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In this issue:
Sponsor messages
AC45 SPECIAL FEATURE - Trickle down effect?
EDITORIALS AND OPINIONS
NEWS
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Introducing the Rewind™
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NEW!
The only electric deck winch that trims sails in both directions. Mount
control buttons where you sit, not at the winch-you'll never have to
grind from the low side again! The Rewind operates just like a 2-speed
winch-fast trimming in first gear and more power in second. Turn the red
knob to engage the Rewind function, and you can trim in and ease out
remotely without going to the winch and unwrapping the sheet. Perfect
for yachts 10.6 to 14.6 m (35 to 50ft).
More
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North Top 10 of 2010
1. 1,2,3 Etchell Worlds, Ireland
2. Six top ten winners, Hamilton Island Race Week, Grand Prix division
3. ETNZ wins Audi MedCup nearly 50 points ahead
4. Ranger's victory at the Supermaxi World Cup, and St Barths
5. Jayvee Buchanan adds Opti National title to his P-Class title
6. Four wins at BMW Auckland Regatta
7. Ten top ten winners Finn Gold Cup in San Fran
8. 17 of the top 20 finishers at the Melges 24 Worlds
9. North Sails
powered Melges to 1-2-3 at 2010 World Champs in San Francisco this
September
10. Farr 40s powered by North win three top regattas
Download the new North Sails screensaver! www.nz.northsails.com |
 |
Special Feature
Trickle down effect?
Sea trialing the AC45 on Anniversary Day,
Round Rangitoto
Island, Auckland - (c) Gilles Martin-Raget, America's Cup Media |
Auckland
sailors have had a preview of the future of the America's Cup with the
launch and instigation of sea trials of the wing-sailed AC45 catamaran,
which is the forerunner to the next generation of America's Cup boats.
For decades technology utilised
in the Cup has found its way into our local race fleet. "We have seen
the demise of the last IACC class boat (monohulls) that evolved into
large model yachts; with long and narrow displacement boats with huge
bulb keels," says eminent multihull designer Tim Clissold. "Now the page has been turned to the future."
By that of course the
specialised multihull designer means that this is the era of the
multihull. What does the AC45 mean for the future of our local multihull
designs?
About the AC45:
Built
in the town of Warkworth less than an hour north of Auckland, the AC45
will be the centerpiece of the 2011-2012 America's Cup World Series,
which will start mid-2011. The high-tech carbon fibre catamaran is the
first in a fleet of the new and nimble 45-foot (13.7m) one-designs that
is designed for speed and close racing.
"The biggest challenge with
multihulls is learning how much to anticipate. With the AC45 being a
big, powerful multihull capable of tripling the wind speed, your
reactions and skills are accelerated. It's all about being ahead of the
cycle," said ORACLE RACING skipper James Spithill. "I think the AC45
will enable all teams to advance to hard-core race mentality very
quickly."
The AC45 was designed by the
ORACLE RACING design and engineering team, to not only meet the racing
criteria, but to also fit inside a 40-foot container, which is the
shipping vessel for the America's Cup World Series.
"The boat was designed for
all-around performance so it can be sailed in wide range of conditions,
and that means the next America's Cup will see races start on time,"
said Ian Burns, ORACLE RACING design coordinator. "Plus it's a regatta
boat, meant for lots of racing, so quick assembly and disassembly was a
must to accommodate an active competition schedule."
The AC45 had to be robust enough
to sail through a wide wind range, from 5 to 30 knots, as well as
survive in the event of collisions, which are foreseen as teams learn to
adapt to multihull closing speeds.
Utilizing the same technology
used in the aerospace industry, the hulls are built in carbon epoxy with
honeycomb cores, making them extremely stiff and light structures. The
sandwich construction involves two carbon skins less than 1mm thick
laminated over an ultra-light honeycomb core.
Analysis of the design rule
Tim
describes the boats as two beam carbon catamarans with rotating wing
mainsails, with options for jibs and extras. The extent of how foil
borne the actual AC boats will be remains to be seen, and could be the
key to victory.
"The design rule call is
interesting for two reasons. First, that catamarans have been chosen. In
any open multihull rule in Europe (really the heart of multihull
development), trimarans ultimately dominate. The last Americas Cup event
again proved this. Catamarans have probably been chosen as they are
cheaper and easier to re-assemble and transport."
