SYDNEY to AUCKLAND RACE 2021
The Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club (RPAYC) and Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron are partners in a new 1,250nm Sydney to Auckland Yacht Race, scheduled to start on Sydney Harbour on 30 January 2021 and finish in Auckland.
The Category 1 race will coincide with and help the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron celebrate its 150th Anniversary and enjoy the 36th Americas Cup. The race is open to offshore cruising and racing yachts, superyachts, ocean racing multihulls, as well as incorporating a rally for cruisers.
“A race between these two sailing meccas is exciting, and the historic rivalry between us will only add to draw sailors from both sides of the Tasman Sea, as well as internationally, to compete,” says RPAYC commodore Michael Lockley.
“Having recently been at the helm for the 150th Anniversary of the RPAYC, the opportunity to join our great friends at the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron to celebrate theirs is going to be fabulous. The two clubs have a great history of friendship, there is an enormous synergy in our ethos as well as our sailing programmes.”
The Cruising Rally is for those who don’t enjoy eating freeze-dried food on the rail of a yacht at 25 degrees. There will also be a two-handed division – sure to garner many entrants, as shown by the popularity of the recent two-handed round New Zealand and round North Island races.
RPAYC will be organising seminars in aspects of boat and crew readiness in the build-up to the race and has plenty of experienced skippers on hand to assist and advise anyone looking for help.
Auckland’s 2021 programme will be diverse. Yachts from around the world will gather, including a fleet of J Class yachts, superyachts, international classics fleet, as well as the Prada Cup series and America’s Cup Match.
THREE-PEAT FOR HERBERT
Seventeen-year old Sean Herbert has made history by becoming the first person to win the New Zealand Starling Nationals three times in a row.
Sailing for RNZYS, Herbert pulled off the three-peat in a regatta that came right down to the final race at the Taipa Sailing Club.
Will he try for four in a row? He thinks his size might be a limiting factor for the small class of boat: “I think the oldest competitor this year was 61 so you can stay in it as long as you like, but I’m over sixfoot now and weigh 60kgs, so I’m on the brink of being too big.”
TRANS-ATLANTIC BY BARREL
A 72-year-old adventuresome French pensioner – Jean-Jacques Savin – has successfully floated across the Atlantic in a bright orange, 3m-long plywood barrel he built himself.
Savin set off from the Canary Islands on Boxing Day last year and after 127 days and six hours at sea arrived at the tiny Dutch island of St. Eustatius in the Caribbean on May 2. During the 2930-mile journey the barrel was slowly pushed west by ocean currents.
The voyage was inspired by a French doctor, Alain Bombard, who in 1952 did a similar solo trip from the Canary Islands to Barbados in an inflatable boat. He’d survived on raw fish and saltwater.
Despite his age, it seems Savin has had plenty of experience living in deprived conditions – he is a former military paratrooper and has previously crossed the Atlantic four times (by yacht), has ascended Mont Blanc in 2015 and has swum across France’s Arcachon Bay four times.
470 GOLD
Paul Snow-Hansen and Dan Willcox won gold in their first World Cup Series regatta – and first event in Europe – at the recent Genoa event.
The pair finished third in the men’s 470 medal race and, crucially, were two boats ahead of Zangjun Xu and Chao Wang of China who started the day in first, to win the event by one point. That gold medal came on the back of the silver won by Isaac McHardie and William McKenzie and bronze picked up by Peter Burling and Blair Tuke in the 49er on the first day of medal racing.
SCHOONER BATTLE
The 128-foot Naema – built in 2012 – won May’s inaugural Capri Classica Regatta in Naples, an event that attracted four giant schooners.
The regatta – the first round of the Schooner Cup Series – was created by the International Schooner Association in conjunction with the International Maxi Association. This Capri event will be followed by September’s Monaco Classic Week and Les Voiles de St Tropez, where the winner will be awarded the Schooner of the Year Trophy.
Naema – inspired by the 1938 Alfred Mylne design Panda, raced against Mariette of 1915 (a 138-foot 1915 Nathanael Herreshoff schooner), Orianda (85-foot 1937 Dahlstrom staysail schooner) and Puritan – a 126-foot 1930 Alden gaff schooner.
Perhaps the most unusual feature of the regatta is the start protocol. While most yacht races start with boats jostling for position sailing to windward on a short line, the schooners resort to the ancient practice of starting at anchor with sails down. This was commonplace in schooner racing in the 19th century and even featured in early editions of the America’s Cup, an event won by schooners up until 1876.
Starting from anchor is a natural handicap system, as the biggest yachts can take up to 30 minutes to get underway, but are faster under sail than the smaller yachts that could weigh anchor and be sailing in as little as 10 minutes.
The regattas are structured around ‘schooner-friendly’ courses, given that these vessels all herald from an era when the principle was famously “gentlemen don’t go to windward”.
MOANA 56 ASIA BOATING AWARD
The Moana 56 has been awarded Asia Boating’s ‘Best multihull motoryacht over 50ft’ against some stiff competition. The vessel was also nominated for ‘Best Asian-built yacht’.
