News

Smooth American import Eric Rone is being called "The Wolf of Wakatere" after hunting down elusive wind shifts (and other prey) with seeming ease to take out the 2014 Brass Monkey in the OK Dinghy class in Napier over Queen's Birthday weekend.

With the breeze back in, the 2014 European Laser Standard and Laser Radial Championships rolled on in Split, Croatia today where five races have now been sailed over three days and the qualifying rounds conclude.

Late February I received an email from Les Baker of Timaru inquiring about the possibility of some Timaru yachts having an Easter cruise on Lake Te Anau. After a quick phone around it was decided to move the Southland Trailer Yacht Easter Cruise from Lake Manapouri to Lake Te Anau.

With the cruising rally boats and the line honours winner of the race fleet now in Denerau, Fiji the 2014 ANZ Sail Fiji is at the business end. After the race fleet departed Auckland Harbour last Saturday the 2014 ANZ Sail Fiji has seen plenty of action with four retirements from the race including Kia Kaha, Surreal, Crusader and Iemanja; and a couple of EPIRB false alarms.

As we all know, not all yachting is racing around the buoys. For many the fun of cruising is what ‘spins their wheels’ and in the deep south with an abundance of deep lakes in what could arguably be some of the country’s most spectacular scenery there are a band of enthusiastic Trailer Yachties that are always keen to tow their craft inland to one of the lakes.

Cruising in mid-autumn in the southern lakes probably doesn’t sound like everyone’s cup of tea but it seems very common to the yachting fraternity from Otago.

Winds were light for day two of the 2014 European Laser Standard and Laser Radial Championships being held in Split, Croatia and all fleets added just one race to their results before the diminishing sea breeze saw the second scheduled race cancelled.