CLEAN WAKES, PLEASE
CRC Bay of Islands Sailing Week is on track to achieve Clean Regatta certification in 2020, as organisers strive to leave a clean wake by reducing the event’s environmental impact.
“We’ve joined up with Sailors for the Sea to become a certified clean regatta,” says Regatta Chair Manuela Gmuer-Hornell. “We’re sailors ourselves, and we’re all passionate about protecting our oceans. People come to this regatta for the beauty of the Bay of Islands, so we want to do all we can to protect that.”
Clean Regattas is the world’s only sustainability certification for water-based events and has been used globally by over 2,000 regattas and 595,000 sailors. The programme helps event organisers improve their environmental footprint, by implementing best practice sustainability policies and practices.
CRC Bay of Islands Sailing Week has long enforced a ‘no discharge’ rule for all participants, meaning nothing from on board can be disposed of at sea while participating in the regatta. Organisers say the regatta was also the first in New Zealand to ban the use of disposable ties or rubber bands used for spinnaker hoists, which would otherwise end up in the ocean.
“We’ve also got rid of single-use plastic bottles, replaced plastic bags with reusable ones, and we’re pretty much paperless when it comes to organising the event. This year we also switched to online committee meetings so we don’t need to drive anymore.”
Other sustainability practices already implemented by CRC Bay of Islands Sailing Week include prioritising local suppliers to reduce transport and support the local economy, offering refillable water bottles and water refilling stations to regatta volunteers, and cutting down on printing by using digital technology for publicity and race management.
At the 2020 regatta, local community group Russell Recyclers will be on hand to help minimise waste ending up in landfill, and participants will be encouraged to reduce their own environmental impact.
“We’re hoping to achieve Silver Certification in 2020 and keep stepping up every year from there. It’s a process, and it takes time to make big changes, but everything we do helps. We want to provide opportunities for sailors to enjoy their sport and benefits to our local community long into the future. That’s why we’re committed to running an environmentally responsible and sustainable regatta.”
CRC Bay of Islands Sailing Week takes place from 21–24 January 2020, and it’s expected over 100 boats and 1,000 people will take part in racing and shore-based events.
More information, including the event’s Clean Regatta Policy and online entry form, can be found online at:
www.bayofislandssailingweek.org.nz
AROUND BRITAIN IN A LASER
A British sailor has raised £20,000 for a prostate cancer charity by circumnavigating his country in a Laser dinghy.
Eastbourne’s Neil Peters (53) who uses the alias ‘Stick Daring’ when he’s at sea, began his voyage on July 17, sailing his Laser anti-clockwise around the Fair Isles. He arrived back home on September 30, having completed it in 76 days, six hours and 15 minutes.
Given a Laser’s limited storage facilities, Neil had to travel light. Essentials included a tent, some food, a pair of trousers, a T-shirt, a spare pair of shoes, a micro towel, a radio and some mobile phones. His wife drove part of the route – so he was able to sleep in the van overnight. But for much of the journey he camped.
The trip, he says, had its challenges but also its rewards: “It was the worst summer for years. I think Scotland had its wettest summer since 1983. It lashed with rain every day for a few weeks and it was a real challenge.”
But he was also humbled by the support he received from complete strangers. Many waived campsite fees or put him up for the night. They fed him, gave him waterproof trousers and talked to him about how prostate cancer had affected their lives.
TIGHT SQUEEZE
A 195m liner operated by the UK’s Fred Olsen Cruise Lines – the Braemar – has just claimed the record for the largest ship to pass through Greece’s famous Corinth Canal.
The 6.3km canal – which connects the Gulf of Corinth with the Saronic Gulf – is 25m wide. The 24,344-ton Braemar has a 22.5m beam, but with precision manoeuvring she managed to carry her 929 passengers safely through the narrow waterway.
“This is such an exciting sailing and tremendous milestone in Fred Olsen’s 171-year history, and we are thrilled to have been able to share it with our guests,” said Clare Ward, director of product and customer service for the company.
“At Fred Olsen, we strive to create memories that last a lifetime, and with guests on board Braemar able to get so close to the edges of the Corinth Canal that they could almost touch the sides, we know that this will be a holiday that they will never forget.”
The canal was opened in 1893 and considerably shortens the travel time between Athens and Italian ports.
COASTGUARD’S LOTTERY
This year is a special one for Coastguard’s Lottery as it celebrates 20
years with over $20 million raised to help save lives at sea.
