Hobie NZ Newsletter- Getting ready for Summer

by Stuart Scott on 6 Oct 2006 TAKAPUNA UPDATE
Don’t forget that the summer season starts at Takapuna this coming weekend. Most of you can hose the mildew off your boats and head on down there. Some of us are not sure if the container with our boats will be back from Fiji and unloaded in time. I have yet to update the race program page of the website (will let you know when this happens) so don’t go looking there for a lot of information at this time.
The sailing is on both days 7th and 8th, but if you can't make both at least come down for one.

Start planning for the labour weekend regatta. 21st and 22nd October.

High Tide Beach Access at Takapuna.
I had a chat with Grant the other day and he brought me up to date on developments in this area.
A new bollard has been installed right beside the Club so cars cannot park down the access way. A key to this bollard is held in the office.
As many of you have noticed the house next along on the reserve has been taken away. The area has been grassed and we are waiting for a new bluestone retaining wall to be completed before the remaining fencing comes down.

A major battle with Council was won and the concrete access driveway has been retained. This will allow boat trailers to be backed off the road before unhitching from cars. The reserve gradient is much more favourable from this new access point.

The Council is also seeking consent (should know 12th October) to put a permanent, 6 metre wide concrete ramp from the middle of the reserve down to the beach. Some of the obstructing trees will be cleared away.

The incentive is for all of this to happen before the 420 Worlds at Takapuna in Dec/Jan this year. I expressed wonder to Grant that the council would do this, and be ready for the 420 Worlds, but he felt confident that it would happen, especially as the council has a financial interest in establishing Takapuna as a premier yachting world championships location. If the concrete ramp did not happen in time there would be a temporary wider wooden one for sure.

The other issue was the parking now going to pay and display. Grant pointed out that this is not operating on Sundays (Yay), so will not affect our Sunday sailing. Weekdays and Saturdays if we are sailing I guess we use the $6.00 area.

Watch this space.

2007 NATIONALS
Garth and his team are hard at work in Wellington putting this regatta together. Sometime soon they hope to announce sponsors and some other goodies. I have set a page on the website for 2007 Nationals info and will keep it updated as things develop, so make sure you visit it regularly. The preliminary notice of race is there for download. Go to
http://www.hobiecat.org.nz/07nats/07nats.html

FIJI REPORT

Have done a report on the Fiji Regatta and it is now up on the website. The report has revealing pictures, scurrilous gossip and some story about the sailing. Hey I thought it was real neat the way the Aussies went quiet for the rest of the week after the All Blacks walloped the Wallabies in the test. It was a big night in the Sports Bar at the Pearl. To see it all go to
http://www.hobiecat.org.nz/Fiji/fiji.html

WANT TO BUY A HOBIE NUMBER PLATE?
There is one for sale on the for sale section of the website.

Now that we are coming into the summer send the details if you want to sell or buy a Hobie and I will put it on the For Sale Section of the website. Go to:
http://www.hobiecat.org.nz/forsale/fsale.html

A fair bit of the stuff in this section is left over from last season, so if it has been sold let me know and I will take it off.


TRAVELLING SERIES 06/07 SEASON
Have had responses from Tauranga, Gisborne and Wellington with suggested dates when the Hobie Fleet could visit. I am planning on pulling all this together and coming up with a schedule for people to review. Will send this out as a separate email list. The travelling series will also have its own page on the website. (Don’t go looking its not there yet).

WANT TO BUY A NEW BOAT?

Takapuna Sailing Centre (Boat Bits) and Hobie Cat Australia are putting together another container deal for new boats. These deals have proven to be a very cost effective way of getting a new Hobie Cat. They are planning to bring in H16’s and Tigers. Contact Gavin at boat bits to get the current pricing and timing. The sooner they put together a container load the sooner you get your new boat.


Visiting you soon
Stuart
Hobie Cat Fleet 46
Ph: (09)527 8449 0274 901 884
email: stuart@hobiecat.org.nz

THE HOBIE DREAM 'Once you hit the line at the gun at full speed
for the first time, you'll never mow your lawn again'