ANZ Sail Fiji - Race launch a success

Royal Akarana Yacht Club together with ANZ and Port Denarau Marina, officially launched the 2014 ANZ Sail Fiji race which starts on Saturday 7th June at 1pm.

At an event hosted by RAYC, 60 sailors gathered to learn about what was on offer when arriving at Fiji.

RAYC Commodore Matt Woodley welcomed the sponsors, guests and competitors to the launch.

"Welcome to RAYC, the home of blue water sailing in New Zealand, these sorts of races need great competitors and to date we have 15 official entries, with Carrera due to be our 16th. I'm personally looking forward to the race as a crew member on Steinlager 2!" said Woodley.

ANZ representative and relationship manager Alex Bentley (ANZ Auckland) spoke of their enthusiasm and commitment to sponsor the event.

"It's great to be here [at Royal Akarana Yacht Club] to launch this event. My grandfather helped build the Royal Suva Yacht Club, so the race has a special connection to me. I would like to wish everyone safe travels on the water, competitive sailing and most importantly, safe cruising," said Bently.

Nigel Skeggs, general manager of the Port Denarau Marina, spoke of their commitment to the race and to the working relationship with Royal Akarana Yacht Club.

"All the boats will be berthed together when arriving in Fiji, and for bigger boats such as Beau Geste, we are dredging a special area just for them. This race is open to everyone, so if you are a larger boat, then please let us know so we can accommodate you," said Skeggs.

"There will be lots on offer including a free phone from Digicel for each boat which will be pre-loaded with credit and all the boat phone numbers as well as our contact details.   This means we can keep you all updated whilst you are in Fiji," continued Skeggs.

Fiji Airways have also partnered with the event and are offering exclusive flight details for competitors taking part. A fixed rate and fully flexible one way flights are available which means that competitors won't have to worry about missing the boarding call if for some reason a boat is delayed in arriving to Fiji.

Hotels within the area have also offered special deals for competitors and families, making this event more than just a race, but a holiday as well. Details are available on the Sail Fiji website.

As a first for Royal Akarana Yacht Club, the seminar was streamed live on the official website for those that were unable to attend. This service proved to work well with positive feedback received from those watching.

The next seminar is scheduled for 10th April from 7pm with skippers and crews encouraged to attend.  This seminar will focus on ensuring sails and rigging are prepared and what to do in the event that you lose your gear at sea.  This seminar will also be streamed live on the night.

Photos: CLICK HERE to download photos of the seminar. Photo credit: Chris Cameron.

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