With a hull designed by Auckland’s Stimson Yacht Design and Naval Architecture and the interior/exterior designed by Wong Yacht Design in Shenzhen, China, it is a testament to the team’s drive for quality and attention to detail.
Chris Wong studied Transport Design at Massey University, Albany, in 2012, specialising in marine. Christian Stimson was judging the final year design projects, including Wong’s. On returning to China, Wong set up Wong Yacht Design and began collaborating with Stimson Yacht Design & Naval Architecture on several projects.
Wong is a partner and CEO of Moana Yachts, which plans to move production from the Xinlong yard to its own production facility with resin infusion, CNC milling machines and robotic sprayers to further improve quality standards.
TRANSITION TO NEW SAFETY SYSTEM COMPLETE
On May 1 the last of almost 1200 commercial operators transferred to the new Maritime Operator Safety System (MOSS).
“It has been a successful, five-year process,” says Maritime NZ Deputy Director, Compliance, Pelin Fantham.
MOSS was introduced in July 2014, and Maritime NZ ran a gradual transition to help make the change from the old safety system to the new as smooth as possible for the industry.
On May 1, Fantham presented Penwarden Holdings Ltd with its certification in a small ceremony on Whangarei Harbour. She congratulated the company for completing the transition and bringing its fishing vessels Bilyara, and the brand new Karearea, into MOSS.
“MOSS was designed to make it clear that an entire maritime operation, not just the vessel, needs to be examined to ensure all the safety risks are identified and managed,” says Fantham.
“As a result, it has helped to improve safety in the maritime industry and has strengthened the relationship between Maritime NZ and operators.”
STABI BOSS IN HALL OF FAME
Stabicraft owner Paul Adams has joined the ranks of illustrious marine industry movers and shakers, inducted into the Hall of Fame at the recent Hutchwilco Boat Show.
Adams started Stabicraft in the late 1980s and has nurtured it into one of New Zealand’s most important marine businesses. It has built more than 13,000 boats and is represented by over 25 dealers in five countries. It employs over 100 people in the 5,000m² Invercargill factory.
After working as an apprentice coach builder for a Bluff-based engineering company, Paul almost didn’t get into boatbuilding at all. Asked by a couple of commercial fishermen to produce an aluminium pontoon boat, he and his mate declined, thinking it was a crank idea and wondering “why would you want to do that?” When the boat ended up being built by someone else and was “not a success”, the fishermen again approached the pair and this time they agreed.
Before long, they had quit their jobs, moved to a “backstreet workshop” and were building boats full time. In 1987, they built their first rigid-hulled aluminium chambered boat, a Stabicraft 3.5 called Ally Duck.
The company has long been an exhibitor at the New Zealand Boat Show and, in 1998 won its first Boat of the Show Award, Fishing Boat of the Show, for its Stabicraft 630HT.
In 2007, Paul was made a member of the prestigious New Zealand Order of Merit for his services to business. Under his “Design-Led” approach, Stabicraft has won a number of National and International awards, including a coveted International Red Dot Design Award in 2016.
Multihull Solutions' Ocean Voyager
Multihull Solutions has expanded its representation in the commercial day charter industry, facilitating the sale of a remarkable Ocean Voyager 78 catamaran to the new South Sea Sailing operation in Fiji.
The new Ocean Voyage catamaran is the first of its kind in the southern hemisphere and has a capacity to accommodate 150 guests with flexible “high-end” day and dinner cruises from Denaurau to the Mamanuca Island.
The vessel features a water slide and its shallow draft allows passengers the chance to sail to previously inaccessible sand cays, reach reefs and stunning beaches in the region.
South Sea Sailing anticipates the Ocean Voyager 78 cruises will commence commercial operation in June 2020.
Multihull Solutions is working closely with Ocean Voyager to promote and sell the Ocean Voyager day charter catamarans in Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and other regions across Asia and the Pacific.
The Ocean Voyager day charter catamaran range are specifically designed to service a niche in the day charter and resort sailing industry, offering commercial day charter professionals, destination managers and incentive agencies a sound and reliable platform to deliver a sailing experience to their clients with an economically proven operating model. These boats are internationally recognised for their superior build and finish quality as well as their reliability and their durability.
Ocean Voyager has a range of models to match the specifications and operating requirements of operators with models including the OV43, OV53 OV64 and OV78 offering passenger-carrying capacities from 20 guests up to more than 150.
The catamarans are widely renowned for their expansive area and stability, performance at sea, easy access to engines, and reduced operational and maintenance costs.
Further information on Ocean Voyager catamarans or a range of other commercial day charter vessels available in the Asia Pacific region can be obtained by contacting Multihull Solutions on +61 (0) 7 5452 5164, emailing info@multihullsolutions.com.au or visiting www.multihullsolutions.com.au
GARRETT IS CHAMP
After three days of hard-fought racing, Sally Garrett and her Royal Akarana Yacht Club team triumphed in the 2019 NZ Women’s National Keelboat Championship. It was her first title after 20 attempts.