The Classic Kiwi Summer Lottery 90 is now open and there are 20 prizes
up for grabs. The prize pool of up to $320,000 includes a new Haines Hunter
boat (four are up for grabs), a Ford Ranger, a Hawaiian holiday and more.
Over the years prize winners have won 157 boats valued at over $9.7 million, 44 vehicles
valued at over $3.5 million and 73 holidays valued at over $920,000.
Tickets cost $10 – and theLottery closes 14 February 2020.
For more information visit https://www.coastguard.nz/get-involved/other-ways-to-help/buy-a-lottery-ticket/coastguard-summer-lottery/
WHOPPING BOAT SHOW PRIZE
With a retail value of over $230,000, this year’s
Surtees/Yamaha Grand Prize will be won by one lucky visitor to the 2020
Hutchwilco New Zealand Boat Show at the ASB Showgrounds in Greenlane Auckland
on May 14-17.
Built
for fishing, the 7.5m 750 Game Fisher (enclosed cabin) features a double walk-through transom, with two live bait tanks and an enclosed
platform, complete with protective pushpits, for safer fishing in offshore
waters. There is also a premium Surtees bait station with twin drawers and four
rod holders.
Designed
to improve stability and handling the boat’s equipped with Anti-Roll™ ballast
stability control and Safety Buoyancy airtight flotation compartments.
While
the F300 is the pinnacle in Yamaha’s latest generation V6 outboard range, the
boat will also be fitted with other top-end Yamaha technologies – including a
‘drive-by-wire’ electronic throttle and the company’s renowned CL7 Command Link
Plus instrument control panel.
The Hosking custom tandem trailer is fitted with a
Trojan Hydrastar Direct Brake system and wireless brake controller.
A comprehensive Garmin marine electronics package
features a GPSMAP 8416xsv MFD and a GPSMap 952xs, Blue Chart g2 in the cockpit.
Connected to them is a GMR Fantom 24 radar and a Garmin CHIRP fishfinder,
complete with an 1kW Airmar CHIRP transom-mounted transducer.
To hold the boat in position over a deep-water reef or
ensure it drifts in a controlled matter, a remote controlled 36-volt Minn Kota
electric trolling motor will be installed on the bow, complete with quick
release bracket and socket.
Other practical extras included in this stunning
package are the Ocean Blue outriggers, twin Hi Tech Plastic carbon deluxe
bolstered seats, Exalto Pantagraph wipers, a large Icey Tek chilly bin, Century
Batteries battery banks and a ScanStrut waterproof wireless 12V phone charger.
The vessel also comes with a complete set of Okuma
fishing gear – combination rod and reel set
worth over $5000. Included is an Oceansignal EPIRB and a year’s worth of
Yamaha Marine Insurance. There is even a Lifetime Coastguard Membership and a
Coastguard Day Skipper Course.
Tickets to the 2020 Hutchwilco New Zealand Boat Show
are now available on-line at www.boatshow.co.nz. All tickets bought online also earn a bonus entry into the Surtees/Yamaha
Grand Prize draw and are automatically entered into the draw for a powered
Viking Kayaks’ Reload package worth over $8000. Tickets bought before
5pm on December 18 also automatically go into a special draw for a Haswing
electric trolling motor worth $1600.
What: Hutchwilco New
Zealand Boat Show
Where: ASB
Showgrounds, Greenlane, Auckland
When: May 14-17,
2020.
OBC LANDS SUPREME AWARD
Auckland’s Outboard Boating Club (OBC) has
been recognised for its determined commitment to environmental performance with
a Supreme Best Practice Award.
It was presented by Keep New Zealand
Beautiful – the administrater of the international Blue Flag environmental certification
system in New Zealand – and comes just three years after OBC qualified for the prestigious
Blue Flag programme.
The Blue Flag programme audits and
recognises marinas, beaches and eco-tourism boats in 47 countries around the
world.
Keep New Zealand Beautiful’s Christine
White this is the first time it has introduced the Supreme Best Practice Award
to recognise a Blue Flag marina, beach or boating operator that has
consistently exceeded the international standards of the Blue Flag criteria.
“The award recognises outstanding
commitment to continuous improvement in environmental, educational and safety
criteria. OBC has been recognised for its ongoing commitment to improving their
facilities and operational practices across all areas of the Blue Flag
criteria.”