"Secondly, and more
contentiously, is the wing sails. These are impossible to reef or easily
'park'. They are difficult to manage, compared to dropping a mainsail
and jib on a conventional mast."
"Perhaps though the Americas Cup
should be the epitome of current yacht design, and a wing sailed
multihull is that."
"These AC boats are big cousins
of the C Class cats (7.5m class) that have been around for decades with
wing rigs. This is a class few have paid any attention to, and now those
players are very valuable."
AC design principles and the NZ fleet
Tim
says that the AC catamarans are not a radical design departure, but the
culmination of developments over decades. "Yes they are extreme in that
they have Americas Cup budgets and sailors behind them, where the local
boats have more modest means, but catamarans with relatively small
connecting beams have been around for 40 years or so."
He cites Paper Tigers, A-Class
and the Great Barrier Express 8.5m as examples, with continuous
development occurring to deliver the multihulls we see today.
"Most local multihulls have
rotating masts, which form the leading edge of the mainsail 'wing',
rather than just a support structure and a source or parasitic drag.
Some boats such as Taeping and Pulse have reverse bows, which make sense
in waves once you have sailed at speed."
Tim predicts that we will see
some more extreme 'reverse' wave piercing bows on some refitted
trimarans, such as 'Timberwolf' and 'Frantic Drift'.
However he believes that the
solid wing sail though will have little trickle down potential to most
boat owners.
"About twenty years ago an
English firm called Walker Wing sail built trimarans with solid wing
rigs, all computer controlled. At least one made the trip across the
Atlantic successfully. The rigs were stay-less and feathered if not
controlled for forward power. The boat concept was ahead of its time,
but the hull platform (in my opinion) was dated. But the theory of a rig
that feathers into the wind is fine, but it is a brave skipper who
would be happy not to be able to get rid of the sail area in the wind
(read storm...) Besides our racing and cruising safety rules demand a
mainsail that can be effectively reefed.
"Large wing masts or complete
solid wing sails are unlikely to suddenly appear due to control problems
on a mooring or in a marina."
Curved foils - which have been
in use on the ORMA 60 trimarans for more than a decade will have some
application on race multihulls. "The boats need to be light to take the
gains," says Tim.
"Any performance multihull owner
has already discovered just how much fun sailing these boats is.
Sailing with minimal heeling, at wind speed and beyond, with wonderful
response and control, is what make their owners so enthusiastic about
their craft. If you haven't experienced the thrill, get to know a
multihull owner and get an invite for a sail. If you only ever sailed
keel boats then this is a new way to go sailing."
"It has just taken the Americas
Cup teams a while to catch up with what many of us have enjoyed for
years!"
Timberwolf: a case study
The
9.2m trimaran has undergone several incarnations in its years on the
water, and will be relaunched in 2-3 months with a wave piercing bow and
curved foils.
"We are just finishing painting
the new amas then have some rigging and finishing to go," says owner Tim
Willets.
"Our boat's shape is greatly
influenced by the BMW Oracle tri from the last AC. They call it a wave
piercing bow, and it also features on the new AC 45 cat. We also have
similar bow and stern overhangs to the BMW Oracle tri. Our curved foils
are also influenced by the Tri, in an attempt to generate lift."
Tim says that asymmetric foils
such as those used on the AC45 are a definite go fast idea that should
be incorporated in any future multihulls and he also foresees that in
the future there may be less focus on the 'cruisability' of the
multihull fleet in favour of more racer oriented configuration with no
cabin.
Editorial: a response to our November issue
Why the SIMRAD? Or "One old fool ponders the meaning of sailing."
Over
the last five years I have sailed Communiqu?, our aging Farr 9.2 family
cruiser in the SSANZ organised series of races around the Hauraki Gulf.
In this I have endeavoured to encourage my adult children to sail with
me. In so doing, I would I have fulfilled a life time's work to create
my own crew.
The reality is a little
different. Today's young people lead full and busy lives doing what they
want to do. It is not that they do not like sailing, or that they are
not accomplished sailors in their own right, it is just that if they are
sailing, they feel their father will do his best work at home helping
their mother. John aka Fossil in commiserating with me on this on the crew.org
forum commented that the grand children can be equally harsh. Is this
the best that a "baby boomer" can hope for after a sailing career
spanning 45 years?
