Here’s a look at the up-coming sailing related events around the country for the next few weeks. See the YNZ on-line calendar for full details of these events and those on beyond that.

Peter Burling and Blair Tuke, NZL Sailing Team 49er pair, have been named as finalists for Halberg Disability Sport Foundation Team of the Year in today’s release from the Halberg Disability Sports Foundation.

After a week of uncooperative weather at Black Rock, Australia, the OK Dinghy World Championship wrapped up in perfect Port Phillip conditions. Matt Stechmann (NZL) did just enough to take the title by one point from Luke O'Connell (NZL), who won a three way points tie with defending champion, Roger Blasse (AUS), who took third overall, and Greg Wilcox (NZL) in fourth.

The sole kiwi competing in the Barcelona World Race, Conrad Colman (sailing with Nando Fa on Spirit of Hungary) was noted as having the biggest cause for celebration in the latest race report, as the fleet negotiate the area around the Canary Islands.

The Sydney Sailmakers crew of Nick Press/Andrew Stevenson continues to make light work of the 12ft Skiff Interdominion with a win and a second place on Sydney Harbour today, but the top Kiwi crews of Little Bus (Chris Reid/Andrew Clarke and C-Tech White, Alex Vailings/Fraser Brown proved a force to be reckoned with.

Although I never got to know Dale, the sailing community, and in particular, visually impaired sailors have lost a true champion.

Yesterday we brought you some of the interview with Matt Stechmann (NZL), who won the OK Dinghy World Championship at Black Rock YC on January 4 after a week of unusual and confounding weather. Here is the complete interview, taken shortly after he came ashore after claiming the title.

The 12ft Skiff Interdominion is shaping up to be a humdinger between two Australian and two New Zealand entries, with the Aussies getting the upper hand today, including the Brett Hobson skippered Geotherm staging a comeback to move up to second place, but it’s Sydney Sailmakers, steered by Nick Press which has a target on its stern.

A team of four 420s has made the trip across to Fremantle for the Australian 420 Nationals, a six day regatta, 29th Dec - 3rd Jan and then the Australian Youth Championship a five day regatta running from Jan 6th to Jan 10th.

Qingdao, China has been selected as the Asian venue for the ISAF Sailing World Cup in 2015 and 2016.