Bay of Islands Sailing Week: Enter early and you could win a $725 sailing jacket
by Hana Hielkema / Jacob Fewtrell Media 4 Nov 2024 02:49 EST
22-24 January 2025
Enter by Dec 31, 2024 to be in the draw to win this Henri Lloyd jacket Bay of Islands Sailing Week - January 2024 © Henri Lloyd
Winners are grinners! But in the case of Bay of Islands Sailing Week, it’s only the early entries that could win a sweet sailing jacket worth $725.
Click here to enter
Now is the time to rally your crew and sign up for this iconic multi-day keelboat regatta, with all entries received prior to December 31st going in the draw to win a Coastal Offshore Biscay Jacket thanks to Henry Lloyd Australia and The Chandlery
“We’re thrilled to finally open entries for this year’s event. It always takes a huge effort to get to this point, and even more so this year with such a packed calendar ahead. We’re grateful to the wonderful sponsors for putting up prizes to incentivize as many early entries as possible,” says BOISW committee member Andrew Kearney.
The 2025 editions’ racing days will run from 22-24 January, immediately following the Auckland edition of SailGP which is set for 18-19 January.
Organisers realise this makes for a busy January, but hope the close timing of events will encourage visitors who are attending SailGP to continue north and experience this unique event.
Kearney says there’s opportunities for all to get involved, and particularly encourages youth and female sailors to reach out.
“It’s vital we continue to grow the sport, and getting more people involved is the perfect way to do so. This is a great opportunity to experience big boat racing and we are happy to make the connections to get more people on the water enjoying the racing,” he says.
Early entries give the organising committee the best chance at ensuring all divisions are catered for, so if you want to make sure your division is run Kearney reminds sailors to share the word and get their fellow boaties to sign up.
“If you know you’re coming, don’t wait. Secure your spot now and take advantage of the early bird prize while avoiding any extra fees later. You’ll also be minimising committee stress levels by giving us an indication of division numbers,” he continues.
An exciting addition to this year’s fleets is the Flying 15’s which will be holding their national championships. Kearney says it’s shaping up to be a great competition with the Sports Boat New Zealand championships also unfolding as part of BOISW.
“It’s going to be awesome. We’re excited to host these two dynamic fleets as their annual contests play out, it’ll be all on!,” he says.
Onshore festivities are a great way to debrief the days’ racing and this year organisers plan to incorporate a daily happy hour, live entertainment, and increased food options.
Race headquarters will be the Opua Cruising Club following and a re-designed layout will spread across the grassy area between the OCC and the Opua General Store.
The event has grown to attract over 100 entries and organisers aim to continue the growth and particularly encourage more young sailors to take part.
The Notice of Race is available on the event website and the Sailing Instructions will be available on the BOISW Mobile App (download from App Store or Google Play) by 1200 on Friday 17th January 2025. Entries received after 1st January 2025 will be accompanied by a $100 late fee, and the cut off for entries will be Monday 13th January.
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