Says OBC Commodore Bill Berry: “With
ongoing information campaigns and training events our members and staff know
the high standard they must adhere to across our marina, the boat ramps and in the
maintenance of their boats. As a result, club members are also increasingly
conscious about the way they go about their recreational boating and fishing
and we see this as a great benefit of being part of a progressive club.
“The motivation that drives us to do better
is the beautiful Hauraki Gulf environment in front of us every day at OBC. However,
enjoying the Gulf we also realise that it is an environment that is experiencing
significant challenges, especially the impact of pollution. The recent closures
of many of its beaches due to poor, polluted water is now a regular occurrence.
At the same time, we are also facing the growing threat of climate change which
will exacerbate the ecosystem problems of the Waitemata and Hauraki Gulf.”
Blue Flag focusses on five main areas:
Environmental education and information, Environmental management, Boating
Safety and Service facilities, Water quality and Social Responsibility.
Dolphin-watching boat for Akaroa
On
the 10th of September 2019, Akaroa welcomed the arrival of Akaroa
Dolphins’ new catamaran, designed for their daily dolphin and harbour nature
cruises.
This
is the very first purpose-built boat for dolphin watching to arrive in Akaroa Harbour
and the project is a huge achievement for such a small, family-run company.
The
boat was built in Auckland over two years, with the final stages completed at Waikawa, Picton. The boat
was welcomed at Akaroa’s main wharf just in time for the 2019-20 summer season by
a group of onlookers comprising local families, business owners and passing
travellers.
A lot
of time and consideration has gone into the new boat, which sets Akaroa
Dolphins apart from other tour operators. Akaroa Dolphins wanted to limit their
impact on the environment, while providing the highest quality of passenger comfort.
She was built with materials that minimise noise
transfer to the dolphins and given fuel-efficient, state-of-the-art
engines and a self-contained pure water station.
YAMAHA’S FREERIDE RETURNS
Now in its eighth year, the 2020 edition of Yamaha New Zealand’s Festival of Freeride will be held once again at Karioitahi Beach, Waiuku, February 28-29.
The two-day PWC event has grown enormously in its eight-year history, attracting 40 riders in its first year and growing to 70 riders this year. Event organiser Richard Webb expects that number to grow further in 2020.
“Freeride is now the biggest celebration of its kind in the southern hemisphere and showcases some of the best riders downunder – a spectacle well worth coming to see and a testament to the growth of the sport here in New Zealand.”
The event sees PWC riding meet freestyle motocross, with riders performing surfing manoeuvres and tricks jumping off waves – a sport that is exciting for both riders and spectators.
Competitions include ‘The Biggest Air’ – which sees riders launching themselves off a wave, and the ‘Sickest Trick’, where riders attempt the most technically-demanding tricks – as well as the ‘Cherry Popper’, for riders trying a backflip for the first time.
The event is open to riders of all abilities, with novice beginners able to gain expert tuition from seasoned professionals.
Having just launched its 2020 WaveRunner range, Yamaha will look to have its full range on display, including the popular stand-up model – the Superjet.
For more information visit www.yamaha-motor.co.nz and www.nzfestivaloffreeride.com
MORE EFFICIENT WITH AIR
British company Silverstream Technologies – a leading air lubrication manufacturer for the shipping industry – is to fit its technology to vessels built by Hudong-Zhonghua, part of the China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC) Group.
CSSC is China’s largest shipbuilding group, and the second largest in the world.
Silverstream’s air lubrication technology – the Silverstream® System – will be integrated into Hudong-Zhonghua’s new designs for its future LNG carriers to increase operational and fuel efficiencies, reducing fuel costs and emissions by between 6% and 8% for laden and ballast conditions.
Air lubrication fundamentally changes the interaction between water and a vessel’s hull. Air released from units in the hull creates a carpet of bubbles which fully coats the flat bottom of a vessel. As a result, frictional resistance is reduced – dramatically reducing fuel consumption and associated emissions.
Ship technology firms have been toying with the idea of air lubrication for more than 100 years. Now, as new regulations and concerns about the environment drive investment decisions, the concept may finally catch on.
When the oil price rises, so does demand for energy-efficiency technologies across the transport sector. Furthermore, as the International Maritime Organisation’s 2020 sulphur cap draws nearer, the shipping industry is having to figure out how to cope with the significantly higher cost of compliant fuels.
