After decades attending regattas, meeting sailors and parents Sail One’s Kathie and Keith Elliott announced that the 2016 Optimist Nationals, held at Kohimarama Yacht Club, would be their last regatta.

With the change of seasons and the end of daylight savings we find ourselves fast approaching the culmination of the summer season of sailing. It’s an exciting time with National Championship regattas being contested around the country across all disciplines of our sport from keelers and multihulls, to dinghies, skiffs and windsurfers.

An unexpected light air day at the 2016 49er and 49erFX European Championship didn’t bother the NZL Sailing Team and after day two Peter Burling and Blair Tuke continue to lead in the 49er, while Alex Maloney and Molly Meech are locked in a three way points tie for 3rd place in the 49erFX.

The 2016 European Championship from Barcelona, Spain marks a turning point between the 2016 quadrennial and the 2020 Tokyo Quadrennial.  As most of the Olympic fleet has been decided, many top team who will not be racing in Rio will take a break, or maybe just a breath, before reassessing their futures in Olympic sailing.  At the same time, for many teams this championship marks the beginning of their road to Tokyo, trying to get a head start on the group that will chase the next prize.

Applications are now open for the 2016 St John’s Rotary Trust Scholarship with two $1000 scholarships up for grabs for up and coming youth sailors.

Bill Dalbeth and his crew of Richard Bicknell, Ross Weauer, Chris Maddock, Oliver Scott Mackie, Ian Vickers and Ned Dalbeth-Hudson are the 2016 Harken Young 88 National Champions. 

How will the weather affect your race?

It’s been a long wait, but there is finally a new name at the top of the OK Dinghy World Ranking list as the 2016 season gets underway in a few weeks time, with the combined Europeans and Spring Cup in Medemblik.