The Ideal Youth Class grows at Wakatere Boating Club

by Chris Mitchell on 31 Mar 2015 Following some relocations and on the back of growth in the class from awesome regattas at Clarks Beach Yacht Club and the Bay of Islands Yacht Club, there are now 9 active 3.7 sailors, sailing at Wakatere Boating Club.

The Club has a history of 3.7 sailing from the early days of Team NZ successes with Joe Allen, Peter Evans, Grant Loretz, John Clinton, Adam Beashel and what seems like half of Team NZ sailing the 3.7 Class at Wakatere at one time or other. This augurs well for the Class in Auckland next season.

The class has a traveller series and the regattas this year included Maraetai, Wakatere, Takapuna, Torbay, Howick, French Bay and there is always a handy fleet of boats racing at Manly. But having 9 boats racing at Wakatere weekly will provide a focal point in Auckland with enough critical mass to attract others to join in. The Senior Classes regatta was held at Wakatere last weekend and there are still four more race days after Easter.

The Wakatere club has a huge base of junior sailing and the 3.7 is the ideal class for +60kg Youth Sailors leaving the Starling to sail in a larger and more supportive fleet. 23 boats at the National contest is larger than any other youth classes and the Class benefits hugely by including all age levels to help the youngsters. Wakatere has two Class representatives (Derek Snow and Chris Hawkins) and Andrew Brown (Forceracing) has been providing 3.7 Coaching on demand from Wakatere this season.

Whilst the class had 23 entrants at the National Championship at the Bay of Islands in early March, it isn't necessary to buy new boats or sails every year, most of the older yachts are still just as competitive as the new ones and not costing more than a good Starling. Defending Champion Derek Snow sailing boat #88 Think Pink came second in the 2015 National Championship with one of the oldest boats built in the early 1970's! The 3.7 Class has one of the strictest one design hulls with the smallest of measurement tolerances on the hulls measured in a jig, yet the class allows flexibility in other respects to suit bodyweight.

See more at http://www.3-7class.org.nz/ and at http://www.wakatere.org.nz/cms/