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 Trofeo SAR Princesa Sofia Mapfre celebrates its 45th edition this year. The biggest sailing event in Spain will be held in waters of the bay of Palma from 29th March to 5th April with the debut of a whole new Spanish pre-Olympic team, presented some weeks ago, on their way to Rio 2016.

Many of us will need to buy or sell equipment, but it is usually complicated to sell or buy second hand sailing/surfing equipment, or to find the best advertising platform. One option is to post handwritten adverts on official notice boards at clubs or when at regattas, but the audience is very limited.

After four days of compelling racing on the Waitemata Harbour, 2014 Oceanbridge Sail Auckland has come to a close with winners crowned at prize-giving following racing today at the Royal Akarana Yacht Club.

Hosted by the Wairoa Yacht Club, the East Coast Junior Sail was a new venture with 20 sailors attending the three day live in camp from Gisborne, Ohope and Wairoa.

31 sailors turned out for this year’s Wellington Optisail hosted recently by the Titahi Bay Boating Club.

On the 26th of April this year we will celebrate this event, and the 7 others that followed through to 1984, with an afternoon gathering at the OYC Clubrooms at Onerahi. There will be lots of clippings and photos, memories and memorabilia, gossip and nostalgia. Did you, or someone you know, participate in any of these great races?

After another stunning day on Auckland’s Waitemata the scene is set for a great finale to 2014 Oceanbridge Sail Auckland with the regatta set to wrap up tomorrow and the winners crowned after racing.

It’s been a big and successful few years for Graeme Robinson in the F15 world. Despite the personal challenges of working intensively with Christchurch's earthquake recovery, in 2011 he won the first heat of the 18th World Championships at Hayling Island with James Sandall after 25 years of trying.

There was little change across the fleet leaders on day two of 2014 Oceanbridge Sail Auckland despite a day of tricky conditions on the water for all in Auckland today. There was more close racing as the regatta now hits the mid-way mark for most, and the OK Dinghy and Flying Fifteen winners are crowned. Conditions in Auckland today tested Race Officials and sailors alike with shifty, funky winds seeing luck play a stronger part in race results today. Some abandonments and plenty of re-set courses were the result of fickle winds that came and went throughout the day.