Summer arrived for the first day of racing at ISAF Sailing World Cup Melbourne as a hot northerly wind from Australia's outback blasted across the city and onto Port Phillip Bay. In the early morning the breeze driven by temperatures in the mid to high 30's, gusted to 25 knots but had eased to a more pleasant 15 knots by the start of racing. Being an offshore breeze, the water was flat and conditions were perfect for sailing.

A little update to let you know what we have been up to, in this past month, not long since our last post, but we have been keeping busy! It has been no rest for the wicked as we headed off overseas again, this time to Oman and Malaysia. Two countries that we hadn’t been to before, so we were looking forward some new experiences.

Murrays Bay Sailing Club’s world famous OKI 24 Hour Race is being sailed over the weekend of 8th and 9th of February 2014 on Lake Pupuke.

Voodoo (RAYC, Simon Manning, Andy Robertson with Andrew Brown/Adrienne Rekke) won the 2013 North Island Champs hosted by Sandspit Yacht Club and sailed in the waters of Kawau Bay.

Following on from Kate Spackman’s news of their very successful learn to sail programme in Christchurch, there is a similar set up at the other end of the country in Kerikeri.

Organising the level 1 sailors

Hamilton Yacht Club invites Opti sailors to ‘Come and improve your sailing’ at HYC’s OptiSail 2014 camp on 13-16 January 2014.

If you only do one boating event this summer, make it the Ports of Auckland Anniversary Day Regatta on 27 January 2014, and be in to win a trip to Hawaii, a voyage of the Spirit of New Zealand, a Stand Up Paddleboard, cash, or prizes from iconic Auckland businesses, is the call from the country’s oldest sporting event, that originated as a celebration of Auckland’s founding 174 years ago.

Rolling over in the sun, I turn and ask Andy if he was nervous about laying aloft. A few seconds passes, before his lopsided, sunny grin breaks through, and he shakes his head erratically: "Nup." His father, leaning against a pin rail and backlit by the blue Tasman waters, ruefully admits "I've never liked heights. But it was a real moment."

Do you live within the catchment of Nelson Yacht Club? Do you have a disability, and are you keen to try sailing? New Zealand's oldest yacht club is in for something new - accessible sailing.

Yachting New Zealand is seeking to recruit Double Handed Olympic Class coaches on a contract basis to prepare crews for the 2016 Rio Olympics.