Boating NZ March 2024

Welcome to the March issue of Boating New Zealand! Isn’t it great to be enjoying a real summer? After northern regions endured endless rain and wind last year, complete with floods and deadly cyclones, it’s such a relief to be enjoying warmth and sunshine. Boaters, fishers and water users of every description are reaping the benefits, along with marine businesses, many of which did it tough last year. Of course, the weather has been a bit more mixed further south, but to be fair, compared to the rest of us, the South Island enjoyed a great summer last year – we were jealous – so maybe this season it’s just the south’s turn? Just kiddin! Hopefully the weather will be great for the return of SailGP to Christchurch’s Lyttelton Harbour,…

Forgotten films and iconic speakers will feature at Auckland Wooden Boat Festival as part of the inaugural event this March. Te Toki Voyaging Trust, the Whiting family, modern-day oceanic explorers, star gazers, and veteran restorers of famous vessels will feature in the speaker line-up of the event, along with a range of short films. Eleven speakers, and eight films feature during the Festival. Full programme details can be viewed at www.aucklandwoodenboatfestival.co.nz All talks will be shown at the New Zealand Maritime Museum, and bookings are recommended, but the events are free to attend. The film festival will be shown throughout the day in the Museum theatre, no bookings required. The inaugural Auckland Wooden Boat Festival is part of Moana Auckland – New Zealand’s Ocean Festival. www.aucklandwoodenboatfestival.co.nz…

Hamilton’s Sam Newdick scored victory in the Building King Superboats Round 4 of the NZ Jetsprints Championship. It was a fitting victory on his home track, which will soon close permanently after the Auckland Jetsprint Club lost access to the venue. A course, which created a wake between two turns, proved tricky to negotiate, with boats losing grip and time in the wake. And that proved to be the difference for second placed Rob Coley, who threw everything at the course to go for the win. But Newdick found a way to beat the wake with a tighter line and shaved nearly a second off his previous best time to take the win in front of his PSP team and family. The biggest crash of the day went to Richard…

Rough conditions for the 184th Oceanbridge Auckland Anniversary Day Regatta yesterday sent many of the keelboat entrants packing. But the high winds, at times gusting 25 knots or more, weren’t enough to dissuade the hundreds of hardy dinghy sailors who took to the water to race at locations across the city. One of the biggest fleets taking part in the regatta, which is New Zealand’s oldest sporting event, comprised 177 Optimist and Starling sailors. The regatta’s smallest sailors braved the elements to contest the final day of their three-day Auckland Championships hosted by the Royal Akarana Yacht Squadron. The miniature mariners battled heavy seas and strong winds, surrounded by a fleet of enthusiastic supporters and safety boats, with almost equal parts bailing and sailing witnessed throughout the day’s racing. Centreboard…

A new venue this year made the 21st Bay of Islands Sailing Week regatta in late January the best ever. Bay of Islands Marina B Division was won by Zephyrus on PHRF and general handicap. Menace was fastest on line. Black Magic took out Gurit E Division general handicap and PHRF. Spider Pigo took line honours in all but one race. In the Explore Sport Boats division, Animal Biscuits foiled home to line honours and general handicap wins. Five sport boats also competed for the Magic 25 one-design class trophy, won by Magic Dragon. The Mount Gay Young 88 division was won by Danger Zone on the line and Heartlight on handicap. In North Sails Island Racing A division, waterline length predictably triumphed over the line, with Mayhem taking out…

Tired of chine slap-induced restless nights and disruptive wave noise? So were boatbuilders Scott and Letitia Lane, who found noise levels inside the master cabin of their Riviera 47 horrendous. “It was like trying to sleep inside a drum!” says Letitia. So prior to this summer’s cruise, the Lanes fashioned chine infills for their boat. “They have been a game-changer”, says Letitia, who decided to market the idea – Silent Serenity Solution chine infills are manufactured in the Lane’s workshop and can be shipped globally. With a hassle-free installation process that takes just three days on the hardstand, a Silent Serenity Solution chine infill modification can be effortlessly implemented by anyone with practical skills. Once fitted, only the waterline stripes and antifouling needing to be applied. Contact Scott Lane Boatbuilders…