Sail with the Stars - Weta Open weekend

by Roger Kitchen on 1 Nov 2006
To celebrate the arrival of the Weta in NZ, you are invited to join us at Sail with the Stars down at Takapuna Beach! The weekend will feature some of NZ's National sailing champions, Olympic hopefuls and happy Weta-owners at the helm of our exciting new Weta fleet! Not only will you have a fun day on the water, they'll teach you their sailing tips and tricks for free!

The event will be held from 10am-4pm on Saturday 4th and Sunday 5th November (rain or shine) on Takapuna Beach (39 The Strand near the Takapuna Boating Club). Celebrity Races will be held daily at 2pm with a beach start/finish.

Creator of the Weta, Roger Kitchen describes the boat:

The Weta trimaran has been created for family yachting, a boat that is light, stable, simple to rig and can easily store in your garage. Many people have assisted with the development of the project project including our top laser sailors who enjoy sailing the Weta.

We saw the need for a boat that could take mum, dad and a couple of kids with plenty of room to spare where they felt secure.

A lot of interest has come from grandparents who want to sail with their grandchildren where they can do so in comfort. Then we have the Laser sailors who solo in 20 knots can have a huge amount of fun.

The Weta was intended as a learn to sail trainer but it seems to meet the needs of a wide variety of sailors.

The Weta is manufactured in China with a lot of assistance from Gaastra who are hugely supportive of the Weta.

About 15 of out top dinghy sailors have very kindly given freely of their time for this open day. We will have six Weta on display so the beach start/finish races should be a lot of fun.

Versatile

Sail the Weta single-handed or in combination - kids/teens/adults - it accommodates three adults easily. Use various main, reefed-main, jib and screecher sail options to suit yourself and the conditions. The Weta is a very exciting, versatile recreational yacht. Sail the Weta like a skiff fully powered upwind and then throw in a reef and let the kids have a blast.

Easy to rig

Rig the Weta very quickly with only five lines to control all three sails. The dagger foils are easy to operate. The mast being so light even kids can rig the weta and launch it effortlessly from the specially designed beach trailer.

Simple to sail

Well balanced and easy to helm on all points of sailing, the weta is a great boat to learn to sail with no boom to hit your head. Reef the main sail to de-power in strong winds or to let the kids sail on their own. Once on the water just unfurl the screecher and blast the weta into the sunset.

Safe and secure

The weta has an open cockpit that is safe and secure for kids learning to sail. Sit with your feet in the cockpit and sail for hours on end in comfort, great for anyone less mobile. .

Easy to transport

At 1.5m wide on the trailer the weta will fit in any garage with ease. In less than 2 minutes transform it into a 3.7m wide beast that will be the envy of all sailors.


There are quite a few photos on the website. www.wetamarine.co.nz