Boating NZ October 2019

Last month I attended the dawn launch of ETNZ’s first AC75 – named Te Aihe (Dolphin) – with a mix of emotions swirling through my being. Anticipation, intrigue, excitement – as well as, I have to confess, a healthy measure of trepidation. The latter because – as a keelboat traditionalist – the foiling monohull concept remains well beyond the realm of my imagination. For an instinctively cautious sailor like me, this other-worldly design appears to fly in the face of fundamental, high-school physics. How could it possibly work? She carries an extraordinary amount of sail for a ridiculously light hull and will fly across the water at an eye-watering speed (they’re expecting 50 knots). And all delicately poised on a tiny foil, controlled by a rudder which appears to have…

PRIZE VALUE $595 RRP EACH FRIGETECH MARINE & OUTDOORS COOK N BOAT GRILL All stainless steel marine finish, this BBQ is the perfect way to cook with gas. Comes standard with 4 folding legs, electric piezo-ignition, stainless steel heat diffuser with integrated anti-flame. Thanks to our friends at Fridgetech Marine www.fridgetech.co.nz We have a total of four of these fantastic BBQ’s to give away to one lucky Boating New Zealand subscriber each month from September 2019 to December 2019* www.boatingnz.co.nz TERMS AND CONDITIONS All current print subscribers to Boating NZ are eligible. Prize draws will take place after the last day of the months of September, October, November & December 2019. Winners will be notified by phone or email. Prizes will be couriered to a valid New Zealand address only.…

UAE-based boatbuilder ENATA has released a new version of its Foiler – a ‘flying boat’. This one features a joystick and a more efficient industrial-grade hydraulic propulsion system. Built in carbon-fibre, the new Foiler now also boasts a forward cockpit with a joystick that gives passengers a sense of flying above the water. From the traditional driving console, with its wheel and throttle, the skipper can choose to activate the joystick. Pushing forward or pulling back adjusts speed from a standstill up to 40 knots. Tilting to either side controls the direction. Four hydrofoils, like wings in the water, lift the vessel 1.5m above the waves as it reaches a speed of 18 knots, with an effortless and progressive take-off and landing. An additional benefit is that the Foiler virtually…

Bay of Islands Marina nabbed the top gong at a recent New Zealand Marina Operators Association (NZMOA) event in Russell, collecting the Marina of the Year Award. Judges were impressed with the marina management’s vision, forward thinking, design initiatives and focus on local and regional development. The Marina attracts vessels from throughout the South Pacific and contributes to the well-being of its region in numerous ways. While Bay of Islands Marina is built on one of New Zealand’s oldest port sites, one of the country’s newest marinas also received special commendation from judges. Te Ana Marina in Lyttelton, which opened in May 2018, was recognised for reviving recreational boating in Canterbury. Its environment-focused designs, developed in conjunction with Iwi, and the creation of a new destination for boaties and visitors…

A 77-year old Canadian woman has sailed into the record books as the oldest person to sail alone around the world. Jeanne Socrates’ achievement was recognised by the UK-based Ocean Cruising Club (OCC) when she sailed into Victoria BC Harbour on 7th September, having successfully completed the single-handed unassisted nonstop circumnavigation. Jeanne set sail from Victoria on the 3 October 2018 on Nereida. The yacht suffered severe mainsail damage in the Cape Horn area which took a long time to repair. It also suffered a knock-down SW of New Zealand. She entered Timaru Bay in the South Island to make repairs, and later lost her headsail in the North Pacific. The OCC is the ‘home port’ for those who have sailed long distances across big oceans. With 48 nationalities represented…

MINIATURE TALL SHIP The story in our September issue about the Chilean tall ship Esmeralda prompted reader Bruce Croll to submit this letter. I grew up on Waiheke Island where my family had lived since 1911. Our family managed Fred Alison’s sheep farm of 2,200 acres at Matiatia. On Friday, 23 June 1961, I borrowed Fred’s telescope and went up to the WW2 observation post above the wharf in Matiatia and watched the Esmeralda sail out from behind Rakino, go behind Motatapu and Rangitoto before finally showing up off East Coast bays. I went back to the Alison family home to return the telescope and listened to Fred tell me more great old boating stories. Three years ago we were in Taupo and visited a hobby shop, and in the…