NZL Sailing Team sailor and 2012 Radial representative in London, Sara Winther reflects on her Olympic debut and thanks her supporters… The Olympic Games was an experience like no other. You plan and prepare for an event like this by talking to people who have been there and done it, but I now know that until you actually live and experience it for yourself that you don’t truly realize what it is like.

The sailing season has begun and it’s time to set some goals to improve your skills... why not get stuck into an intensive training clinic for Paralympic Classes at Wanaka next month? The dates have been set for November 23-25 ... so get your registrations in and start planning.

Followers of the NZMYC Coastal Classic: put forward your best guesstimate of the winning time in next Friday's race, and be in to win a trip for you and a friend aboard Steinlager II. The NZ Sailing Trust was originally established for the preservation of Lion New Zealand. It has now grown with the recent acquisition of Steinlager 2. Sir Peter Blake took the lessons learned from the 85-86 race with Lion NZ and applied all of it into the design and build of Steinlager 2. She became a world class competitor winning every Whitbread leg over the line and on handicap, a record still standing today.

RAYC is hosting another Advanced Sea Survival Course before the Around White Island Race. Date: 17-18 November Times: Saturday from 0830, Sunday – early! Where: RAYC Cost: $395 per person includes morning/afternoon tea and a light lunch

The Yachting New Zealand AGM is scheduled for this coming Saturday, 13th October at 11:30am at the RPNYC in Wellington. Morning tea will be available during registration from 11am. Members are asked to confirm their attendance by Friday. Email Beth to let her know you are coming.

Whether you’re already coaching and wanting to up-skill or want to get started by learning how to deliver Learn to Sail Yachting New Zealand has a range of courses available around the country. Here’s a look at what is on in the next couple of weeks. See yachtingnz.org.nz for more information about the full range of courses on offer.

Just who will be named 2012 Orbit Corporate Travel Sailor of the Year won’t be unveiled until Friday November 23rd, but we now know who is in the running. Yachting New Zealand has revealed the list of 2012 Performance, Service and Cruising Award Winners, the winner of the Emerging Talent Award and a short-list of finalists for both the Young Sailor of the Year and the Coach/Official of the Year.

PM Scholarships 2012: YNZ Endorsement Guidelines: Prime Minister’s (PM) Scholarships assist athletes who seek to do well on the international stage in Olympic class competition and also gain a tertiary level education. PM Scholarships are managed by Sport New Zealand however Yachting New Zealand will be required to endorse and then rank applicants. This year Yachting New Zealand will be looking at the following when assessing how to rank or endorse sailors’ applications for a PM Scholarship.

YNZ's Intermediate School programme Sailing... Have A Go! is back in season. The three mobile units continue to provide young people with a sailing experience, and one that disabled kids can take part along with their peers.

The Stack Winter Champs was a high quality regatta with a high quality fleet, summarises Murrays Bay Sailing Club Commodore David Gunn, of the event that is now seen as delineating the winter and summer seasons, for about 200 boats and 300 sailors. For a number of new Optimist sailors, it was their first ever regatta. For Olympians including Jo Aleh, Polly Powrie, Sarah Winther, and Laser Worlds medallists Andy Maloney and Scott Leith, it was business as usual, racing in territory they are very familiar with. 35 knots buffeted the course on Saturday and for the first time in 13 years, racing was cancelled. Both Friday and Sunday offered up better conditions, shifty and challenging but making for good racing.