Issue date
In our regular focus on the regions, South Island regional support officer Ian Gardiner takes a look at what's been going on in the area.
Southern Snippets
With the days closing in and daylight saving due to end on Sunday, clubs are planning their season closing days.
It has been a full-on season in the south and there are still a few important events to come before the skiing season sets in.
Turning 50
The Marakura Yacht Club at Lake Te Anau are celebrating their 50th anniversary over Easter weekend. Sailing will include dingy classes as well as the South Island Trailer Yacht Championships.
A gala dinner will be held on the Saturday night with guest speaker Emirates Team New Zealand performance engineer Nick Hutchins.
Oyster Regatta
Bluff turned on superb southern weather together with legendary hospitality for the annual Buff Yacht Club Oyster Regatta last weekend.
Day one (Saturday) started with heavy fog and no wind but by midday the fog started to lift and the wind started to come in. A steady wind from the east, together with the southern sun, allowed for four great races around the cans on Bluff harbour.
Day two started with stunning sunshine, warm weather and no wind. By the time the wind came in from the north-east there was time for one long harbor race.
See here for results and photos
Schools Team Sailing
Lake Hood (LSI) hosted eight teams recently for the lower South Island team sailing regional regatta.
The venue provided light winds which suited the team sailing abilities and weed was under better control than it has been in past years.
It is great to see teams from further south starting to embrace this event and style of competition. Dunedin and the wider Otago region are about to receive some 420 boats that will enable schools in the area to train in competitive craft.
Results can be found at http://www.nzteamsailing.co.nz/lower-south-island/
Ross Sutherland from the New Zealand Team Sailing Association was very happy with the venue and indicated they would be looking to holding a national championship at the venue in the 2019/20 season.
Top of the South (TOS) Team Sailing Championships
This event continues to grow and, with the increasing numbers of teams, a different format was trialed which achieved a number of goals.
The format was well received and there was also some great feedback which will be incorporated into future events.
There were 14 teams who competed in the event and they were split into three fleets, giving sailors more sailing against their own level with the end result of great racing improvements ahead of the national championships at Algies Bay over Easter.
South Island Secondary Schools Sunburst Regatta
As many as 13 crews across three division competed at this three-day event hosted by the Ravensbourne Boating Club at the Otago Yacht Club.
Jarvis Cross and Jack Demsem from Otago Boys High School took out the spinnaker division; Robbie Bevin and Emilla Haszard (Bayfield High School) won the golds non-spinnaker division; and Jack Campbell and Oliver Jones (Bayfield High School) won the silver division.
Club Developments
Pleasant Point Yacht Club, Queen Charlotte Yacht Club and Christchurch Yacht Club are just three of the South Island yacht clubs in the process of redevelopment or rebuild of their facilities.
Christchurch Yacht Club have piles driven and some flooring sub-structure in place.
Queen Charlotte Yacht Club are well under way with the community facility rebuild. As many as 123 plies have been driven and the floor, floating dock and decking are in place.
The site was cleared for last month's Interislander Regatta and TOTS team sailing and now frames and portals are being lifted.
Pleasant Point Yacht Club's building has been shifted to the site and work is well under way with the decking area.
Soon the club will have a refurbished dock and floating pontoon, new concrete launching ramp and new clubhouse and surrounding decking. It will shortly be time to enjoy a sail and a cool drink to enjoy the fruits of all the hard work.
South Island Club Meetings
Keep a look out for the regional club meetings in the South Island.
It is proposed to have one in Dunedin covering the lower South Island and one in Christchurch covering Christchurch north. A date of Saturday, June 15 following the Canterbury Yachting Association awards dinner has been tentatively set for the Christchurch one.
