Yachting New Zealand continues to protect New Zealand’s cruising hot spots and race routes with advocacy work for boaties, and the proof is in the pudding with the latest decision on aquaculture positioning in Northland.

Yachting New Zealand wishes to thank Clubs for the great response to new deadlines around membership fees introduced this year, and we want to let you know about the launch of a new investigation into potential membership models.

Coffee makes the world go round...faster. Well that’s true for many of us who can’t bear to face the day until we’ve had our caffeine fix – let alone think about competition on the water. With your daily performance-enhancer ‘cuppa’ in mind and to combat the legendary ‘cafe coffee queue’ a new breakfast option will be available at the Regatta base on shore.

I have just returned home from Oman, where I have been training and competing in the 2013 Laser World Championships for the past three weeks.

New Zealand’s 2013 sailing success has been recognised at regional sports Awards around the country with acknowledgement in youth sailing, Olympic class sailing and coaching in Marlborough, Bay of Plenty and North Harbour.

Kohimarama Yacht Club sailors were to the fore in the annual Auckland Intermediate (Year 7 & 8) Regatta held Thursday 21 November in Auckland. Remuera Intermediate won the event which totals the points scored in fleet racing of the best three sailors from each school.

Are you a disabled sailor looking to race overseas in a Paralympic class boat? Have you got a classification to ensure you’ll meet the criteria for the type of boat you want to sail?

After an arduous seven day series including twelve races for the gold fleet sailors the 2013 Laser World Championships have come to a close at Musannah Beach, Oman. Just one race was possible on the final day of competition the start gun firing only a few minutes prior to the 3pm final cut off time giving competitors just one more crack on the race track to determine their final fate.

Sailors Taylor Burn and Henry Gibbs won the Marlborough Sports Team of the Year at the 2013 Marlborough Sports Awards on Monday night. “It was a great night” says Taylor’s Dad Rob Burn. “330 people, John Macbeth was MC and Sir Graham Henry was the guest speaker. “Taylor gave a great speech off the cuff - even thanked his parents and Henry's. Unfortunately Henry wasn't able to be there.”

It was a day of incremental improvements for all three New Zealand sailors racing in the gold fleet at the 2013 Laser World Championships drawing to a close at Musannah, Oman. With one day remaining Sam Meech has moved up one position into 9th, Andy Maloney up two places to 14th while Thomas Saunders has climbed one place into 19th.