Wellington O’pen BIC Fleet Launch a massive success at Evans Bay

by Rowdy Leatham on 13 Feb 2017 The Wellington weather pulled one out of the bag for the official launch of the brand new O’pen BIC Fleet at the Evans Bay Yacht & Motor Boat Club in Wellington.

With perfect blue skies and a gentle southerly breeze, the only downfall to the weather was forgetting that you can actually get sunburnt in Wellington.

A fantastic carnival atmosphere greeted guests and members as they arrived to see the new fleet sitting gloriously under the Wellington summer sun. With the BBQ burning and the smell of fresh coffee wafting through the air, there were smiles everywhere. The official ceremony saw the dignitaries make their speeches before the boats were blessed and the obligatory doses of bubbles were splashed around.

Then it was time for the kids to really have their fun in the sun, with the six brand new boats going into the water one by one for their maiden sail. The smiles when the kids (finally) returned were from ear to ear, with comments to match. It is fair to say the first taste of O’pen BIC sailing for these youngsters was a massive success.

The programme now looks forward to their first big Wellington event which is scheduled for the 17th to 19th of March which will see around 40 O’pen BIC sailors from as far away as Dunedin, Wanaka and Kerikeri decend on Evans Bay for the first ever Wellington O’pen Cup. The event will include coaching from Sir Russell Coutts, along with racing, adventure sailing, and trick sailing (and probably the odd water fight) over the three full days. The sailing can be watched from Evans Bay Yacht & Motor Boat Club, Hataitai Beach, Greta Point or along Cobham Drive.

For further information regarding the Wellington O’pen BIC fleet or the upcoming Wellington O’pen Cup please contact Ryan “Rowdy” Leatham, General Manager at EBYMBC on (04) 939 4167.

Evans Bay Yacht & Motor Boat Club would like to thank our O’pen BIC Fleet sponsors, Eastern Suburbs Sports Trust, HRV Home Ventilation, Moore Wilson’s, NIWA & Vodafone. Without their support this fleet would not be possible.

The O’pen BIC is a great development in the world of sailing and is quickly building an international reputation. The boat has blown a big breath of fresh air into junior and youth sailing with a focus of participation and enjoyment.

The EBYMBC O’pen BIC fleet will be the first of its kind in the Greater Wellington region and EBYMBC are looking forward to being at the forefront of the new and exciting pathway for junior and youth sailors.

Evans Bay Yacht & Motor Boat Club was established in 1918 and we are currently building towards the centenary celebrations. Over the past 99 years the club has been a strong part of the local community with many families having multiple generations of involvement, in fact the current Commodore is a third generation member.