News

Two New Zealanders were recently recognised by sailing’s international body with ISAF Long Service Medals - Ralph Roberts was awarded an ISAF Gold Medal, and Jack Lloyd was awarded an ISAF Silver Medal.

While Yachting New Zealand’s entry to the Red Bull Youth America’s Cup, known as the NZL Sailing Team with Emirates Team New Zealand, has automatic entry to the San Francisco Regatta in September, a number of other teams are currently doing their best to prove they can handle an AC45 and deserve a start in September also. Teams without the backing of an existing America’s Cup World Series team have been invited to San Francisco for a Selection Series being held in two stages, and two further New Zealand teams are in the hunt hopeful of earning themselves a start in the Red Bull Youth America’s Cup this September – FMJ Racing (helmed by Will Tiller) and 36 Below Racing (helmed by Chris Steele).

Here’s a look at the up-coming sailing related events around the country for the next couple of weeks. See the YNZ on-line calendar for full details of these events and those on later in March and beyond. Are you organising an event you would like to see included? Don’t miss out on some free promotion for your sailing events by adding them to the YNZ on-line calendar here.

Fourteen teams of talented youth sailors from around the world are descending on the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron for this week’s HARKEN Youth International Match Racing Championships. Teams from Sweden, Canada, the United States, Australia and New Zealand are getting ready to do battle on the Waitemata Harbour for the illustrious HARKEN Cup.

The sixth Auckland Regatta is on from 22 – 24 March 2013 - ditch the cruising gear and get ready to race! What is it that makes Auckland Regatta great? Most importantly, it is an event for sailors, designed by sailors, and it gets better every year. For 2013, we are hosting the Pacific Keelboat Challenge, and four separate national championship events, for Open Multihulls, 8.5 Multihulls, Farr 1020s, and Elliott 5.9s. All up, there will be 14 racing divisions and one cruising division.

Richmond Yacht Club’s Route 66 coastal race from Auckland to Whangarei is organised in association with Onerahi Yacht Club and SSANZ. With a 9am start on Friday 8th March you’ll finish Friday evening with time to join in the party at Marsden Cove Marina.

This week there was some fantastic news presented to a talented group of young New Zealanders, regarding a sailing opportunity to participate at a world stage event. The Red Bull Youth America’s Cup (RBYAC), which is the under 25 restricted age group preliminary to the big show (THE America’s Cup 2013 in San Francisco this coming Northern Summer), is something most young sailors around the world have been dreaming of attending. A pathway towards being a part of that exciting event has opened up for 36 Below Racing. 36 Below Racing is a new team of young sailors formed to pursue success on the World Match Racing circuit and other sailing competitions.

Kiwi Ability was the first event of its kind in New Zealand, being a regatta for sailors with Intellectual disabilities, Acquired Brain Injury, and on the Autism Spectrum. Twelve sailors in two person crews entered to compete across the two divisions (supported and fully ID/ABI/AS) in Access 303 dinghies. The organizers were thrilled to welcome entries from 2 Australian Special Olympic teams – Alister and Alyse, Mary and Melissa.

This application from Westpac Mussel Distributors Ltd is for a large (125ha) mussel farm on the Western side of Stephenson Island (Whangaroa). YNZ’s concerns are its effect on navigation and anchorage, both for recreation and refuge. Consent has been granted for the farm. The hearing commissioners said there were some minor, or possibly more than minor, adverse effects requiring mitigation and that could only be achieved by modifying Westpac Mussel’s proposal.