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Briefings - 6 May 2009
In this issue:
Lead Story
"Sailing is the Winner" - Ralph Roberts SPARC Lifetime Achievement
Image: David Gall/SPARC
Yachting New Zealand Board Director and well known yachtsman, Ralph Roberts (MBE and JP) has been awarded the highly prestigious SPARC Lifetime Achievement Award.
Roberts, whose involvement with yachting spans decades, was one of three leaders in sport presented the Award at a ceremony for the inaugural New Zealand Sport and Recreation Sector Awards in Hamilton last week. Other recipients of the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2009 were Lois Muir OBE DCNZM and Peter Fitzsimmons OBE.
Sir Wilson Whineray, who led the independent judging panel, said the award winners thoroughly deserved to be recognised by their peers in this way. ``These three individuals are passionate and dedicated New Zealanders who have made an enormous contribution as sportspeople and sports administrators,’’ Sir Wilson said.
Ralph himself is deservedly chuffed about being named. “I’m just staggered at the emails, and texts and messages I’ve had. The number of kids that have text me and just signed their first name – for an old man, it makes you feel happy,” says Roberts. “Everyone remarks how wonderful that sailing was amongst the inaugural recipients when there were only three. Sailing is the winner”
Roberts was President of the New Zealand Yachting Federation between 1986 and 1989 and was awarded the MBE for services to yachting and sport in 1993. He competed at the Olympic Games twice in 1960 (Rome in the Finn & Mexico in the Flying Dutchman) and 1968 and was reserve crew for Helmer Pedersen and Earle Wells in 1964. In 1984 Roberts was Sectional Manager of the New Zealand Olympic sailing team that won two gold medals and a bronze, and in 1992 he was Chef d’Mission for the New Zealand Olympic Team.
Roberts is an ISAF Council member representing area L, a member of the ISAF Review Board as well as ISAF’s Youth World Championship Sub-Committee. He is a past winner of numerous National Yachting titles, has been Commodore of the Takapuna Boating Club, is their current President and a Life Member and was a trustee (inaugural) of Habour Sports for 27 years. In Blind and Disabled sailing, Roberts was one of the team of people who has been working with Blind Sailing and the IFDS Worlds.
Ralph is married to Penny, has six children, six grand children and lives in Takapuna, Auckland. At the recent SPARC ceremony Awards were also presented to recognise excellence in innovation, leadership, events, project collaboration and commercial partnership. Yachting New Zealand’s Lion Foundation Sailing... Have a Go! Programme which provides young New Zealanders with the opportunity to try sailing was one of three finalists for the Innovation Award. Bowls New Zealand’s Mates in Bowls was announced the winner in this category. See Sail-World.com for more
Women’s Match-Racing Olympic Development Squad
 Yachting New Zealand has announced a squad of nine female sailors selected to train for the Womens Match Racing discipline which debuts at the 2012 Olympic Games in Weymouth, England.
26 women came forward for selection and last weekend 24 of those who expressed an interest came under the scrutiny of selectors. Individual interviews were conducted with each of the women followed by a weekend of racing on Auckland Harbour, closely watched by Rod Davis, Laurie Jurie and Graeme Sutherland.
Those selected for the Olympic Development Squad are…
- Samantha Osborne
- Jess Smyth
- Stephanie Hazard
- Miranda Powrie
- Raynor Smeal
- Carla Holgate
- Anna de Fluiter
- Aimee Famularo
- Jenna Hansen
“We went into this thinking we wanted two teams of three,” explains Rod Davis who is overseeing the Women’s Match Racing programme. “But over the weekend it became obvious that we could field three really strong teams, and we felt that at this stage we could include an extra team without incurring extra costs.”
“Laurie Jury and Graeme Sutherland will be responsible for the day to day coaching. The group will sail together three times a fortnight, with a more intensive two to three day clinic every six weeks or so.”
The New Zealand designed Elliot 6s have been chosen by ISAF as the Olympic boat providing the kiwi team, who are familiar with the boats already, with a head start.