From January 1 next year, the limit for sulphur in fuel oil used in ships operating outside designated emission control areas will be reduced to 0.50% m/m (mass by mass). This will significantly reduce the amount of sulphur oxides emanating from ships and should have major health and environmental benefits for the world, particularly for populations living close to ports and coasts.
Major players are already turning to mechanisms which will charge ship owners more to transport cargo across the seas. Which is why a growing number of companies are also investing in energy-efficiency technologies to cut fuel costs over time.
For more information email info@silverstream-tech.com
KNOTS RACING TIES IT UP
The Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron’s Knots Racing is the 2019 Yachting Developments New Zealand Match Racing Championship winner – having defeated Reuben Corbett’s team two–nil in a tricky final in October.
The Knots Racing team – Nick Egnot-Johnson, Sam Barnett, Zak Merton and Bradley McLaughlin – started the first match well, winning the duel throughout the race to hold onto the lead and move one step closer to lifting the trophy.
But they really earned their victory in the second match. With very light winds they weren’t able to enter the start box on time, incurring a penalty and handing Corbett a handy advantage. The race was then a light-wind, match-racing battle of the ages, and the Knots boys looked down and out when they were parked up heading into the bottom mark with Corbett kite-up sailing past them.
Still, they refused to give up and found a nice pocket of breeze to get themselves right back into the race, making a double gybe on the final downwind leg, catching up to Corbett where they were then able to miraculously offset their penalty.
After all that hard work Egnot-Johsnon held onto his lead on the final downwind leg to cross the line and win his first ever Yachting Developments New Zealand Match Racing Championship title.
LIFE-LINE FOR SEA LIONS
Forest & Bird is proposing the establishment of a new protected zone for sea lions off the remote Auckland Islands, calling it a win-win for New Zealand sea lions and commercial squid fishing.
The organisation says the plan – which would see the creation of a temporary trawl-free area around the Auckland Islands – is based on satellite tracking data. This protection area would protect most breeding female sea lions and barely impact the trawl boats which can kill the animals.
NZ sea lions are one of the rarest sea lions in the world, with fewer than 12,000 individuals. At the main breeding location, the Auckland Islands, pup production has declined by approximately 55 percent since 1998.
Seven sea lions have been confirmed dead in trawl nets around the Auckland Islands this year, although the number is likely to be higher as not all dead or injured sea lions are seen and accounted for.
“Forest & Bird’s temporary sea lion protection area is based on research that shows most breeding females hunt within a limited area as they have to return to shore to feed their pups,” says Katrina Goddard, Forest & Bird Ocean Advocate.
“By making the most of their vital foraging grounds, we can reduce the risk to most of these mums and their dependent pups, while leaving 83 percent of the overall squid fishing area available to the trawl boats.”
The organisation has criticised Fisheries NZ’s three options for the squid trawl fishery, for allowing increasing options for sea lion deaths in trawl nets.
“None of Fisheries NZ’s proposals for managing the squid trawl fishery will save our precious sea lions. Fisheries bycatch is the most significant human threat to sea lions and the only one that can be actively managed, and we must try to bring it as close to zero as possible,” says Ms Goddard.
“Forest & Bird’s proposal is a win-win scenario for New Zealand sea lions and for the fishing industry. The sea lion protection area won’t have any impact on the squid trawl fishery, but will significantly help our sea lions.”
RACE IN PEACE
One of the world’s most colourful powerboat racing legends – Italian Fabio Buzzi – died in a September accident doing what he loved best: racing over the water as quickly as possible. He was 76.
Buzzi was attempting to break the offshore speed record between Monte Carlo and Venice when his boat hit an artificial reef at 80 knots. Two other crew members were also killed, while a fourth person was treated in hospital for injuries.
Widely regarded as the man who transformed offshore powerboat racing, Boating New Zealand featured him in our June 2018 issue. His name appears on 10 offshore world speedboat championships titles, as well as 45 world titles established in vessels designed by him. And there are more than 50 other speed and endurance records.
His latest record (in March 2018) was aboard a ‘three-point’ hull on Italy’s Lake Como. At the age of 75 he set the world speed record for a dieselpowered motorboat: 277, 515km/h (149.84 knots). He also established a record as the world’s oldest marine speedster!
Fabio Buzzi founded his Italy-based FB Design Group in 1971 and it subsequently became one the world’s leading manufacturers of high-speed powerboats.
