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The dedicated and hard-working team behind the hugely popular Bay of Islands Sailing Week has been recognised after it was revealed at last Friday night’s 2013 Volvo Yachting Excellence Awards that the regatta scooped the prestigious Yachting New Zealand President’s Award.
Jim Murdoch present's the framed certificate to Ray Haslar
Every year, since its inception in 2002, hundreds of sailors and their families head to Northland for what is one of New Zealand’s premier keelboat regattas. Due entirely to the grunt work put in by a large team of volunteers under the leadership of Ray Haslar, this great event enjoys growing popularity year upon year.
“We’re absolutely over the moon,” says Ray. “I am surrounded by a great committee. I set them on a course and they carry it out themselves. Some of the committee have been there since day one with me, they’re absolutely stoked.”
The Yachting New Zealand President’s Award recognises work done in promoting, supporting and developing the interests of yachting and at Friday’s gala dinner held at the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron Master of Ceremonies Peter Montgomery detailed the reasons behind the judges’ decision in 2013;
Peter said; “Bay of Islands Sailing Week has become the must do event for keelboat sailors and all high performance boats gravitate there for a brilliant competition in a fantastic place to sail. Ray realized that not everyone is at the top end of high octane world racing and another success has been to create divisions for cruising yachts.”
“Ray has encouraged an outstanding group of people around him to help support and run the event; People from all over the Bay of Islands, some of them committing to driving over 40 minutes to lend their support,” continued Peter.
MC Peter Montgomery announces the President's Award
The regatta, which is run by the Bay of Islands Sailing Week in conjunction with four sailing clubs (The Bay of Islands Yacht Club, the Opua Cruising Club, Russell Boating Club and Kerikeri Cruising Club) is open to keelers, multi-hulls, trailer sailers, sports and open keelboats, with competitive racing over three days.
Ray Haslar tells why he thinks Bay of Islands Sailing Week is such a winner; “One of the key things is that it’s an ‘away regatta’. Once people commit they’re AWAY – they can concentrate on the regatta, and they enjoy themselves more. We try to make it a party, festival atmosphere. It’s fun but at the same time they get serious racing.”
“The location is just brilliant and the format of two windward-leeward races and a short bay race is the right formula,” continues Ray. “I’m a competitive yachtsman myself and I travel to regattas around New Zealand and in Australia - I see what works and what doesn’t, and I listen to the yachties, I hear what they want and try to put those things in place.”
Courses are designed to suit the various divisions with a range of windward/leeward triangle races and bay races that use the many natural obstacles in the Bay of Islands. Cruising yachts and crews are encouraged to join the competition in the island racing divisions sailing one bay race a day.
The 2014 Bay of Islands Sailing Week sees the launch of a new trophy. Ray explains; “the 52 footers are more focussed on going for line honours these days so I’ve introduced a new trophy. The ‘King of the Bay’ is for the A-division 52s - whoever gets the most guns wins the trophy. We’re expecting at least six 52 footers including Georgia, V5 and Wired.”
“Plus we’re running the Ross 780 Nationals this year – with a visiting Australian Race Officer running them. We’re hoping for a dozen or so of them.”
Visit the regatta website for more information; entries are currently open for the 2014 edition of Bay of Islands Sailing Week which runs from 22 – 24 January 2014.
Archives of past winners of the Yachting New Zealand’s President’s Award, dating back to 2001, can be found here.
