Boating NZ August 2016

With the countdown to the Rio Olympics in its final phase, sailing enthusiasts might think about preparing a robust supply of TVwatching snacks. The first of the sailing events is scheduled for 8 August, three days after the opening ceremony, and the last finishes 10 days later. By exploring this issue’s feature about our Olympic sailors (pg 54) you’ll discover that we have 12 competitors in seven classes, among them the mercurial duo of Peter Burling and Blair Tuke in the 49er class. Sadly, their unprecedented run of 27 wins on the trot came to an end in July at the South American Championships in Rio – their final warm-up regatta before the Olympics – where they finished third. The event was won by the Australian duo of Nathan Outteridge…

Face-lift for a Queen Cunard’s flagship liner Queen Mary 2 has set sail on her first voyage following an investment of around $186 million – one of the most significant refurbishments undertaken by the shipping line. The luxury liner has been lovingly remastered with new contemporary interior designs and guest experiences, many of which take inspiration from the original Queen Mary launched at the height of the art-deco movement in the 1930s. Cunard’s investment, marking 80 years since the original liner launched, has ensured every detail from the carpets to the curtains recalls that iconic vessel which became a symbol of British elegance. The liner’s remastering features: • A redesign and refurbishment of the Queen’s Grill and Princess Grill suites and restaurants, as well as Britannia staterooms, the latter to…

We welcome your letters and feedback for publication. Address to: The Editor, Boating New Zealand, PO Box 6341, Wellesley Street, Auckland 1141, or email editor@boatingnz.co.nz AS ANOTHER NEAR victim of the shambolic anchoring goings-on at Fitzroy over the Xmas and New Year, I thought I’d put my 10 cents worth into the debate. One root cause of the trouble is that Auckland boats in general are endemically under-equipped in the ground tackle department, with anchors too small and light for the size of the boat, likewise anchor chains. I’ve talked about this with other boaties who come from further afield and they agree. Our own gear is in line with the recommendations of the acknowledged experts in the field; Hiscock, Worth, Street, Pardey etc., but all of us have suffered…

A LOUD WARNING to those who are in the habit of trolling a lure while underway in the off-chance of bringing in a kahawai, or better still, a kingfish. While cruising in glorious weather down to the bottom end of Waiheke recently we noticed a largish inflatable approaching us from the starboard quarter with the two aboard furiously taking snapshots. We politely waved and carried on. The inflatable drew alongside, the couple raised their hands and shouted loudly and officiously to “Stop your vessel! Stop your vessel!” Which we did… Noticing the customary khaki DOC uniforms, it suddenly dawned on me that we were in a spot of trouble: the ultimate sin of trolling into a marine reserve had been committed. The photo taking wasn’t in admiration of Trinidad after…

C ygnus Montanus? A famous Roman centurion? A noble red wine? Sultry sea sprite? None of my guesses was correct. It means ‘Mountain Swan’ and it’s a construction of two parts: the Swedish owner’s previous vessel (Cygnus Montanus II) is a Swan 77 – a marque synonymous with grace and elegance. The ‘mountain’ is a nod to his homeland’s topography. Using my rapier-sharp powers of deduction, I’ll assume there was a Cygnus Montanus 1 and that strictly speaking, this new Frers-designed beauty should be Cygnus Montanus 111. Whatever the truth, this iteration is a superb coda to the lineage. The latest build from Auckland’s Yachting Developments Limited (YDL), she was launched mid-June. As the images reflect, she’s magnificent in every way – a glowing tribute to YDL’s expertise and, by…

A New York Times article quoted an anonymous resident of Cutchogue Harbour, Long Island as saying, “To us, he was just a bad sailor with funny hair and a funny accent. People used to look out there and laugh at this strange guy in his sailboat going nowhere.” That bad sailor was Albert Einstein, who in 1905, while working as a probationary technical expert (third class) at the Swiss patent office in Bern, wrote scientific papers in his spare time. Among them was a paper on special relativity, a dissertation of 9,000 words entirely devoid of the usual references which choke academic works. It was an extraordinary idea from an extraordinary sailor. This paper and others that followed came from a sailor who became recognised as the most brilliant physicist…