News

The Finn class is pleased to announce that it has launched a new website after successfully porting its existing site onto a new platform and to a new server. The address remains, as always, www.finnclass.org. The whole site has been reworked onto the new platform and should be faster, more reliable and more secure.

It was great to be joined by an additional group of foreigners’ straight after our Nationals finished, to up the quality and intensity of our training and summer racing even more. Joining our local talent, the Duchies and Omanis who were already here, were sailors from Australia, Sweden, Ireland, Norway, Singapore and Korea. It has given us some competitive racing both in training, at Oceanbridge Sail Auckland and during the OKI 24 Hour Race this past weekend.

The 2014 OKI 24-hr Race results are in, with Andy Maloney and Nicholas Heiner coming through on the winning boat, sailing for Mansons TCLM Ltd with 118 laps - almost as many as Chris Dickson's 120 lap record.

At the recent 2014 Sunburst Nationals held in January at the Wakatere Boating Club in Devonport, the class concurrently held a weekend celebrating the 50 years since the first boat was launched.

Simon Hull, proud owner of the record breaking giant red Orma 60’ trimaran flying machine “Vodafone,” has set his sights on winning one of the few remaining race records for NZ Coastal Yacht racing that he does not have his name on yet, the International Paints, Auckland to Tauranga Yacht Race to be held on Thursday 17th April, just prior to Easter.

For the second consecutive year, a representative of the host club, the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron, has won the prestigious Hardy Cup Under 25, ISAF Grade 3 match racing event on Sydney Harbour.

Over the weekend, the OK Dinghy class took part in Oceanbridge Sail Auckland 2014, New Zealand’s premiere dinghy racing event and a Grade one ISAF fixture. With 33 boats entered the OKs were the largest fleet at the event and as such enjoyed prime position for their boats directly in front of the RAYC clubhouse. A great showcase for the OK fleet, and a chance for the yachting world to see grassroots sailing at its very best alongside the Olympic classes. With the whole OK fleet working hard on their sailing, and 10 having recently competed in the OK Interdominions in Melbourne, the standard of racing right through the fleet was higher than ever, with torrid action on the water and great camaraderie off it.

The message is out. The yacht clubs are poised. The nation is ready to get involved in the first ever Volvo National Sailing and Boating Day. The push to entice more boaties onto New Zealand waters is set to unfold on February 16, with smaller yacht clubs also gearing up to make the most of the nationwide momentum.