Issue date
There will a new Starling national champion when the Nelson Yacht Club host the event in April.
Sean Herbert, who last year became the first person to win three Starling national titles, has graduated out of the class, leaving the door open for a new champion.
The Starling nationals are held in the South Island every four years and this edition on April 16-19 will be the first in Nelson since 2007.
The club is located between the city and Tahunanui beach, right on the waterfront in a tidal harbour protected by the Boulder Bank. The entrance to the harbour, known as The Cut, is opposite the club and, fortunately, the regatta falls on neap tides so competitors won’t need to contend with the full 4m tidal range.
The breeze can come from all quarters but stable conditions normally mean north-easterly sea breezes. They can reach over 25 knots at the peak of summer but are typically much lighter in April. The north-easterly gradient or north-west winds can make for a decent sea out in Tasman Bay, as those who made it to the South Island championships in January found out.
The club are aiming to achieve a clean regatta under the Sailors for the Seas programme and a clean-up on Haulashore Island or the Boulderbank is being arranged. Local Starling sailor Ben Mangin and his dad Richard will be heading up the green team.
There will be a handful of attractions, including silent discos, AFlex inflatable, windersurfers and SUPs for hire and O'pen Skiffs and P-Classes are welcome to join the development fleet racing.
See here for more information, including the notice of race and entry form.
