zofia Wells headline the sailing competition at this year's Zespri AIMS Games, hosted by Tauranga Yacht and Powerboat Club, in what is likely to be a repeat of last year's thrilling event.
The young Optimist sailors are set to battle it out with over 50 other competitors from across the country at the 2024 edition of the annual regatta this weekend.
Gaites was the overall winner 12 months ago, beating Matteo Barker of St Kentigern Boys’ School in a dramatic final race.
This year, he will be challenged by fellow Murrays Bay Intermediate student Will Fyfe, and Lauchlan Wills (Bucklands Beach Intermediate).
In the girls' competition, all eyes will be on the battle between Saint Kents' Wells and Sofia Turner (Murrays Bay Intermediate).
Turner beat Wells by a comfortable margin last year, but the latter has shown steady improvement since - finishing an impressive seventh overall in a 120-boat fleet at the 2024 Optimist European championship in Carrara, Italy in July.
Yachting New Zealand is on the hunt for talented 420 and 29er sailors. Photo / Jacob Fewtrell Media
YNZ Tryout Day: Calling all double-handed youth sailors
Are you interested in trying out a double-handed youth class? Then come down to Murrays Bay Sailing Club on September 30 and give it a go in a 420 or 29er.
Yachting New Zealand is hosting a tryout day in the lead-up to the winter champs, to give anyone interested a chance to explore sailing double-handed dinghies and skiffs before the season kicks off.
"This will be a great opportunity to try helming and/or crewing either of the classes, learn about the characteristics of each boat, and experience trapezing and sailing downwind with a spinnaker or gennaker," said Yachting New Zealand's youth manager Sam Mackay.
"Yachting New Zealand's coaches and experienced sailors will be on hand on the water to guide sailors through what it takes to be successful in each of the classes and double-handed sailing.
"It’s also open to sailors who may have sailed the boats before but are now looking for a new sailing partner to team up with for the season. You will have the opportunity to talk to current sailors and coaches and we will also give an introduction to the wider youth programme."
The Tryout Day is free and open to any youth sailors - just bring your sailing gear (including boots and a lifejacket) and food and drinks.
Click here to register or email Mackay at sam@yachtingnz.org.nz for more information.
Gulf Harbour hosting Alan Wright tribute weekend
At the remarkable age of 93, Alan Wright is still enjoying life on the water. To celebrate his incredible career, Gulf Harbour Yacht Club is hosting a tribute weekend dedicated to Wright's boating legacy.
It takes place from November 22 to 24 with several special guests joining in the fun on and off the water. These include renowned broadcaster Peter Montgomery, sailing trailblazer Penny Whiting, and Yachting New Zealand chief executive David Abercrombie.
This will be a weekend of pursuit racing, a show-and-shine boat hop, a formal dinner with celebrity guest speakers and an honorary Alan Wright sail-past salute - all accompanied with loads of Wright boating stories and memorabilia.
Click here to register.
Wairiki is the latest boat to feature in Ponsonby Cruising Club's new series.
Historic Wairiki latest to feature in PCC series
Ponsonby Cruising Club is hosting the second in its series of Thursday Featured Vessels tomorrow (September 5), with the historic Wairiki next on display.
Last month they hosted Ngataki, the boat behind Johnny Wray’s cult classic book South Sea Vagabonds, with over 100 people attending.
Wairiki was designed in 1904 by Archibald Logan of Logan Bros and is now owned by his son Keith.
The boat will be tied up directly outside Ponsonby Cruising Club and attendees are welcome to board between 4pm and 6.20pm.
This will be followed by a presentation by Keith Logan.
For more information on the series, email the club at info@pcc.org.nz, call (09) 376 0245 or visit their website.
Manukau to host new trailer yacht regatta
Manukau Yacht and Motorboat Club will host its inaugural two-day trailer yacht regatta on November 16 and 17.
According to club commodore Ric Turner, the Burnsco Manukau Trailer Yacht Regatta aims to bring together trailer yachts from the five active yacht clubs on the Manukau Harbour and surrounding areas.
"It will cater for a variety of smaller type trailer sailors ... due to limited tidal restrictions on the Wairopa Channel," Turner said.
"MYMBC has a strong affiliation with Hartley 16 and Noelex 22 and we are looking to encourage other similar sized trailer yachts to come racing on the Manukau Harbour."
With a prevailing south-westerly, the Wairopa Channel is well-sheltered providing fairly flat water, two hours either side of high tide.
It is centrally located in Auckland, close to the South-Western Motorway west of Māngere Bridge, providing ease of commute with great viewing from the southern shoreline.
Click here for more information.
Jake Pye is one of the local sailors who will be competing at the Moth world championships at Manly Sailing Club.
Sponsors, stars join Moth worlds party
Preparations for the 2024 Moth world championships, hosted by Manly Sailing Club in December and January, are continuing - with several new sponsors coming on board.
MacKay Boats, North Sails, C-Tech, Zhik, UP Real Estate, Ze Build, Oceanbridge, WildLight, and Traffica have joined the naming sponsor PredictWind.