Fortunately I am not confined to
fireside dreams of Grand Prix sailing in Seahorse Magazine but can plan
and prepare for a challenging sail much closer to home. In this lies
the challenge and the appeal of the SIMRAD series. I have done WL
sailing and harbour reaching courses to death.
This series of three races
around the Hauraki Gulf culminating in an extended 80 mile race takes
place through the winter months. A sense of anticipation is evident in
the crew.org forum before
each race and I am a full participant in this speculation as I check our
safety gear, prepare warm clothing, organise the necessary over supply
of food and remind the family that no other commitments will be
considered for the weekend. The free weather sites are eagerly surfed
and discussed. I go through the boat and consider what contribution each
item on board may make or would it be better on the already groaning
storage racks of my garage.
On race day I stride across the
Westhaven car park with a light step looking for my partner in this
adventure. Stew has shared ocean racing adventures around the Pacific
with me for more than 30 years and we make a companionable "greypower
"team. The sail to the starting area is a good time to start on the food
and to look at the sky in speculation. The surrounding boats are noted
and their PHRF ratings compared. Surely even the PHRF committee must
know "that boat could not in all reason be on that handicap?"
In a very short time we are in
the starting area and the first signals are displayed, it is time to
apply; the planning, the preparation, and to savour the buzz of the
largest racing fleet of the year on Auckland's harbour.
It is to be hoped that this
series does not suffer the death by a thousand cuts at the hands of its
imitators.
It would be wonderful if one of
the rating systems, IRC or ORC gained traction outside the Grand Prix
fleet.
In the meantime it is simply the best show in town. Fendall Halliburton
General news
I'd rather be racing
A memoir of Bay of Islands Sailing Week by Lesley Haslar
(c)Christine Webb, BOI Sailing Week |
TeamVodafoneSailing screamed
across the Bay from Opua at over 34 knots. Safer to stay clear of this
missile - she was almost airborne. On the other side of the coin, M1
ripped off a spreader in the 2nd race on Day One - then Tongue Twister
experienced compression and 'there went the mast'.
But wait there's more. Advantage
lost-it in the last race (Passage Division), literally lost it - with
the mast over the side in three pieces. Playbuoy and This Way Up had a
confrontation earlier in the regatta - with the latter over in the Boat
Yard for the rest of the week.
But the yachties gave the 2011
Bay of Islands Sailing Week '10 out of 10' as a successful and fun
Regatta. Boat racing has its risks; skippers and crews know how to
handle the bad times, the competitive racing is what it's all about.
Variable winds from Mother Nature are part of the challenge, pushing the
boundaries - pushing these sailing machines to their limit.
A Westpac Spinnaker for the
Young 88 Division is new to the Bay Regatta, following the "yellow
Jersey concept" in cycling. Initially a draw for the boat to carry it on
day one - the winning boat each day carrying the spinnaker the
following day; an overall winner takes the Westpac Spinnaker home. And
the winner is - Vaughan Clark on Sweeney Todd.
New Zealand is the home of many
top class yachties. Yacht racing is significant to our economy and
yachting regattas are vital in producing skilful international yachting
representatives. A three day regatta in the Bay of Islands offers the
intense competition and challenges required to take these yachtsmen and
women to the top. 133 boats registered to do just that - test their
skills against other enthusiastic yachties from all over the country.
This is a special Regatta, only
possible through the generosity of loyal sponsors and the big
heartedness of volunteers. Organisation by the committee is remarkable,
each one with his/her separate responsibility; everything functions like
a well oiled clock.
Georgia's Sailing Week report
The Georgia Racing crew enjoying their sailing |
From JIM FARMER - Three days of
excellent racing in varied conditions saw consistent performance by
GEORGIA ONE in the annual Bay of Islands Race Week. Sailing in Division A
against much larger boats (notably Wired, Sea Harmony and Sababa - all
52 feet - and Carrera, 49 feet, GEORGIA ONE at 43 feet was the baby of
the fleet but was only beaten on the water once by Sababa, twice by
Carrera and not at all by Sea Harmony in 7 races. On rating, GEORGIA ONE
was first in the fleet in both IRC and General Handicap.
