Boating NZ February 2023

I spent a couple of exciting and enjoyable hours catching up with the SailGP event in Singapore on YouTube last Sunday, streaming both days’ action back-to-back without all the pre-race interviews and other guff that pads out the racing. SailGP Singapore resulted in an emphatic win for the Peter Burlingled New Zealand SailGP Team, which overcame the odds to win overall after being penalised four event points and two championship points for a practice day mishap. Burling, Blair Tuke and the rest of the team took the penalties in stride and produced their best event so far, showing winning ways both on the shortened first day of the event in light winds where foiling was impossible, and even more convincingly on the second day in better sailing conditions. Aggressive racing…

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Their speed of 222.43km/h (138.21mph) has now been officially ratified and confirmed as the new World Record Speed for a wind powered land yacht by the World Land Sailing Organisation, Federation International de Sand et Land Yachting (FISLY). For the record, Horonuku, named by Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei meaning ‘gliding swiftly across the land’, was clocked at 222.4km/h in 22 knots of wind speed on the dry salt lake. Pilot Glenn Ashby was clearly happy with the run, but believes Horonuku can go much faster. “The team and I are obviously buzzing to have sailed Horonuku at a speed faster than anyone has ever before – powered only by the wind. But we know Horonuku has a lot more speed in her when we get more wind and better conditions,” said…

The event has been successful in securing grants from the Northland Events Fund administered by Northland Inc., and the Events Investment Fund, administered by the Far North District Council (FNDC). Both organisations noted the positive impact the regatta has on the local economy by attracting visitors to the region. Bay of Islands Sailing Week regularly attracts well over 100 boats, with entry numbers peaking pre-Covid in 2020 at 141 boats. Organisers expect a boom in entries for the event’s 20th anniversary. Typically around two-thirds of entries come from outside the Northland region – Auckland, Tauranga, Wellington and Christchurch, as well as Australia, the Pacific Islands and further afield. The yachts entered in the event are crewed by an estimated 1,000 sailors, who are often accompanied by family and friends. Participants…

Three areas of the Northland coast will be protected by an Environment Court decision released in November 2022. Two areas – around Mimiwhangata Peninsula and between Maunganui Bay/Deepwater Cove and Oke Bay in the Bay of Islands – will be acknowledged as rāhui tapu and fishing will be prohibited. The third area, around Rākaumangamanga/Cape Brett, will have a bottom trawling and purse-seining ban. Mimiwhangata is small peninsula between the Bay of Islands and Whāngārei that reaches towards the Poor Knights Islands. It’s surrounded by small islands, sandy beaches and rocky reefs that stretch out 4km. The area is licked by subtropical currents that support species rarely found on the mainland coast, including foxfish, combfish and tropical surgeonfish. Along with the bounce-back of crayfish and snapper, it is hoped rare species…

The Jeanneau Sun Fast 3300 Sun Fast Racing ended up claiming second overall in the double-handed division of the 2022 Rolex Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race. Among the 120 yachts entered for the race, Sun Fast 3300s were well represented with a total of six Jeanneau entries. Sun Fast Racing “performed above expectations” in the Sydney to Hobart, said skipper Lee Condell. A lot of time went into optimising the boat’s IRC rating, improving performance in light upwind sailing and VMG running by fitting a masthead J0 and adding an S2 spinnaker. www.orakeimarine.co.nz JEANNEAU IRC TWO-HANDED RESULTS 2nd – Sun Fast Racing (Sun Fast 3300), Sydney. Lee Condell & Lincoln Dews (pictured above). 6th – Hip-Nautic (Sun Fast 3300), Hobart. Jean-Pierre Ravanet & Dew Meincke. 7th – Uprising (Sun Fast…