“The RNZYS (Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron) are an integral part of this,” continues Davis. “We have ten Elliot 6s right here in Auckland, nowhere else in the world has this advantage. We have the talent, we have the coaches and we have the boats.”
Talented keelboat sailor Raynor Smeal was excited to be named in the Women’s Match-Racing Olympic Development Squad.
“I’m thrilled to be included,” says Smeal. “And I’m looking forward to working with the talented sailors in the Squad, as well as coaches Rod, Graeme and Laurie. I can’t wait to start training and having us all become better sailors and ultimately developing a medal winning team for 2012.”
Kiwis take BMW Sailing Cup World Title
 New Zealand has won the BMW Sailing Cup World Final 2009 sailed recently in Malcesine, Italy. The five man team of Graeme Sutherland, Roger Pagani, Josh Puckey, Sam Bell and Nick Bastow clinched the prestigious amateur title in an exciting finals series with a 3:2 victory over Team Italy.
“We are simply delighted to win this final, which was hard-fought right down to the last metre,” said skipper Graeme Sutherland. “We are very proud to have won this magnificent regatta and achieved our goal of taking the trophy outside Europe for the first time. We would like to congratulate the Italian crew, who pushed us all the way and were excellent hosts.”
New Zealand is the third nation to win the title after Germany (Valencia 2007) and Spain (Dubai 2008). Eight nations in total competed in the BMW Sailing Cup World Final 2009, the kiwi entries earning their place in the line up with a victory at the 2009 BMW Auckland Regatta sailed in February.
Two Young Kiwis finish in top eight at Sailing World Cup Regatta
 Two young kiwis have finished in the top eight at the 2009 Semaine Olympique Francaise Regatta which was sailed recently in Hyeres, France. 20 year old James Sandall from Hawkes Bay finished 5th overall and 19 year old Josh Junior from Wellington finished 8th.
Sandall, who represents the Wairoa Yacht Club in Hawkes Bay, climbed up the leaderboard as the ISAF Grade 1 regatta progressed and stormed into the top ten on the penultimate day of racing earning a place in the medal race. Sailing off against some of the world’s best Laser sailors in the double points medal race Sandall was 6th across the line securing him 5th overall. His final point-score was equal to that of the German sailor who won the medal race and took 4th place overall on count back. This is by far Sandall’s best result in a top international regatta to date.
An 8th place for Josh Junior from Worser Bay Boating Club, Wellington is also an impressive result, bettering his 11th placing at the most recent of the European regattas, Princess Sofia Mapfre in Palma de Mallorca, Spain. Junior was lying 5th going into the medal race but was deemed across the start line early, which saw him slip to 8th overall.
“This is a really good result for both these guys at a top European regatta,” comments Jez Fanstone, Yachting New Zealand’s Olympic Programme Director. “To make the top ten and get the opportunity to start in the medal race is a great achievement and really puts them on a steep learning curve.”
Read more...
WMR Invitation
The 2009 Rolex International Women’s Keelboat Championships will be sailed in New York between 7th and 10th October this year. Host Club, Rochester Yacht Club (Rochester, New York) are keen to host a team from New Zealand.
“The event is in J-22s, with typically a team of four women,” explains Cory Sertl of Rochester Yacht Club. “Great racing, camaraderie, nice events off the water and Rolex sponsorship makes it a very special event.”
“We will provide housing in members’ homes and dinners are included within the entry fee. We have several excellent charter boats available and have partnered with three different sailmakers that are active in the class to ‘loan’ new or ‘one regatta old’ sails for use by foreign competitors who do not come from areas where there are J-22s, and wouldn’t already have their own sails.”
Any women interested in this opportunity should contact Cory by email to corysertl@gmail.com
YNZ National Youth Squad Update
 The third of Yachting New Zealand’s National Youth Squad Clinics was conducted at Wakatere Boating Club on Auckland’s North Shore over the weekend.
Despite cold and wet conditions forecast for the weekend, National Youth Squad members travelled from Wellington, Hawkes Bay, the Bay of Plenty and Northland to train together and receive coaching from YNZ Youth Coaches.