Some of the early entries include Australian Iain Jensen, a two-time Moth worlds medallist and wing trimmer for the Ineos Britannia America's Cup team; Kiwi Phil Robertson, a five-time world match race champion and SailGP veteran; and several American Magic crew members.
Local sailors Jake Pye, Mattias Coutts and Seb Menzies will also be competing.
To enter, click here.
Enter now for 2024 Stack winter champs
Registration is now open for the Stack winter championships at Murrays Bay Sailing Club from October 3 to 6 - and organisers are inviting all Optimist, O'pen Skiff, P Class, Starling, ILCA, RS: Feva, 420, 29er, Waszp, Moth, 49er and iQFOiL sailors to enter.
The four-day event comprises a two-day coaching clinic followed by a two-day regatta. It is one of the biggest regattas for many classes and comes at a time when our sailors are shaking off the winter rust ahead of the start of the new season.
The coaching clinic will be run by the club's lead coach Tiago Brito, and includes coaches Andrew Wills, Caleb Armit, Graeme Robbins, Jenna Menzies, Lucas Day, and Steve Dacre.
This year's event will also have two current and former Olympians as guest speakers in Greta Pilkington and Dan Slater.
Click here for more information or to register.
Callum Hyde and Callum Noyer. Photo / Maraetai Sailing Club
Callums finish top at RS winter champs
Callum Hyde and Callum Noyer took out the overall Feva title at last month's RS winter championships held at Maraetai Sailing Club.
The Callums enjoyed a flawless first day of the regatta winning all four races, with strong winds making racing impossible on the second day.
The Wakatere Boating Club duo's lead was enough to ensure they won the fleet by five points from Nathan Soper and Lauchlan Wills, who were crowned junior champions.
Elisa and Sofia Currie were first girls (and third overall) in the Feva fleet, while Dave West was first in the Aero competition and Thomas Burrowes and Dominic Lilley won in the Quest.
Full results here.
Elisa and Sofia Currie. Photo / Maraetai Sailing Club
Meanwhile, the RS: Feva Traveller Series dates have been confirmed for the 2024-2025 season.
They are:
- September 29 to 30: Bay of Islands Yacht Club
- November 2 to 3: Waiuku Yacht Club
- November 23 to 24: Royal Akarana Yacht Club
- December 14 to 15: Maraetai Sailing Club
- February 1 to 2: Bucklands Beach Yacht Club
- March 15 to 16: Northcote Birkenhead Yacht Club
- May 10 to 11: Murrays Bay Sailing Club
More than 50 boats competed in the series. Photo / Supplied
Evans Bay winter series a big success
Evans Bay Yacht and Motorboat Club has just wrapped up another successful Barton Marine Winter Series with over 50 boats competing in centreboard, keeler, multihull, trailer yacht and Sailability divisions.
The club will now take a short break until their opening day on September 28, with the first leg of the Wellington keelboat interclub series running the next day.
Lowry Bay Yacht Club will run the second leg, with Royal Port Nicholson Yacht Club hosting the third leg on October 5.
The Elliott 5.9s en route to Te Awamutu. Photo / Supplied
Three boats and 1200km? No problem for Ngaroto pair
Ngaroto Sailing Club's three brand-new Elliott 5.9s have arrived just in time for the start of the season - thanks to the efforts of two club stalwarts.
Gordon Wallis and Nathaniel Short (with the help of members of Port Chalmers Yacht Club) ensured the boats all made the 1200km journey from Dunedin to Te Awamutu in one go, with the club now able to use them for their youth programme.
They will be especially handy once the algae starts affecting Lake Ngaroto, as these boats allow sailing to continue without being too close to the water.
The club this weekend hosts the Brass Monkey regatta, followed by the Hartley 16, Hansa 303 doubles and singles, and Noelex 22 North Island championships on October 19 to 20.
Flea market to raise funds for Sailability Nelson
Nelson Yacht Club, with the support of Vining Group, RopeTek and Nelson Marina, will welcome back the Nelson Nautical Flea Market on October 20 - with all stall fees going to Sailability Nelson.
Nelson Marina has also donated several items, which will be sold at Nelson Yacht Club's own stall.
Registration costs $10 per stall and interested vendors are asked to email roland.goos@gmail.com.
Last year's Trust Aoraki Aviemore Classic incorporated the NZ national trailer yacht championships. Photo / Aviemore Classic
Aviemore regatta set for another Classic
The 2024 Trust Aoraki Aviemore Classic is now less than two months away and organisers are calling for entries.
The popular event, hosted annually by Timaru Yacht and Powerboat Club over Labour Weekend, regularly sees competitors from as far afield as Wellington and Invercargill converge on Lake Aviemore.
The 36th edition of the regatta will take place from October 25-27 and will again see three days of racing with the Aviemore Classic, an endurance race over 20 miles, on the final day.
Last year's event had more than 30 boats and incorporated the NZ national trailer yacht championships.
To enter and for all the race documents, click here.
