News

Entries for the 2013 International 2.4mR class Open World Championships - being hosted by The Poole Yacht Club in Britain – opened on Friday 1 February 2013.The event takes place from 6 - 14 September 2013, and all sailors should enter online via the event website at www.24mworlds2013.co.uk

The line-up for the Selection Series for the Red Bull Youth America’s Cup will include 11 national teams, attending the two qualifying sessions in San Francisco from February 9-24. A British team, the GBR Youth Challenge, has been added to the roster to take the place of the previously invited French Youth Team, who now qualify directly for September’s event after gaining support from the French America’s Cup World Series entry, Energy Team.

Nearly 200 sailors from ten countries are ready to race at Oceanbridge Sail Auckland 2013; due to get underway at the Royal Akarana Yacht Club this Saturday. The regatta entry list is longer than organizers anticipated, and star studded as anybody would expect of an Olympic and Paralympic class event of this calibre. Although they are the only Women’s 470 sailors registered, Olympic Gold medallists Jo Aleh and Polly Powrie are faced with a competitive regatta against some internationally accomplished men in their own right. 22 year old Paul Snow Hansen who sailed to a fifth at the 2012 Olympics with Jason Saunders, is now sailing with Daniel Willcox. Paul and Daniel were teammates at the 2004 Optimist World Championships where they got second and fourth respectively.

Five months from race start, the latest of 13 boats to put their hand up so far for the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron's Auckland to Musket Cove, Fiji Ocean race in June 2013 may also turn out to be the smallest in the fleet. Lew Anne is an 11m John Lidgard design, built from cement, and weighing in at over 12 tonnes. She is owned by Dave Harding, who is now nearly 70 and who started building her in his backyard in Onehunga in 1965, finished building her in 1995, and who last took part in the Auckland to Fiji race in 1999, where Lew Anne placed second.

The A Class Nationals was run in Lyttelton Harbour, Christchurch last week and has concluded with Blair Tuke from Kerikeri taking the title in commanding fashion.

Auckland - The city of Auckland in New Zealand will again play host to sailing's greatest adventure after winning selection as a Host Port in the Volvo Ocean Race for both the 12th edition in 2014-15 and the 13th.

The 2013 NZ Paper Tiger National Championships hosted by the Maraetai Sailing Club in Auckland continued competitive racing today with 2 more races completed in conditions that tested the full variety of conditions.

After nine windy races on the Waitemata, Brendan Tourelle has for the second time won the NZ Access Liberty Class National Championships. He was a clear force to be reckoned with, after winning both races on the final day he had an eleven point lead on second place getter Tim Dempsey.