Boating NZ December 2021

Welcome to the December issue of Boating New Zealand. As I write this on a sunny spring morning, another month living in Covid-19 purgatory has slipped by. The good news is that restrictions in Auckland are about to ease slightly, with the Government taking a more pragmatic approach in preparation for ‘living with the virus’. Kiwis should again be free to go boating anywhere in Aotearoa by Christmas. And aren’t we ready for it! There is so much pent-up demand! Last weekend great weather and ‘permission to picnic’ brought Aucklanders out in droves. Boaties were no exception – the Hauraki Gulf was awash with boats of every description. At my usual lightly used, minor boat ramp on the Puhoi River, there was a long line-up to launch and an even…

The Classic Wooden Boat Association’s 25th annual boat parade and fun weekend is scheduled for February 4, 2022, Waitangi Weekend. The organisers would love to see as many classic or wooden boats of any type join the parade to make this year’s event the biggest ever. The weekend kicks off on the Friday night with a Captain’s briefing dinner at the VR Rotorua Lakeside Resort. The parade starts in the Okere arm of Lake Rotoiti the next morning. Organisers expect around 100 boats to parade past the reserve in line, very many of them historical and well-decorated wooden launches with costumed crews, as well as every other type and size of small boat imaginable – sailed, rowed or powered–including some strange ones like the vintage tiny Personal Water Craft. A…

The 42nd edition of 606-nautical mile Rolex Middle Sea Race organized by the Royal Malta Yacht Club (RMYC) started from the Maltese capital Valletta, a UNESCO World Heritage Centre, on October 23, 2021. Along with the 695nm Rolex Fastnet Race held biennially in August, and the 628nm Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race each December, this supreme test of seamanship is part of a triumvirate of epic ocean contests integral to the Swiss watchmaker’s close partnership with the sport dating back more than 60 years. The racecourse is as challenging as it is scenic, taking in the active volcanoes of Etna and Stromboli, as well as regular sightings of marine life, remote islands and rock formations. Most editions expose crews to a mix of big seas and fierce winds in the…

Waikawa Boating Club’s annual New Year Regatta has been scheduled and the Notice of Race is being distributed to sailors all over New Zealand. The open invitation will draw the biggest fleet and sailor participation in the Marlborough calendar for the two-day regatta over the weekend of January 8-9, 2022. The New Year Regatta is considered the foundation stone for the club, with the event dating back to 1948. Marlborough-based Giesen Wines Limited returns as the major sponsor of the regatta in 2022. The multi-faceted partnership works well for the club and competitors with Giesen wines and beers featuring in the club bar and in the prize pool. The 2022 Giesen New Year Regatta is extending the invitation to specifically include trailer yachts. This type of boat has been smaller…

The New York Yacht Club has announced it is pausing its pursuit of the America’s Cup. “Given the continued uncertainty regarding the 37th America’s Cup, we have decided to pause our challenge for this edition,” said New York Yacht Club Commodore Christopher J. Culver. “For more than six months, the New York Yacht Club, along with other potential challengers, has waited for clarity regarding the venue, timing and rules for the 37th America’s Cup. Time is never on the side of new teams in this great contest, but at some point, we must recognize when there simply isn’t enough of it left to build a competitive challenge,” he said. Stars+Stripes USA, led by NYYC members Mike Buckley and Taylor Canfield, will carry forward with their plans to challenge for the…

Emirates Team New Zealand (ETNZ) has signed Nathan Outteridge, previously the helmsman of Swedish team Artemis Racing, who made a strong contest of the final series for the Louis Vuitton Trophy in Bermuda during AC35. Outteridge is a long-time rival to Peter Burling and Blair Tuke in the 49er class, where he has won Olympic Gold and Silver medals, and on the SailGP circuit, where he sails for JapanSailGP. Where he will fit within ETNZ remains conjecture, as is the future direction of Burling and Tuke. Their decisions will likely rest with the announcement of the Protocol for the 37th America’s Cup and the venue for the Regatta. www.emirates-team-new-zealand.americascup.com…