The 2011 National IRC
Championship was decided in this regatta by racing Divisions A and B off
the same start line and over the same courses and then aggregating the
IRC entries in both divisions for the purpose of determining the 2011
Champion. First and second were two 34 footers - the MRX North Sails,
skippered by Simon Minoprio and aided by well known sailors Rodney
Keenan and Martin Hannon, came out on top 2 points ahead of previous
winner Hard Labour (a Farr 10-20, complete with revolutionary new 3Di
sails (the next step from 3DL). GEORGIA ONE was 5 points further back in
3rd place, the only boat from Division A to feature in the top 6
places. Our congratulations go to Simon and his crew who sailed well in
conditions that on the third day did not favour small boats.
Many at the regatta commented on
the consistency of GEORGIA ONE's performance in all races. Starts were
excellent and her upwind speed against the larger 52s was impressive
(generally in the range of 7.8-8.4 knots at 19-21 apparent), more often
than not being second boat around the top mark in the windward-leewards,
behind Wired. She sailed particularly well on the final day when
conditions were trying, gusts at over 30 knots and the wind throughout
in the 20-28 knot range. Contrary to most of the fleet (which included
one dismasting), GEORGIA ONE suffered only minimal damage - a tear to
the foot of the runner, which did not however prevent its continued use.
The new rudder, designed by Nick
Holroyd from Team New Zealand, proved to be a huge improvement on the
original rudder and held the boat steady in the gusty conditions. One of
the tricky features of this boat had always been the ability of the
rudder to break away with virtually no notice - happily now something of
the past. Thanks to Nick who, it will be recalled, also designed the
new rig and keel when GEORGIA ONE returned from the US in 2005 and was
transformed from IMS to IRC. It will be remembered also that in 2006
GEORGIA ONE was the winner of the National IRC championships and in 2008
she missed from winning again on a count back. That defeat was avenged
last year in Wellington when the new 52, GEORGIA, won the title.
Next regatta for GEORGIA RACING
is the Middle Harbour YC Audi Regatta in Sydney on 5 and 6 March in the
52.
Around New Zealand: The biggest challenge yet
SSANZ
has set the date for a two handed race around New Zealand. Commencing
on 25 February 2012, it will start and finish in Auckland, with
stopovers in Mangonui, Stewart Island and Napier.
Entrants will need to meet Cat 1
standard and complete a suitable qualifying voyage. To register your
interest email david@independentbroker.co.nz and be kept informed as things develop. www.ssanz.co.nz
Etchells fleet thrives in Auckland CBD
From
NORTH SAILS - A resurgence of the Etchells class in Auckland is
exciting to see. There had been a number of small and isolated fleets
racing at Gulf Harbour, Bucklands Beach and Pine Harbour and when the
group at Gulf Harbour encountered issues the Class Association were
prompted into action.
"A developer blocked access to
where we get at our crane, basically unless we did something the fleet
was going to die," explains Trevor Swinburne, Etchells Class Association
representative. They decided that gathering the active racers together
into one fleet was the way to go, and with fourteen Etchells now based
at Westhaven there are ten to a dozen boats racing every Tuesday.
"We set up an arrangement where
we got all the boats that wanted to race, and we amalgamated all the
fleets under one banner at Westhaven," says Trevor. The key to making it
successful was providing owners and crew with easy, enjoyable
one-design racing.
"To be part of our programme
includes storage for your boat on the hard at Westhaven Marina. We are
not catering for those who don't want to race, and you don't get the
boat storage as an individual - you have to be part of our fleet."
Racing is on Tuesday nights and
it is super easy for competitors. "The boat gets put in the water for
you the night before, you arrive on your boat in the afternoon, and it's
there ready for you to sail. We do three short, sharp races then the
next day the boat gets taken out of the water for you, washed, put on
the cradle, cover put on, put away," explains Trevor. "So the trick with
it is to make it as easy as we can for people who want to go sailing."
A number of former or current
owners of bigger, successful keelboats have been tempted into the true
one-design racing on offer, including John Kensington, Anatole Masfen,
John Melville and Rob Bassett. Former World Champ and current NZ
National Champ Andrew Wills, Derek Scott, Matt G Kelway, Stuart
MacKinven and others from the Auckland loft of North Sails are getting
on the action too.
"Derek from the one design loft
sails with Alistair Gair - they got second in the Worlds a couple of
years back and have been regularly in the top five in Australia," says
Trevor of the current Australian mid-winter champion team.
