2011 Flying Fifteen Nationals and Worlds Qualifiers in Bay of Islands

by Sandra Williams on 21 Dec 2010
The 2011 Flying Fifteen Nationals and Worlds Qualifying regatta will be held as part of Bay of Islands Sailing Week from the 18th to 21st of January.

The event will see the overall national title, as well as the silver and classic fleet titles, contested by teams travelling from Lyttleton, Nelson, Wellington, Napier, Auckland and Whangarei to compete with the Bay of Islands Yacht club fleet.

Other titles that will be decided during the competition include the first mixed crew, best fleet on points, first on handicap, best placed helm over 55 years and improvers trophies.

Favourites for the overall National title include the six time national champions, Aaron Goodmanson and Alister Rowlands from Charteris Bay Yacht Club and Aucklanders Murray Gilbert and Jonathan Burgess. Mixed crews include John Leydon and Sandra Williams from Nelson, Sally Garret and & Neil Easton from Auckland and Antje Muller and Wayne Henderson of the Bay of Islands.

It is expected that there will be at least ten boats contesting the classic fleet title with the recent Festival of Fifteens winners Bill Kidman and Grant Harnishof the Bay of Islands the ones to watch.

The NZ team for the 18th Flying Fifteen World Championship will also be selected at this regatta. The World Championship regatta will be held 15 - 28 July 2011 at Hayling Island Sailing Club, England. The International Flying Fifteen class World Championships are held every two years and New Zealand has sent a team every time since the first one was held in 1979, with the top NZ crews usually featuring in the top 10. New Zealanders have won twice: Roger Craddock and Steve Cunnold in 1994 and Barry Finlayson & Ian Norrie in 1980. There are also Silver and Classic divisions, with NZ crews having won the Silver division in 2009 and 2005.

The Flying Fifteen was designed by the legendary Uffa Fox, the one-design 6m (20ft) Flying Fifteen is an exciting and competitive two-person racing yacht which is now the most popular one design keel-boat class in the world with around 4000 boats. (The 'fifteen' refers to its waterline length.). It is capable of some 14 knots on a reach without the problems arising from capsize or trapeze and is easily transportable and stored. It is arguably the safest, most exciting small yacht available. Mixed crews are common and have twice won the world championship. Current experiments with the sail plan will likely result in a new, more up to date looking rig within the next two seasons.

Flying Fifteen Specifications
Designer, Uffa Fox
Overall Length, 6.1 m
Waterline Length, 4.6 m
Beam, 1.52 m
Draft, 0.76 m
Mast Height, 6.86 m
Sail Area, 14 sqm
Spinnaker Area, 13 sqm
Hull Weight, 136 kg
Keel Weight, 169 kg
Minimum Weight, 305 kg
Racing Crew, Two
Ideal Crew Range, 145 - 185 kg

For further information please contact Bay of Islands F15 Fleet Captain, Wayne Henderson wayne@twgrant.co.nz or website flying15.org.nz.