You know about Burling and Tuke – but have you heard about Marcus Hansen and Josh Porebski? Both just 20 years old they are the NZL Sailing Team’s ‘other’ 49er campaigners, and last year they achieved a major career highlight with a sixth place finish at the 2012 49er World Championships.

It has been another excellent day for the NZL Sailing Team in Spain for ISAF Sailing World Cup Palma, where day two racing has just wrapped up. Among the New Zealand sailors to climb up the standings were Andy Maloney, up to 4th in the Laser; Josh Junior, moving four places to 6th in the Finn, and Paul Snow-Hansen and Daniel Willcox rising to 5th overall in the Men’s 470.

For the first time in years the Nelson Yacht Club’s Kaiteriteri Regatta tempted a group of young sailors from Golden Bay’s Pohara Yacht Club to cross the Takaka Hill and be part of the action.

Wind and waves delivered exciting and challenging racing on day one as competition got underway for the NZL Sailing Team sailors in Palma de Mallorca, Spain at the ISAF Sailing World Cup Palma, also known as Trofeo Princesa Sofia Regatta. Sam Meech was New Zealand’s standout of the day placing 2nd in his two races today in the Laser fleet, with team mate Andy Maloney also on the pace with a 5th and a 3rd. Overall they sit 3rd (equal) and 7th respectively in what is the largest fleet in Palma comprising around 110 sailors split into two fleets for qualifying racing.

The first European stop of this world sailing circuit starts tomorrow with the practice race with strong winds forecasted in the bay of Palma. The Princesa Sofia Mapfre Absolute winner trophy has the names of the 43 winners of the regatta engraved. Among them, the King of Spain and five times Olympic medallist Ben Ainslie

New Zealand’s new major yacht race - the A2B Ocean Race will set sail from Auckland on the 9th of February 2014. It will travel the length of the country, departing our largest city - Auckland and arriving in our smallest port town – Bluff. On route, it will head up through the Bay of Islands, round Cape Reinga, down the West Coast before rounding the base of the South Island and into the town famous for its oysters and southern hospitality – Bluff.

The 44 edition of the Trofeo Princesa Sofia Mapfre (ISAF Sailing World Cup Palma ) for Olympic Classes which kicks off this Saturday, arrives with many novelties and in an unusual Olympic campaign atmosphere in a post-Olympic year, according to the Organisation at the official presentation to the media this midday at the Mapfre in Palma.

The Notice of Race for the Santander 2014 ISAF Sailing World Championships Test event, Ciudad de Santander Trophy, has been released.

A strong New Zealand Paper Tiger Team heads for Wellington this Easter weekend for the 2013 Swire Shipping International Paper Tiger Catamaran Championships. The venue is Muritai Yacht Club, on the eastern shores of Wellington Harbour. Muritai is familiar to many Paper Tiger sailors from both Australia and New Zealand, and has a strong history of running national championships, however this will be the first time the class has hosted an International event this location.

Bay of Plenty residents and visitors need to continue to be aware of the risk of paralytic shellfish toxin poisoning. “Levels of toxin found in shellfish along parts of the Bay of Plenty coastline remain high. Shellfish in the affected area should not be taken or eaten,” says Dr Neil de Wet, Medical Officer of Health.