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Cruising sailor attack, solar fabric for yachts, Kawau to close

by Nancy Knudsen, Editor on 6 Mar 2014
Kawau Island Yacht Club SW
Kawau Island Yacht Club has long been a favoured destination for members of the Royal NZ Yacht Squadron and will be missed by many when it closes in April. The building, according to General Manager Joe Goddard, will be mothballed. Sad. Any offers?

Ever thought of sailing in the Maldives? If you're dreaming of long range cruising, or already doing it, it would be worth a circle trip into the Indian Ocean from South East Asia. What makes it special is that the Maldives have extended a welcome mat with their maximum stay for yachts at six months – idyllic tropical sailing in pretty much unspoiled waters. You could even leave your boat there while returning to see the family...or just charter. There are plenty of charter companies.

Coral islands in Maldives. Consisting of 1,192 tiny coral islands scattered some 800 kilometers across the equator, Maldives has long been known as a paradise for holiday makers. --- Image by © Liu Yongqiu/Xinhua Press/Corbis © SW
Coral islands in Maldives. Consisting of 1,192 tiny coral islands scattered some 800 kilometers across the equator, Maldives has long been known as a paradise for holiday makers. --- Image by © Liu Yongqiu/Xinhua Press/Corbis © SW



We all want to sail in trouble-free waters, but the attack on some cruising sailors in the Mediterranean in February is a good reminder that bad things occasionally happen, even in the most placid of waters.

One of the sweetest tales of the week was that from a dreaming sailor who tells about his dream-come-true sail to Antarctica.

Santa Maria Australis - In Antarctica at last © SW
Santa Maria Australis - In Antarctica at last © SW



Solar power is in the news again, with one French sailmaker producing the first ever sail which produces solar power while it propels the boat. Now here's an amazing combination of wind and solar working together which undoubtedly will trickle down to the cruising sailor. Soon your dodger and bimini will be able to produce power too, and without direct sunshine!

Najad's sales are going up. jpg © SW
Najad's sales are going up. jpg © SW



Much other news too. Very importantly for New South Wales sailors, we tell of your chance to have a say in the future of boating in your area of the State; you can hone up on your chart symbols with John Jamieson's help; read about the empty tsunami boat that has turned up in Taiwan three years later; and, against the trend, Swedish boatbuilders Najad (hardly heard of in Australia), who provided solo sailor Jeanne Socrates, (oldest female ever to circumnavigate non-stop) with her tough Najad 38, are going gangbusters. Could it be anything to do with Jeanne?

Don't waste the autumn while it lasts.

Sweet sailing!

Rooster 2026MarkSetBotSanctuary Cove International Boat Show 2026

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