The YNZ National Youth Squad recognises talented youth aged sailors across the spectrum of Youth Sailing Disciplines, Single Handed, Double Handed & Windsurfing. YNZ also recognise sailors in the Youth Multihull event and for the first time has recognised youth aged sailors who show promise in Paralympic & IFDS disciplines.
Thanks to the efforts of our expert coaches, guest speakers and support staff the clinics conducted over the past three months have been a huge success. Not to forget the dedication of the sailors and parents who travelled great distances to be involved.
In the coming months the YNZ National Youth Squad members will continue to train towards their respective pinnacle events and will also work closely with the NZL Yachting Trust Youth Team in their preparation for the ISAF Youth World Championships.
Yachting New Zealand would like to thank the members and management of the Takapuna Boating Club, and the Wakatere Boating Club for the use of their facilities and support in running of the Clinics.
For more on Yachting New Zealand’s National Youth Squad and the sailors included click here.
St Johns Rotary CORK Scholarship
Yachting New Zealand is calling for applicants to the St Johns Rotary CORK Scholarship for 2009. More information on the scholarship and an application form can be viewed on the Yachting New Zealand website - click here. Applications should be received by Yachting New Zealand by the close of business on the Friday the 29th of May 2009.
The St Johns Rotary Trust each year supports a young New Zealand youth sailor to attend CORK (Canadian Olympic Regatta, Kingston). The Regatta is held in August each year, and sailors compete in both a youth and open regatta. These regattas are to be held from the 19th August 2009; further information including NOR is available on the regatta website.
Tauranga Boys wins National Secondary Schools Team Sailing Championship
Tim Short reports on the recent Secondary Schools Team Sailing Champs...
In a thrilling finish traditional rivals Mahurangi College took Tauranga Boys all the way to five races in a nail biting finish sailing in ideal team racing conditions on Lyttelton Harbour recently. Tauranga Boys High School came out on top.
The team consisted of Thomas Saunders, Ben Caundle, Luke Stevenson, Oliver Brown, Nicholas Gunn, Jeremy Gundry, Jacob Meesenburg and was coached by Richard Burling who says it was a victory for his approach of team empowerment. St Kentigerns College came third one race ahead of Kerikeri High School. In the girls division Napier Girls College took the title from Nelson Girls College.
The fleet of 25 Teams set a new high standard of exciting, close tactical racing which made for excellent viewing and tough umpiring. Over 300 races were sailed over the five days of the event. A significant number of top junior fleet sailors took the opportunity to represent their school and to advance their tactical sailing skills.
The top three schools have won the right to represent New Zealand at the Inter-Dominion which will be in Australia in October in the annual contest to choose the top Australasian School and top Team Sailing Country.
Boys Final Results
1 Tauranga Boys
2 Mahurangi College
3 St Kentigerns College
4 Kerikeri High School
Girls Final Results
1 Napier Girls College
2 Nelson Girls College
3 Christchurch Girls College
4 New Plymouth Girls College
See the regatta website www.nzteamracing.com for full details and commentary.
PHRF Details Now Available Online
Yachting New Zealand has gone live with a new website feature which allows visitors to access measurement and race history details on any yacht with a current PHRF certificate. The website innovation provides racing owners and crew with greater integrity in the national handicapping system by promoting candour and transparency.
Go to www.yachtingnz.org.nz and use the Boat Search and Handicap List under Keelboat to look up a boat by entering either its name or sail number to instantly view measurement details declared to Yachting New Zealand. This report can also be used for revalidation purposes so that the owner does not have to re-enter all details but only those that are changed or need updating.
One more click – on Race History - and up pops a summary report of the boats performance in each race for the past 12 months. This will detail the average performance over the last four, eight and twelve races so that anyone can see how the PHRF TCF is derived. By clicking the down arrow under each PHRF category you will see the names of the races.
PHRF is a national performance handicapping system for keelboats designed to facilitate open and fair competition between boats as much as possible. It is self regulating and depends on the spirit of sportsmanship for its success. For more information see the PHRF Frequently Asked Questions.
IRC and PHRF New Season
The New Zealand season for keelboat PHRF handicaps and IRC ratings is nearly over with current certificates expiring at the end of this month. Owners are encouraged to get in early for the new season with applications and revalidations for PHRF and IRC being accepted now.
