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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.

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.

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.

Adam Minoprio, 2010 World Match Racing Champion is the 2013 NZ Open Keel Boat Champion. Who will follow Sam Osbourne and be the 2013 NZ Women’s Keel Boat Champion? We have two entries already including one from New Caledonia and the Canadian National Champion has also expressed interest in this regatta. The entry deadline of the 19th April which is just over 2 weeks away so it is time to get your crew together and enter the regatta. Entries will be accepted in order of receipt so enter now.

Join the cruising division of the RNZYS ocean race to Musket Cove, and get the benefit of a one-stop customs service, and a start at Opua or Auckland. Strong interest means up to 20 boats could be racing to Fiji on 1 June, including a contingent with something other than speed on their mind.

A team of New Zealand’s Olympic class sailors are gearing up for ISAF Sailing World Cup Palma where racing is set to get underway on Easter Monday. This ISAF Sailing World Cup Regatta runs over six days from April 1st-6th. With the NZL Sailing Team’s big guns – our 2012 Olympic medallists – targeting other international regattas in coming month and not sailing in Palma, the door is open for some of the less well known campaigners to step into the spotlight in Palma and make their mark early on in the four year Olympic cycle.

ISAF Sailing World Cup Palma will see two undefeated 49erFX crews go head to head for the first time on 1 April as racing begins at the third stop on the 2012-2013 ISAF Sailing World Cup Series. Held across Club Nàutic S'Arenal and Club Marítimo San Antonio de la Playa over 900 sailors will fight for the titles across the ten Olympic events with many expected to cast their eye over the sailors at the start of their Olympic campaigns in the 49erFX.

With the summer of 2013 apparently willing to hang around for ever, the competitors in the Auckland Regatta were treated to superb sailing conditions – albeit mainly in the light to moderate wind range – for the three days of the contest.

Here’s a look at the up-coming sailing related events around the country for the next couple of weeks. See the YNZ on-line calendar for full details of these events and those on beyond that. Are you organising an event you would like to see included? Don’t miss out on some free promotion for your sailing events by adding them to the YNZ on-line calendar here.

Northland Sailor of the Year Chris Hornell has sailed his Reichel/Pugh TP52 Kia Kaha to victory once again, in last weekend's Auckland Regatta. With convincing wins in PHRF, IRC and line honours categories, Kia Kaha - which means 'stay strong' in Maori - continues to prove her mettle among New Zealand's sailing elite.

Do you know a young person that would benefit from racing offshore? This is their chance. Young people aged sixteen and over will have a unique opportunity to undertake their first offshore race experience aboard one of ocean racing’s most stalwart veterans, Lion New Zealand, in the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron’s Ocean Race to Musket Cove, Fiji, in June. A voyage on the boat has already kick started the offshore sailing career of Cory McLennan.

Yachting New Zealand are selling six Optimists that have been used as a part of the Sailing... Have A Go! programme. The boats are for sale as a group of six, not individually, and must be picked up from Auckland.

Start the drill with a downwind start line, approaching from to windward. Set 3 marks below the start line. The boats must slalom downwind around the marks, rounding the bottom mark before heading upwind to the finish line. This drill has starboard, port and port bottom mark rounding’s.

Over Easter weekend, New Zealand’s 2012 Access Liberty (servo) World Champion Helena Horswell will be back in Australia racing at the 2013 Centenary of Canberra Asia-Pacific Access Championships.

Yachting New Zealand is working increasingly to ensure freedom of access to the water for all members, yachties and powerboat owners alike. Here is an update on four cases that YNZ have been involved with on your behalf in the past year,

With just one week to go, there is still time to get yourself organized to be part of a great Easter Weekend on the water. TYPBC has decided to waive the late entry to entice those still sitting on the fence to jump off and come sailing! Looking forward to seeing some more of the Auckland based boats have a crack at showing the Tauranga crews how it’s done!

Join Sir Russell Coutts and Grant Dalton at this lavish gala dinner in Auckland prior to the 34th America’s Cup on San Francisco waters later in the year.

Just 14 months after a skydiving accident rendered Jonathan Martins a L1 paraplegic; he prepares now to become the first disabled yachtsman to complete a single-handed circumnavigation voyage around New Zealand.

Sailability Wellington is alive and thriving in the Hutt Valley, working with the Lowry Bay Yacht Club to create more sailing opportunities for people with a disability in the region. The popular programme now boasts nearly 75 subscribed sailors with an expanding waiting list, and with the addition of one more sailboat this month, there is no sign of the programme slowing do

Jez Fanstone and Aaron McIntosh have been awarded Olympic Coach, Yachting New Zealand's highest coaching qualification. Jez and Aaron have been recognized for their coaching input to their sailor’s highly successful London 2012 Olympics.

The NZL Sailing Team is in good shape with 2012 Olympic silver medallists Peter Burling and Blair Tuke today announcing that they will campaign again towards the Rio Olympic Games in 2016. The pair has confirmed that they will continue their partnership in the 49er – the Olympic skiff class.

Are you interested in becoming a Teams Racing Umpire? Once each year at the Secondary Schools Teams Racing National Championships, this two day hands on practical course takes place for people of all ages and experience. Its free- get your registrations in by 19 April!

Mussanah Race Week concluded yesterday in Oman, and what a great week of sailing and cultural experiences it was. The race committee did a fantastic job getting us 14 races completed over the five days of racing. We had all onshore winds, ranging between five and fifteen knots. It was awesome practice to race at the same venue as our World Championship later this year, in similar conditions to what we can expect in November.

The 2013 Hutchwilco Boat Show will provide an exciting promotional opportunity and Class Associations and Yacht Clubs are encouraged to come and be part of the ‘Sailing Central’ pavilion. What: Sailing Central, 2013 Hutchwilco Boat Show When: May 16th – 19th 2013 Where: ASB Showgrounds, Greenlane, Auckland

Muritai Yacht Club is preparing to celebrate its 75th jubilee this coming weekend (15-17 March). The family oriented club, located in Eastbourne, has been a focal point for local sailors for decades, with many famous sailing names having passed through its doors in that time.

Chances are you have already heard about Andrew McKenzie… he is one of New Zealand’s rising stars in single handed dinghy sailing. Andrew has been selected to sail for New Zealand in Cyprus at the 2013 ISAF Youth World Championships in the Laser Radial. The Kohimarama Yacht Club sailor has plenty of international competition under his belt having represented New Zealand at the 2008 Optimist World Championships, competed in Canada under Yachting New Zealand’s CORK scholarship in 2011, sailed in Laser Radial Regattas across the ditch in Australia and in the UK. And Andrew was a member of the 2012 NZL Yachting Trust Youth Team that sailed in Dublin last July.

The New Zealand Access Class Association is now accepting applications from clubs that are interested in hosting the 2014 NZ Access Class National Championships, and 2015 National Championships/ Kiwi Cup. These two regattas will be the feature pieces of New Zealand's Access Class domestic racing calendar.

This course is for anyone coaching sailors from green fleet or learn to race up to sailors competing at regional and national regatta. In April at YNZ: Monday 15th, Wednesday 17th, Thursday 18th.

Watch NZL 195542. Does he have enough space towards the pin end? At what stage should he look to get out and find another position. Watch how the start unfolds. After the gun, his position is less than ideal, but watch what happens next.

The NEW and updated Coaching Pathway Poster and get into Coaching Brochures have now been printed and heading to your local sailing club. The posters and brochures outline the coaching pathway from Learn to Sail Coach through to Olympic Coach.