Issue date
Our four NZ Community Trust regional development managers look at some of the highlights from their areas over the past fortnight – and answer a frequently asked question about organising regattas as many clubs look to lock in their events for next season.
Only Yachting New Zealand-affiliated yacht clubs are authorised to run racing or regattas.
FAQ: Who can run racing?
Only Yachting New Zealand-affiliated yacht clubs are authorised to be an Organising Authority (OA) to run regattas or racing using the World Sailing Racing Rules of Sailing.
Yachting New Zealand-affiliated class associations, regional associations and maritime members are not eligible and are not authorised to be an OA. Third-party liability insurance must be held by the OA.
These affiliated members should approach a Yachting New Zealand-affiliated yacht club to organise the regatta with them.
It is important for the club organising the regatta to familiarise themselves with the requirements for running a safe event. This means the club ensures that there are adequate rescue boats, a safety management system, and sufficient volunteers to minimise any potential accidents or incidents during the regatta or race.
This also involves the club, class and race officer reviewing and circulating race documents for sailors and volunteers – the Notice of Race, Sailing Instructions, and safety plan.
Yachting New Zealand has current templates for these available here.
Yachting New Zealand's Learn to Sail (dinghy) coaching course dates have been confirmed.
Coaching course dates confirmed
Ready to take the first step on your coaching journey? Then Yachting New Zealand’s Learn to Sail (dinghy) coaching course could be perfect for you.
The entry-level coaching course is ideal for those aged 14 and older and will be offered on the following datesand at these locations:
- August 5-6: New Plymouth Yacht Club
- August 12-13: Christchurch Yacht Club
- August 19-20: Evans Bay Yacht and Motor Boat Club and Northland (TBC)
- September 9-10: Howick Sailing Club
- September 16-17: Hamilton Yacht Club
- October 6-8: Macandrew Bay Boating Club
- November 3-5: Wanaka Yacht Club
“Whether you are a young sailor looking to give back, a parent eager to learn more, or coordinating the Learn to Sail program at your club, this course is designed to get you started on your coaching journey,” said Yachting New Zealand’s coach development manager Kirsten Moratz.
“With flexible weekend sessions and online modules, it's easy to fit the course into your schedule.”
Anyone wanting to take the course must:
- Complete the Coaching Yachting 101 online modules.
- Complete the Child Safeguarding modules (through the Sport New Zealand catalogue)
- Have intermediate sailing ability.
- Be confident in and around the water.
- Be at least 14 years of age.
To sign up for a Yachting New Zealand Learn to Sail (dinghy) coach course, follow these easy steps:
- Go to sporttutor.nz/yachtingnz and create an account by clicking “Sign Up”. It’s important this is done with your young coach’s email address so they have their own learning account and journey set up.
- Go to the Yachting NZ Course Catalogue, and complete Coaching Yachting 101. It should take no more than an hour or two to complete.
- Sign up for the specific course in your region, you can search the club name in the search bar of the course catalogue to find it.
Race officer training - don't miss out!
Spots are still available for the upcoming national race officer training seminars in Auckland and Christchurch.
These free two-day seminars cater to both national race officers seeking qualification renewal and club race officers aspiring to become national race officers in the upcoming season or in the future.
The Auckland seminar will be held on July 22-23, 2023 at Gulf Harbour Yacht Club; with the Christchurch seminar taking place on August 26-27, 2023 at Pleasant Point Yacht Club.
“It's an excellent opportunity to expand your expertise and stay up to date with the latest practices in race management,” said Yachting New Zealand national sport development director Raynor Haagh.
Click here to register for the Auckland seminar.
Click here to register for the Christchurch seminar.
Yachting New Zealand will also be hosting the annual Race Officers Conference on September 2, 2023 at Naval Point Club Lyttelton.
“The one-day conference brings together race officers from all levels of experience and serves as a platform to connect, share ideas, and explore innovative approaches to race management,” Haagh said.
Click here to register for the Race Officers Conference.
Ken Letcher was involved with Waiuku Yacht Club for almost 50 years. Photo / Facebook
Eight bells: Ken Letcher
Ken Letcher, a stalwart of the Sandspit sailing community and a patron for the Waiuku Yacht Club, has died.
In a social media post, Letcher's son Geoff said his dad passed away last week after a short illness.
"Through his love of the outdoors and camping, plus his love of sailing he introduced countless students to the amazing spaces and activities we have," Geoff Letcher said.
"A husband, dad, grandfather, teacher, principal, musician, sailor, outdoorsman and community man, we loved him dearly and will miss him incredibly."
Waiuku Yacht Club also paid tribute to Letcher, who had a nearly 50-year involvement with the Sandspit-based club.
"Ken joined our club at the beginning of the 1976-77 season. When Optimists were introduced to NZ, Ken saw the opportunity to get a lot more children into sailing facilitating having his twin brother Phil bring a trailer load of Optis from Takapuna down to Waiuku," the club wrote on Facebook.
"Ken introduced a huge number of children to sailing both through the club and his role as principal at Sandspit Road School. He loved our club and could see the sailing from his house and as many of you know, continued to pop down and see what was happening on a regular basis."
Menace Yachting won the ORC 1 division at the Block Island Race Week. Photo / Storm Trysail Club
Menace takes another bite of Big Apple
Royal Akarana Yacht Club life member Howard Spencer and his Menace Yachting crew have followed up their triumph at the prestigious New York Yacht Club Annual Regatta with another win - this time at the Block Island Race Week in Larchmont.