See www.yachtingnz.org.nz under Keelboat for more information on both PHRF and IRC.
2009 Auckland to Noumea
 This year’s Offshore Race is now less than two months away with entries closing in just over a month. Royal Akarana Yacht Club is organising the 975 nautical mile race from Auckland to Noumea which has attracted entries from Australia and New Caledonia.
Corinthian and Cruising divisions will set sail from Auckland on Wednesday 24th June, while Premier and Multihull Divisions leave three days later on Saturday 27th June.
Visit RAYC for more information
Regional News: From Waikato/Thames
Yachting New Zealand NZCT Regional Support Officer, Kim Admore reports from Waikato/Thames…
Last month the Thames Sailing Club hosted the 2009 Waikato Thames Yachting Association Centreboard Regatta at Te Puru School. This is a fantastic venue where sailors can camp in the school grounds and there is a good beach which is suitable for launching at all tides.
The regatta was well supported by sailors from Ngaroto Sailing Club, Thames Sailing Club with a few from Hamilton Sailing Club. The Junior classes division was won by Coral Headey (TSC) and Adam Cameron from (HYC) a creditable second.
Lasers Fleet: Stuart Franshaw (PYC), Ross Wrenn (NSC), Arthur Giffiney (NSC)
1st Open Fleet; Colin Brocas (TSC), Linda Civil (NSC), John Elliot (HYC)
2nd Open Fleet; Tim Johnson (Mercury Bay Boating Club), Mathew Ward (NSC), Mitch Edwards (TSC)
Christine Headey and her team did a great job organizing this event and thanks to Ross Wrenn for doing the results.
We hope to see more sailors at this regional regatta next year.
Club News: Point Chevalier Sailing Club 90 not out
 One of the oldest sailing clubs in the country and certainly one of the most friendly family Clubs too, the Point Chevalier Sailing Club has celebrated 90 years.
On April 5th the Club Champs (Cup Day) was held celebrating not only a good season but 90 of them. All the Life Members were invited and there was a big turn out. The club marked the occasion with screen printed felt pennants and all the juniors who sailed were given a pennant in addition to the winners and place-getters.
2009 Cup winners were:
Don Oliver - Sunburst
Tim Snedden - Zephyr
Chris Mitchell - Open Skiff
Sue Town - Laser 4.7
Patrick Moss - Laser
Conditions on the day were perfect, a lovely late summers day; blue skies and a warm light north easterly breeze. The Council recently re-sanded Point Chevalier beach just along from the club, and this has become very popular again as a result. The Course was skewed past the club house and beach. A lot of good sailing was done with a competitive fleet of Zephyrs sailing very closely and followed by an Open Fleet with competition at a number of different levels. 37 boats competed creating a fitting spectacle. The club has just finished its latest learn-to-sail course (they are run twice yearly) so the timing was great.
Huge thanks to Donna who provided all those attending with scones straight from the oven, and fresh cream. Next up the Club runs its winter series, the costs of this are modest and the series is open to all sailors who might like to consider sailing in the off season if there own club is closed. Pt Chevalier normally features flat water, strong SW breezes, triangular courses with reaching legs, rescues are easy and the upper harbour is not much bigger than good sized lake. Normally the Auckland Area Sea Scout troops also attend the winter series in sea scout cutters and sunbursts too. The car park can get pretty full, but “full is good”, and we try to find a place for everyone.The club website is: http://sailptchev.org.nz/
Have your say... Club Surveys & Levy Poll
The last issue of Briefings on April 22nd included an important reminder to all Yacht Clubs that we want your feedback on levy methodology.
Your Club shouldn’t miss out on the opportunity to vote on this matter – and the Board of Yachting New Zealand has agreed to extend the voting deadline after a number of Yacht Clubs requested more time. Votes must be in to Yachting New Zealand by May 31st. Many thanks to those Yacht Clubs who have already responded, we will make the results available as soon as possible.
