Issue date
Our four NZ Community Trust regional development managers bring you the latest highlights from across the country - as well as a timely safety reminder.
Personal flotation devices are an important safety measure.
Y not? The 'life jacket' flag explained
Skippers, competitors and race organisers all share responsibility for on-water safety.
Yachting New Zealand Safety Regulations advise the use of personal flotation devices (PFD), like life jackets, in all dinghy classes, and as vessels get larger it is up to the skipper and crews discretion on when they are worn. It is encouraging however to see more people choosing to wear PFDs when racing no matter the vessel size.
One tool at a race officers' disposal to manage safety is the Y flag which, when displayed, means all competitors must wear a PFD. This can be a good tool for clubs to use any time of the year, but particularly this time as winter brings with it strong winds and even colder water temperatures.
Rule 40 of the Racing Rules of Sailing details how this applies:
40.1 Basic Rule
When rule 40.1 is made applicable by rule 40.2, each competitor shall wear a personal flotation device except while changing or adjusting clothing or personal equipment. Wet suits and dry suits are not personal flotation devices.
40.2 When Rule 40.1 applies
Rule 40.1 applies
- If flag Y was displayed afloat with one sound before or with the warning signal, while racing in that race; or
- If flag Y was displayed ashore with one sound, at all times while afloat that day.
However, rule 40.1 applies when so stated in the notice of race or sailing instructions.
It is worth noting that a boat can be protested for not complying with this rule.
The Y flag - indicating the compulsory wearing of life jackets.
Richmond Yacht Club recently made the smart decision to display the Y flag prior to the third race of their winter series with forecast winds of over 30kn.
This ensured a safe but exhilarating race with many boats clocking some impressive top speeds.
To download the latest edition of Yachting New Zealand's Safety Regulations of Sailing, click here.
A big fleet turned up for the Auckland junior winter sprint series - even if the wind did not. Photo / Tasman Rowntree, Royal Akarana Yacht Club
Plenty of sun, no wind for junior winter sprint series opener
Auckland turned it on for the first regatta of the city's junior winter sprint series - with warm weather and sunshine attracting a whopping 104 sailors to Royal Akarana Yacht Club last Saturday.
Unfortunately, racing was hampered by a lack of wind - with only the Optimist green fleet managing to get three (very tight) races away.
Torbay Sailing Club's Ben Keoghan claimed the win by two points from local sailor Jessica Lee.
Full results here.
The junior winter sprint series is a travelling series that will make its way around Auckland clubs over the winter months. All Optimists (green and open), P-Class, Starling, RS Fevas and O'pen Skiffs are encouraged and welcome to race in this fun event.
The next event will be held at Kohimarama Yacht Club on Saturday, July 1.
To register, click here.
Thievery won the national open teams racing title at their sixth attempt. Photo / Tasman Rowntree, Royal Akarana Yacht Club
Open teams racing nationals: Thievery bags title with sixth attempt
Seven teams - including crews from Wānaka, Nelson and Whangārei - battled it out in the open teams racing national championship at Ōkahu Bay during the King's Birthday weekend.
Five-time national champions Kiwi Team Racing was not one of them, leaving the field wide open for a new winner - with Royal Akarana Yacht Club's Thievery claiming the title after five unsuccessful previous attempts.
They defeated the entry from Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron 3-0 in a one-sided final, after also seeing off the challenge from Spud Racing by the same score in the semifinal.
RS sailors urged to sign up
Maraetai Sailing Club is calling on all interested RS sailors to enter the 2023 RS winter championship this weekend.
The regatta will be held on Saturday and Sunday (June 17-18) and is open to all RS Aero, RS Feva or RS Quests.
For more information and to enter, click here.
Royal Akarana Yacht club's Menace won big in New York. Photo / New York Yacht Club
Kiwi team a Menace in Big Apple
New Zealand outfit Menace Yachting went one better than their performance at last year's prestigious New York Yacht Club Annual Regatta - winning not only the round-the-island race but also taking out their division in the two-day series in the 169th running of the event.
Menace, skippered by Howard Spencer, last year took out the round-the-island competition during his first race on an IC37. Twelve months later Spencer - this time joined by Kiwis Paige Cook, Matt Mitchell, Josh Salthouse and Chris Steele - also won the 13-boat one-design (IC37) division.
“It’s a long way from the other side of the world,” Royal Akarana Yacht Club's Spencer said. “In the IC37 class, you have a better than fair chance of winning, the boats are pretty even - which is what you want in a one-design class. Being able to roll in here, pick up a boat, put some new sails on it and be competitive is fantastic."
The New York Yacht Club Annual Regatta was first run on July 17, 1845 and is North America's oldest regatta.
Full results here.
Nationals to celebrate 40 years of Farr 1020s
The country's top Farr 1020 sailors will descend on Bucklands Beach Yacht Club this weekend for the class national championship - celebrating 40 years since the first design by Bruce Farr.
Last year's event was won by Cameron Thorpe on board Hard Labour, equalling Max Headroom's record nine national titles.
“We are planning on continuing where we left off last year... We haven’t really raced against the fleet in a while, so it will be interesting to see how we are placed against everyone,” Thorpe told Live Sail Die.
"The Farr 1020s are awesome yachts to race... awesome one-design racing without the egos."
Seven teams have entered the 2023 nationals - including Hard Labour, The V Team and Shokran.
The Port Ohope Yacht Club's King's Birthday Regatta saw 30 boats compete across five fleets.
King's Birthday regatta: 30 battle it out in Ōhope
Port Ohope Yacht Club welcomed 30 boats for their annual King's Birthday weekend regatta, that was curtailed by a lack of wind on the second day.
Five fleets battled it out on the first day, however, with Lake Taupō Yacht Club's Hugo Brasell and Sally Clarke finishing first in the Optimist and Starling fleets, respectively.
Miya Prescott (Tauranga Yacht and Power Boat Club) took out the win in the ILCA 6 division, while local sailor Barry Cutfield was first in the ILCA 7.
Steve Tennent (Marsden Boat and Yacht Club) won the Jollyboat fleet.
Full results here.
The Hansa 303 singles North Island championships were held last weekend after two previous postponements.
Third time lucky for Hansa 303s
It was third time lucky for the Hansa 303 singles North Island regatta held at the Waitara Boating Club last weekend after two earlier postponements.
But while a Waitara River in flood saw the event scuppered in May, a lack of breeze threatened to derail sailing this time around.
Only one race could be completed on the first day, before a small increase in wind speed saw four more races on day two.
Darrell Smith (Titahi Bay Boating Club) took first place, followed by Jack Horner (New Plymouth Yacht Club) and Graham Hook (Titahi Bay Boating Club).
Waitara Boating Club duo Daryl Wray (seated division) and Dave Allerton (blind division) were also winners.
The Bay of Plenty Trailer Yacht Squadron hosted its second winter series race on Lake Rotoiti. Photo / Brent Stiver
Full steam ahead in BOPTYS races
Winter racing is well under way at Lake Rotoiti with a decent-sized fleet of trailer yachts competing in the second winter series race hosted by the Bay of Plenty Trailer Yacht Squadron.
A nice 10-15 knots set the fleet off downwind to halfway down the lake, followed by a good upwind slog to the finish.
Full results here.
