Sail Auckland 2011 moves to Takapuna - NOR now on-line and entry open

by Jodie Bakewell-White, Yachting on 4 Oct 2010 Sail Auckland 2011, New Zealand’s ISAF Grade 1 Olympic and Invited Classes Regatta, will be sailed from Auckland’s North Shore in early February next year. Entry is now open and the Notice of Race is available at www.sailauckland.org.nz

Takapuna Beach was the venue for the 2008 Festival of Sailing, where four Olympic classes staged their 2008 World Championships and Olympic Qualifiers. The venue has a new clubhouse (used for the first time in 2008, but since extended).

New Zealand’s top Olympic campaigners will be in action on home territory and organisers extend a warm invitation to their trans-Tasman and other international rivals to take part in some exiting racing in our world class sailing waters.

Racing commences on Thursday third of February at 1100 hours off Auckland’s North Shore beaches on three separate course areas for all but the Paralympic classes, which will get underway the following day on a course on Auckland’s Waitemata.

The regatta runs until Sunday 6th February when the winners will be decided and awarded at a prize-giving to be held as soon as possible after racing on Sunday at the Takapuna Boating Club.

Sail Auckland 2011 will feature racing in the following Olympic classes: Laser, Laser Radial, RS:X , Finn, 470 and the 49er, and will also include two invited classes – the 420 and the 29er.The 2.4mR and the Skud 18 Paralympic classes are also in the line-up.

Entry is on-line at www.sailauckland.org.nz and must be completed by 28th January 2011.

Takapuna Boating Club will be the host venue for all but the 2.4mR and the Skud 18 (who will launch from Westhaven Marina).

The change of race area is eagerly anticipated by sailors including Laser Radial campaigner, Sara Winther who says: 'The sailing conditions off Takapuna are pretty reliable and this will be greatly beneficial to the regatta. Also, a lot of international sailors have raced off Takapuna before and hopefully this will entice them back to New Zealand next year.'

'Having international competition at this event is a huge boost to New Zealand’s sailors. It benefits not only the top campaigners, but also the younger sailors looking to progress. Often when sailors come to an event they also stay for training camps and other events during the same time period,' says Winther.

The regatta follows on from the Sail Down Under series of regattas staged in Australia during November and December 2010 which culminates in the opening 2011 ISAF Sailing World Cup Event, Sail Melbourne where racing will take place between 13th and 18th December.


Here is the planned schedule...

Wed 2nd Feb - 4pm to 7pm Registration - 7pm Welcome
Thu 3rd Feb - 8am to 9am Registration - 11am Racing Commences
Fri 4th Feb - 11am Racing
Sat 5th Feb - 11am Racing
Sun 6th Feb - 11am Racing - Prize Giving follows racing

About Sail Auckland

Sail Auckland Regatta Inc has run New Zealand’s premier Olympic class event since it was established in 1996 to host and run the International Olympic and Invited Classes Regatta with the goal of promoting Olympic Class racing in New Zealand.

Attracting international sailors to compete in New Zealand, Sail Auckland gives NZ's aspiring Olympic and Paralympics sailors the opportunity to compete locally without the expense of travelling overseas for essential international competition.

Sail Auckland’s main objective is to foster and promote Olympic Class sailing and assist Olympic sailors achieve medals at the Olympic Games and World Championship level. The regatta was granted ISAF Grade 1 status five years ago.

For more information see www.sailauckland.org.nz or contact...

Sailors and coaches should contact...
Janet Watkins, Takapuna Boating Club
Email: info@takapunaboating.org.nz
From within NZ: (09) 483 9848
From International: +64 9 483 9848