"Andrew helms the boat with
Anatole Masfen, and the others from the loft come out on a regular basis
on other boats simply because they can get good easy racing that's one
class one design," says Trevor.
Tuesday was chosen because the
Class recognised that a number of their sailors also own or sail on
other boats, and wanted to avoid a conflict with Wednesday nights,
Friday rum racing and weekend racing. Any weekend Etchells racing, which
is irregular, is staged as an independent event, keeping racing to
Tuesday nights.
Internationally Etchells racing
is popular and with the 2012 World Championships to be held off the
Heads of Sydney Harbour local sailors have even more reason to get back
in a boat. The class is keen to see a full allocation of kiwi boats line
up in Sydney two years from now. The way things are going, that
shouldn't be a problem!
Important information regarding Safety Inspections
Skippers
seeking a Safety Inspection are advised that YNZ has published some
amendments to the Yachting New Zealand Safety Regulations as well as a
copy of the Safety Inspectors checklist which can be referred to as a
compliance summary.
The recent amendments to New
Zealand Safety Regulations include small changes to wording for
clarification and also some changes to requirements. Category 3 is most
affected, but there are some changes for other categories also, and an
amendment sheet is now available for download from our website alongside
the main Safety Regs download.
Items that feature in the
amendments relate to... cooking stove requirements, propulsion engine
requirements, fire extinguishers, lifelines, tools and spare parts,
navigation systems and registration numbers.
Yacht Inspectors use a
check-list when completing an on-board inspection and this is now
available, for owners to refer to as a safety compliance summary.
Skippers are obligated to be
conversant with all aspects, and understand all the safety rules and a
complete copy of the Yachting New Zealand Safety Regulations can be
purchased in booklet form from our store, or can be downloaded in pdf from the Safety Regulations page.
Are our cruising grounds safe?
Andrew
Clouston, YNZ National Programmes Manager, gives us a timely update on
changes to aquaculture legislation which have the potential to
significantly impact on our recreational cruising grounds.
The Aquaculture Legislation
Amendment Bill (No 3) was introduced to Parliament on 9th November 2010.
The purpose of the Bill is to provide an efficient legislative and
regulatory framework that enables the sustainable development of
aquaculture within the coastal marine area. The Bill is part of a wider
programme of reform that includes non-regulatory measures to provide for
a more active role for government in the development and management of
aquaculture.
The amendment bill as it stands
is very pro-aquaculture and poses some threats to the access and
availability of the waters we spend so much time in. It will require
clubs and regions to be much more proactive in letting their regional
councils know what beaches, bays and stretches of water should remain
free from aquaculture development, because the councils will be
responsible for carrying out tests on all new applications around the
recreational use of the area before they go for public submission.
Concerns:
1.the current system of only
being able to apply for consents to develop new marine farms in
designated aquaculture zones (AMA's) is being removed and replaced by a
system where the entire coast is available for application for new farms
and the applications will be handled directly through the RMA process
and the regional coastal plan.
2.allowing the Minister of
Fisheries and Aquaculture the right to change regional coastal plans
(effectively giving the minister the right to overrule regional
councils)
3.making sure that all applications for marine farms are publicly notified
4.that adequate tests are in
place to assess the value of the space being applied for by marine
farmers in terms of recreational value to boaties
There are summary sheets
available on the Ministry of Fisheries website that detail the changes
and their intention.
Everyone should take time to
read the sheets and encourage their club and/or regional council to
submit any concerns they have to the government. The submission deadline
is the 11th of Feb 2011.
YNZ will also be preparing a
submission on behalf of all our members, however it is important clubs
get involved as they can speak from a local perspective.
We also invite Clubs and
individuals, who have not already done so, to send your concerns to us
at Yachting New Zealand so that we may include them in our submission.
Email Andrew at andrew@yachtingnz.org.nz
Fish farming threatens recreational waters off Coromandel
Public
submissions are currently sought from the Ministry of Fisheries on a
proposed fish farming zone off the Western coast of the Coromandel.
Three people appointed by the
Ministry of Fisheries, including includes Hon Sir Doug Kidd as Chair,
Mark Farnsworth and Justine Inns, make up the Aquaculture Ministerial
Advisory Panel and they want to hear from the public about the potential
environmental, economic, cultural, and social benefits and costs of the
proposal.
