News library

Seven teams competed for the title of national champion at the 2012 New Zealand Youth Match Racing Championship. Racing took place over three days with Chris Steele and team from the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron taking out the Warren "Wolfie" Williams trophy to become the 2012 New Zealand youth match racing champions.

French Bay Yacht Club in Titirangi has got four one-day sailing courses for adults this summer season, and is now accepting bookings. They are a great way to learn (or re-learn) the basics that you need to start sailing regularly with the club. They are run by Elements Watersports sailing school so you get instructors who know what they are doing and who can help you get up to speed quickly.

NZL Sailing Team Laser campaigner Andy Maloney updates us on some sailing ‘cross-training’ he’s been partaking in over the last couple of months…

The Kiwi Ability Regatta, held from January 29th - 30th at the Royal Akarana Yacht Club will be a regatta for sailors with Intellectual disability, those with Acquired Brain Injury and those on the Autism Spectrum.This regatta will be competed in Access 303’s – crews can be fully ID, (where at least one sailor has racing experience at club level), or mixed (where ID sailor maintains helm, and non ID crew can control mainsail and/or jibsail).

Saturday was a beautiful sunny day, perfect for the Queen Charlotte Yacht Club fleet to enjoy the three race Vet Centre Handicap series. The Race Officer Katrin Wendt, managed to organise the fleet and sail herself in light breezes but tightly contested racing.

Bay of Islands Yacht Club updates with news and images from the recent training weekend, plus spaces are on offer in the up-coming Learn to Sail course…

News that our Olympic gold medallists will be at the Stack Winter Champs, and a spectacular prize package donated by The Water Shed and North Sails, will make next week's Stack Winter Champs at Murrays Bay Sailing Club, more special than ever. Divisional winners and placegetters will be able to shake hands with Olympic Gold Medallists Jo Aleh and Polly Powrie at the prize giving of the Stack Winter Champs and check out first hand the 470 dinghy that Jo and Polly sailed to Olympic glory.

Olympic Gold Medallist Tom Ashley tells us what he likes most about the proposed National Ocean Water Sports Centre and what it'll offer the Takapuna, North Shore, and Auckland communities. See this youtube clip to learn more about the NOWSC and hear the perspective of a high performance sailor who knows what it takes to get to the Olympic podium.

Over 200 kiteboarders, including a four person New Zealand team, will descend on picturesque Cagliari, Italy over coming days for the 2012 Kiteboard Racing World Championship. Kiwis Dave Robertson, Matt Taggart, Ben Turner and Justina Sellers are in Italy for the regatta which runs from the 3rd-7th October with racing on the 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th.

Here’s a look at the up-coming sailing events around the country for the first half of October.

The International Sailing Federation (ISAF) have released a Guide to Offshore Personal Safety for Racing and Cruising, available to purchase now.The ISAF Guide to Offshore Personal Safety for Racing and Cruising will provide essential reading for sailors undertaking the ISAF Offshore Personal Survival Course, which equips them with the knowledge to be safe at sea and prevent and deal with emergencies. The handbook provides important information to accompany the course.

New Zealand 470 sailors Olivia Powrie and Jo Aleh, who won gold at the London Olympics last month, will join the thousands of boating enthusiasts at this week’s Auckland On Water Boat Show. Running from 27 to 30 September on and around Auckland’s Viaduct Harbour, the Auckland On Water Boat Show features a wide array of motor, sailing and recreational boats and equipment, including one of the 470 class yachts raced by Powrie and Aleh in recent months.

Opening day was a fantastic success. Blue skies, gentle breezes, warm weather, mercifully short speeches and the cannon didn't blow Phil's eye brows off.

The Murrays Bay Sailing Club STACK Winter Champs’ 6-8 October will be the start of the 2012-13 Kendall Cup Racing Season. There will be seven regattas held throughout the New Zealand including the major dinghy regattas such as Sir Peter Blake, North Islands, South Islands (Inaugural trip), and Auckland Champs.

Opti Winners in for great prizes at 2012 STACK Winter Champs. Optimist sailors competing at the up-coming STACK Winter Championships are in for some terrific prize packages thanks to The Water Shed and North Sails.

The Stack Winter Champs is returning to Murrays Bay Yacht Club and entries are now being accepted both for racing on 5, 6 and 7 October, and for two days of intensive coaching next Tuesday 2 and Wednesday 3 October.

Yachting New Zealand is sad to learn that Dave Gautrey of Wellington’s Muritai Yacht Club passed away September 20th at Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, UK, aged 52 years.

Yachting New Zealand is seeking contact details for the Elliott 1050 Owners Association. If anyone can help please email us at reception@yachtingnz.org.nz

Auckland’s Richmond Yacht Club invites adults wanting to get out on the water this summer and experience sailing to contact them.

The Ponsonby Primary kids all had an amazing day last Friday 14th, September 2012. This from parent, and sailor, Lanee Beashel…

Are you coaching already or interested in coaching? Yachting New Zealand has a number of coaching courses around the country on offer during October and November.

Kiwi match racing team, FMJ Racing have been in Pornichet, France for the past week competing in the Manu Minard Trophy a grade one event held in J80's. It was a tough week for FMJ ending in 7th position.

The gold medal girls produced plenty of golden grins amongst Kohimarama Yacht Club’s junior sailors who all turned out on Sunday for a chance to meet some New Zealand’s latest sailing heroines.

Start looking now at your arrangements. Maybe consider the affordable accommodation Tanoa Paihia Hotel on Joyces Road, just minutes walk from the Paihia Wharf. (09) 4027911 Web - www.tanoahotels.com . A breakfast bar is open from ‘early’.... An Indian Restaurant and bar on site.

It’s been an eventful month for silver medallists Peter Burling and Blair Tuke following their return to New Zealand with an Olympic silver medal. Here they update us on what’s been going on…

Peter Burling’s Olympic silver medal has opened the door to an exciting opportunity to helm Team Korea’s AC45 for the coming round of the America’s Cup World Series set to start in San Francisco on October 2nd.

A foursome of Olympic class sailors, past and present, will take to their stand up paddle boards on Saturday 27th October for the 2012 Starboard Paddle for Hope - an annual charity fundraiser festival of Stand Up Paddle Boarding (SUP) devised by breast cancer survivor Karin Horen.

The International Sailing Federation (ISAF) has updated and enhanced its ISAF Sailing World Rankings system for fleet racing, and will launch the new system on 19 September 2012.

Bucklands Beach Yacht Club would like to welcome you to join their Open Day on Sunday September 23rd 2012 from 11am.

It’s been a massive start to the 2012/2013 Season for Royal Akarana Yacht Club with a successful AGM and the launch of a brand new website.

A windsurfing Open Day held recently at Rotorua Yacht Club proved a huge success with local kids welcomed along to the yacht club to try out the sport. Around half of those who showed up will be back at the Club for more.