A large number of Club Survey’s remain outstanding also. The information collected from the Survey, conducted every two years, is crucial for Yachting New Zealand to report back to major funders and in applications for funding. Your feedback allows us to provide you with greater resources, and also to improve upon the services we provide.
If you have questions about the Levy Methodology vote or the Club Survey you can email Yachting New Zealand to reception@yachtingnz.org.nz
Amendments to the YNZ Safety Regulations
The first amendments to YNZ Safety Regulations of Sailing 2009 – 2012 have been posted on the Yachting New Zealand website and came in to effect on May 1.
The changes include anchor requirements, GPS requirements, Advanced Sea Survival requirements and more.
The changes are available for download from Safety Regulations page of the website. The full regulations are available for download from this page also.
Recent Appeal Decision
Another appeal has been lodged with Yachting New Zealand and resolved. Stemming from the Optimist fleet of the 2009 Auckland Sailing Championships, NZL4229 appealed a decision made by the Howick Sailing Club Protest Committee. This appeal presents important issues regarding misconduct and foul language in junior sailing. The full appeal decision, along with an archive of past appeals, can be found on the website here.
An appeal is an official request for review of a protest decision. Essentially, when an appeal is lodged to YNZ, all parties to the original protest are invited to submit comments. These comments along with the appellant’s case are considered by a panel of International and National Judges, who in turn make a final ruling. The appeals process is further outlined in Appendix F of the Racing Rules of Sailing.
For more information regarding appeals, please contact Kristine@yachtingnz.org.nz
Maritime New Zealand
The Minister of Transport has now signed a new delegation under Section 444(2) of the Maritime Transport Act 1994 allowing the YNZ CEO to determine if a New Zealand pleasure craft and its safety equipment and crew are adequate for an overseas voyage. This allows the CEO to sub delegate this authority to YNZ appointed inspectors and to carry out and require inspections and audits. The delegation extends to March 2014 and applies to Category 1 level inspections.
Do we have your Club’s Correct Contact Details?
Yachting New Zealand’s online Yacht Club and Class Association Directories are constantly accessed by the public for details on how to contact the appropriate person at your Club. It’s important to keep us up to date with any changes to ensure we’re promoting your Club to its best potential.
Check the Club Directory here and the Class Association Directory here.
Providing up-to-date information for Yachting New Zealand also ensures your Club has a say when it comes to voting matters and AGM time.
www.yachtingnz.org.nz has a simple update form which can be downloaded from the Keep Us Updated webpage.
Next Week...
North Shore Fresh Water Championship
Bucks Match Race Two
To ensure your up-coming events appear in Briefings What’s On remember to submit them to YNZ’s on-line calendar. Submit an Event.
Thank you from Barbara
 Barbara Kendall sends a big thank you to her supporters during Dancing with the Stars…
“Thanks to all those that have voted and supported us over the last eight weeks. It has been a blast and a very fun journey with lots of ups and downs - but mostly ups!!!”
“It was the most awesome feeling to nail our last "freestyle" dance and get four 10's. We may not have won the big trophy but we had the time of our life dancing our hearts out on Tuesday night and for me it was the highlight of 12 weeks of full on training.”
“Hopefully we have raised a whole bunch of money for the upsidedowns education trust and now lots of kids with Down Syndrome will now get that specialist one on one education.”
“Jonny is now back to teaching at his Limelight studio in Albany and I am back to Olympic Committee work with my first forum for Oceania athletes in Vanuatu in May.”
Abstract – Creating a Social Media Strategy
By David Ross
CEO Compete-At.com
Online Event Registration and Membership Management
http://www.compete-at.com
Social media are a vital resource for promoting sporting events in the 21st Century. When you’re creating your social media strategy, it helps to follow a step-by-step plan. It begins by setting a handful of specific and manageable goals. Then you must get to know your market. What are the online habits of your target audience? Once you know this, you can choose your “weapons” – which social media will give you the best access to your target group. After deciding whether you should build your own site or leverage an existing one, develop a long-term commitment. As you implement your marketing plan, look for ways to leverage technology to make your job easier. Finally, keep the Four C’s (Content, Context, Connection and Community) in mind. Read more…
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