Commonly used recreationally by
many yachties and boaties, fish farming in this stretch of water will
almost certainly have a significant impact on recreational users.
"This is an inappropriate
location for a marine farm and it will be important for clubs,
individuals and regions to stand up and say so," says Andrew Clouston,
National Programmes Manager for YNZ.
Public consultation will run
from 17 December 2010 to 9 February 2011. As part of the consultation,
the panel will spend time in the Waikato region in late January. Panel
hearings in Thames, Coromandel Township and Auckland have been scheduled
between 9 and 12 February 2011 to allow the public to present their
submissions in person.
Written submissions are due on the 9th of February.
Consultation documents, maps and information on the proposed zone are all available hereon the Ministry of Fisheries website.
Richmond seeks Patrol Boat and Skipper
Do
you know someone who owns a launch, loves boating and would like to get
involved with one of Auckland's premier keelboat yacht clubs? Richmond
Yacht Club is looking for a new 'patrol boat' (complete with skipper).
The patrol boat is required on
fortnightly Wednesday evenings and eight weekends throughout the summer,
plus fortnightly Sunday afternoons throughout the winter - 30 races in
all.
This is a voluntary position,
however the benefits to the patrol boat owner are significant. Free use
of the RYC marina berth (situated right outside the club at Westhaven
Marina), value $7000 per annum and reimbursement of yacht club related
diesel expenses.
For more information please send your name and contact details to info@richmondyc.org.nz or contact Rodney Janes (Commodore) on 021 347 334 candleman@bigfoot.com
Round North Island Entrant Profile - Expedition Coppelia
Sailing in the Round North
Island race is the culmination of a life dream for Sally Garrett and Rob
Croft, and it's also a potential warm up for the ultimate goal of the
Round New Zealand race.
Both have previously set their
minds on New Zealand's toughest race - Rob has completed it once and
made a second unsuccessful event, and Sally tried but failed to make it
to the start line.
This time, thanks to a lot of
hard work and commitment, they are virtually guaranteed to be there -
the check list of tasks completed and those still to be done is on their
website, www.expeditioncoppelia.com - the completely rebuilt boat is looking great - and they have a sponsor in the shape of Expedition software. (www.iexpedition.org)
Like all yachting campaigns, and
immense amount of money and time has been poured into getting their
vessel, called Coppelia, prepared.
"The boat had not been raced for
nearly ten years when we decided to campaign it," says Sally. "We spent
a lot of time getting it back to a racing mode. Rob has completed a lot
of interior structural work, including a new navigation station,
modifications to the galley, modifications to the sailing equipment as I
am only 5ft 6 and could not reach things. I have worked on the
electronics and built us a custom made chartplotter to run Expedition.
As well as all that, we have a complete new set of sails minus a number
1, and we are very grateful to Tasman Bay Navigation Systems, sole
providers of Expedition for their help with these."
There is never a dull moment in
two handed racing, and Sally says that as a woman, taking part with just
one other person means you are less likely to be sidelined to the rail.
The combination have had
successes sailing two handed, and as skipper Sally's best ever keelboat
race result came as skipper of the Young 88 division of the 2009 SIMRAD.
They enjoy the RNI format,
because it starts and ends in one place, and friends and supporters can
travel the ports following us - very important to Sally because her
partner Neil is heavily involved in the campaign.
First entries received for next Hamilton Island regatta
It was only a few months before
the inaugural edition of what is now Audi Hamilton Island Race Week was
staged in 1984 that the then revolutionary 83ft maxi yacht, Condor, made
the headlines locally and internationally by taking line honours in the
Sydney Hobart race. Now the big boat is back in the news - as the first
entry for this year's Audi Hamilton Island Race Week, which has been
confirmed for 19 to 27 August. Organisers are advising competitors that
after lengthy discussions regarding a proposed date change for this
year's regatta it has been decided that the formula which has been in
place for more than 20 years should remain. The traditional Audi
Hamilton Island Race Week welcome parties will be held on Friday, 19
August and the first day of sailing is scheduled for the following day.
The always entertaining trophy presentation dinner will be held on the
evening of Saturday, 27 August following the final day of competition.
At the time of her launching in
England, Condor was recognised as the world's most technologically
advanced ocean racing yacht: she was the largest of her type, built from
Kevlar over a unique aluminium space-frame and boasted the tallest
single-piece aluminium mast.