The team claimed the ORC 1 division, winning three of their seven races and taking out their division by four points at the Storm Trysail Club.
Earlier this month, Spencer and co won the round-the-island race as well as their division in the two-day New York Yacht Club Annual Regatta.
Ity was the 169th running of the event which is North America's oldest regatta.
For full results from the Block Island Race Week, click here.
Kohimarama Yacht Club will host the second event in the Auckland junior winter sprint series.
Kohimarama set for junior sprint
The next instalment in the Auckland junior winter sprint series is taking place this weekend after a lack of wind spoiled the fun at the first regatta.
On Saturday, Kohimarama Yacht Club will host the second event in the 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.
A whopping 104 sailors turned up for the first event at Royal Akarana Yacht Club earlier this month, but only the Optimist green fleet managed to get any races away.
To enter for this weekend's racing, click here.
Shokran claims Farr 1020 title
Joe Brownlee and his Shokran team were crowned national Farr 1020 champions after winning the class crown at Bucklands Beach Yacht Club last weekend.
Shokran narrowly defeated last year’s winner Hard Labour (Cameron Thorpe), courtesy of three wins from seven races.
The V Team (Tony Evans) finished third – eight points behind the runners-up.
For full results, click here.
Dodson book on sale
Rick Dodson is widely regarded as one of New Zealand's most outstanding sailing talents - a multiple national and world champion and America's Cup winner before multiple sclerosis left him debilitated.
In a new book, yachting journalist Rebecca Hayter tells Dodson's inspiring story of adaptation, determination and relentless optimism.
Storms Ahead – Rick Dodson: America’s Cup champion to Paralympian is a candid report of the challenges for Dodson, and his family and friends who support him in living independently and to achieve his goal of a book about his life before and after MS.
The book will be launched at the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron at 5pm on Thursday 6 July 2023, with guest speaker Joey Allen and is available to purchase at the launch or by ordering a copy from www.rebeccahayter.co.nz.
To attend the launch, please RSVP to rebeccahayter14@gmail.com or on 0274 782 478.
The second module in RNZYS' Youth Training Programme covers all things keelboat sailing.
Youth training programme kicks off
The second module of the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron’s Mastercard Youth Training Programme kicks off next month and is designed for those aged 15-23 who are looking for the next step after dinghies and enjoy working in a team.
The programme starts on July 23 and will cover all things keelboat sailing – including boat handling, teamwork, communication, fitness, speed, tactics, rules and much more.
The module will also include an overnight weekend sailing on two iconic New Zealand ocean-racing yachts - Lion and Steinlager 2 with experienced instructors.
It is run using 10 identical Elliott 7 yachts with graduates of the programme having gone on to compete in the America’s Cup and The Ocean Race, as well as establish themselves in several professional sailing and industry roles.
For more information, click here or contact Zak Merton at zmerton@rnzys.org.nz.
Participants were again encouraged to dress up in red for the 2023 Red Socks Regatta. Photo / Bay of Islands Yacht Club
Regatta pays tribute to Blake
The Bay of Islands Yacht Club again paid tribute to Kiwi yachting icon Sir Peter Blake by hosting its annual Red Socks Regatta earlier this month.
The event, named after the famous socks Blake wore during New Zealand's 1995 America’s Cup triumph, has become a popular addition to the domestic sailing calendar - with the 2023 edition held on June 11.
More than 30 entries were received across eight fleets, with Thomas Fewtrell and Ella Parker (29er), Janek Groll and Tino Burr (49er), Erin and Isla Kee (Feva), Paul Stringer (Jolly boat), Armin Altena (ILCA 6), Aston Engel (O'pen Skiff), Henry Meldrum (Starling), and Patrick Meldrum and Oak Richards (Sunburst) winners on the day.
Entrants were also encouraged to dress up in red (and, of course, to wear some red socks) with prizes for the best-dressed and best-decorated boat (in red) awarded.
For full results, click here.
Sailwave webinar a hit
More than 60 participants logged on for a recent Sailwave webinar – aimed at helping clubs to maximise the use of the popular scoring software.
Sailwave expert Jon Eskdalke, with the help of Yachting New Zealand regional development manager Ian Gardiner, hosted the webinar earlier this month, covering a range of topics, including handicapping and mixed-fleet racing.
Sailwave is one of the world’s most popular results programmes and is free for yacht clubs to use for their events.
“It was clear from the feedback received that there is a need for another webinar covering the application of the programme in dinghy clubs,” said Gardiner.
“Another topic asked for was the procedures in split-fleet racing and converting to gold, silver and bronze fleets.”
Sailwave has set up a New Zealand section in its user group forum which can be accessed by clicking here.
Kiwi users are encouraged to register and participate and post questions and any problems they experience.
Eskdale has also offered to host another webinar closer to the start of the season in August or September.
For more information, please contact Gardiner on iangardiner@yachtingnz.org.nz.
Broad Bay Boating Club will finally get a new wharf.
Broad Bay gets new wharf
Work on a new wharf at Dunedin’s Broad Bay Boating Club is finally underway – eight years since planning for the project first started.
The Otago Daily Times reported that construction on the wharf started last week, with club management confident it can be completed in time for the start of the new sailing season in September – and the club’s centenary celebrations.
"It’s amazing and it is such a huge thing for the community, it really is. So many people are going to be happy to see it go in," committee member Brent Patterson told the ODT.
"We’re hoping now the project has started we can keep the ball rolling."
The club is reportedly hoping to raise more money to pay for additional work – including a new clubhouse and boat shed.