Following her Hobart race win in
1983 she claimed line honours a second time in 1986. During her Grand
Prix racing life she was credited with being the only yacht to take line
honours in all of the world's major offshore events.
These days the grand old lady
has retired into a more leisurely life as a charter yacht in
Queensland's tropical Whitsunday Islands region, and with the wonderful
waters of the Whitsundays being the course area for Audi Hamilton Island
Race Week, it's not surprising that Condor has made some impressive
appearances at the regatta in recent times.
In last year's Audi Hamilton
Island Race Week, Condor grabbed the limelight by having four likeable
larrikins from the outback mining town of Mt Isa in the crew, and this
year the yacht's owner, Dave Molloy, has got the jump on everyone by
having Condor registered as the first entry for the big event.
Last year the 'Four Amigos', as
they became known, formed Mt Isa Cruising Yacht Club over a few beers in
a pub 600 kilometres from the sea, then, while having zero sailing
experience, turned up at Audi Hamilton Island Race Week 2010 looking to
compete - because they wanted to 'start at the top'. By the end of the
regatta they'd done every race aboard Condor and somehow managed to bob
up at just about every social function during the week. They were
interviewed on Race Week Radio, made headlines in the national media and
had a jingle written about them. Additionally, their front-man and club
'commodore', Greg Fietz, decided to impress everyone at home by having
his photo taken with international television star Dannii Minogue and
her new baby, plus many of the attractive models who were on the island
for the Audi Hamilton Island Race Week fashion parades. His reasoning
for this effort was simple: 'In Mt Isa the ratio of men to women is
seven-to-one, so to land a good one you have to stand out.'
Upcoming:
- Quarter Ton Cup Reunion regatta 5-6 and 11-13 March
- Panmure 2 Handed 3 Legged weekend 11 -13 March
- Kerikeri Yacht Club 75th
anniversary and Panmure Yacht Club 99th anniversary - both clubs are on
the look out for photos and memorabilia from bygone years.
Big turn out expected for the 30th annual National Keelboat Championship
On
31 March, New Zealand's best keelboat crews from across all clubs and
divisions, and a handful of brave overseas teams, will come together on
the Waitemata Harbour to compete over three days for the title of The
2011 National Keelboat Champion.
This will be the 30th year an
event of this type has been run by the Royal Akarana Yacht Club with
previous winners reading like a 'who's who of world yacht racing'. Among
them Dean Barker, Russell Coutts and Chris Dickson.
If you think your crew has got
what it takes or want see how you compare against he best crews in the
country, and some of the world's leading sailors entries are still open
for the New Zealand 2010 National Keelboat champion.
Details and entry forms can be found at www.rayc.org.nz
Sailing School sets up in Torbay
Elements
Sailing School has set up camp in Torbay on Auckland's North Shore to
give dinghy sailors and prospective dinghy sailors and windsurfers an
opportunity to have a sailing experience, coaching and boat hire.
"We live in the City of Sails
but there are very few places in Auckland where you can roll up and go
for a sail," says Elements owner, Peter Head. "Our boats are modern and
well equipped, and we can teach you how to sail, or take you on an
adventure sail in the Hauraki Gulf."
He says that it is great to do
with friends or family, but those who are by themselves can join an
existing group.
"It's one of the easiest ways of
getting out on the water - we provide all the gear so there is no fuss
with trailers and parking, and our costs - $45 per hour for boat
hireage, and $60 for coaching, are very reasonable," says Peter.
"Very experienced sailors and
complete learners are welcome - you'll enjoy the versatility and agility
of the Topaz boats and the more people we get out on the water the
better." Six Topaz Uno sailing dinghies are available, and several
windsurfers. Booking is essential.
Elements will be based in Torbay on alternating weekends. www.elementsonline.co.nz
BMW Auckland Regatta
The
BMW Auckland Regatta has become recognized as one of the premier
sailing events on the New Zealand keelboat racing calendar and in 2011
will take place from 18-20 March. New features for 2011 are:
- Beach Party at Motuihe
- Boat of the Series award from KPMG
- A more central racecourse, located closer to marinas
The BMW Auckland Regatta is
jointly run by the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron and Bucklands Beach
Yacht Club. Entries are invited from all keelboat clubs throughout New
Zealand. www.bmwaucklandregatta.co.nz |