The all-female event attracted 13 teams.
Heading into Sunday’s final, only a handful of points separated the top seven teams, setting up a real grandstand finish to the regatta – sailed in a solid 15-20 knots of breeze.
As part of the prize, Garrett and her team were invited to the NZ Open National Keelboat Championships at the RNZYS at the end of April.
Waikawa gets green light
The marina extension to the northwest of the existing marina will provide an additional 252 berths ranging in size from 10–25m, some of which will cater for multihull vessels. Both Waikawa and Picton Marinas having operated at capacity for several years, and the growing waiting lists at both underscore the Port’s decision to extend.
Says Port Marlborough CEO Rhys Welbourn: “We are hugely excited to head into the next stage of this project, following 10 years of careful planning and considerable consultation with community partners and stakeholders. Te Ātiawa, the Marlborough Berth and Mooring Association, neighbours, community groups, customers and other stakeholders have had a lot of input.
“The North-West Extension will not only fulfil recreational demand in our marinas, but also has a wider economic benefit for the Marlborough region, pre- and post-construction. The economic impact of the marina expansion is estimated to bring an annual additional expenditure of $2.4m to the region.”
Sustainability has been a key consideration in the design.
The marina extension site is in deeper water than existing berths at Waikawa, requiring pile and panel breakwater. The breakwater panels provide space above the seabed for continual water exchange within the marina basin, improving underwater ecology while at the same time protecting vessels in the marina from wave action.
Testing of the engineering design concept has been thorough and has included physical modelling of options at the Queensland Government Hydraulics Laboratory. Other specific considerations include future sea-level rise, coastal processes, water quality and marine ecology including a kaimoana management plan; and effects on landscape, visual amenity and natural character.
Detailed design of the marina will reflect the style of the newer areas of Picton Marina (near the launching ramp) and will include a public amenity area at the northern end, where aesthetic design has been assisted by Te Ātiawa.
Ongoing operation of the marina will incorporate low energy LED lighting, use of recycled water for flushing toilets, a rubbish recycling compound and provision of charging facilities for electric cars and boats. The finished marina will ensure ongoing public access to the northern shoreline and there will be a walkway along the northern breakwater.
The first few berths are expected to be available early 2021, ahead of the America’s Cup. New berth holders can register their interest now by contacting
service@msmarinas.co.nz
A BETTER MARINA STRATEGY
Auckland boaties are being urged to stand up and make their voices heard in a bid to guarantee many of the ‘water access rights’ they currently take for granted.
The call comes from Euan Little, the deputy chair of the Auckland Marina Users Association (AMUA), who fears that plans by Auckland Council’s Panuku Development may see many of the city’s marinas negatively impacted.
“Panuku’s proposed strategy for the recreational marina assets on Council land has been a controversial issue for many years,” says Little, “and we’ve fought it since it was first floated because it would see the sale of prime waterfront land for residential/commercial development. That would severely affect the way marinas operate and even impact boaties’ access to the water. And it’s not just the marinas – boat ramps used by Joe Public are also potentially impacted.”
The Council currently owns – or has interests in – six marinas in the greater Auckland region. They are Gulf Harbour, Hobsonville’s Westpark, Half Moon Bay, Westhaven, Viaduct Harbour and the Silo Marina. But Little points out that many of the boat facilities scattered around the region are also on Council land, and if the Panuku strategy was to go ahead, these may also be compromised.
“We are talking about boat ramps, boat storage, trailer parking, dry stacks, haul-outs, maintenance and refit areas, boat sheds from Pakiri and Port Albert in the north to Whakatiwai and Clarks Beach in the south, including the islands in the Gulf and Great Barrier.
“Within this area are more than 49 boat clubs servicing the local needs of learn-to-sail and boat handling, plus boat storage and some boat ramp maintenance. They have around 15,000 members, with thousands more casual boaties who use the same facilities and do not belong to the local club.”
For the moment, though, things are on hold. At a recent Council meeting Panuku’s marina strategy was set aside following submissions from AMUA and other stakeholders. Instead, the Council’s Planning Committee has adopted a new resolution. It will:
• endorse the development of a region-wide marina strategy prioritising the Council-owned marinas including Gulf Harbour, Hobsonville (Westpark), Half Moon Bay and Westhaven.
• commence the strategy process with stakeholder and mana whenua and mataawaka engagement that identifies relevant information, needs and how urgent issues can be prioritized.
• agree that Auckland Council is a creature of statute, which adheres to the intent of empowering acts even where those acts are inconsistent with any precinct plans at individual marinas.
This motion was carried by 17 votes to 3.
Little says the AMUA is strongly advocating the establishment of a Steering Committee to oversee the development of the new regionwide strategy – one that includes all stakeholders.
“We want all non-member users to come in and tell us what they want for their recreational marina assets as well. Anglers, board sailors, kayakers – everyone – and especially those who do not belong to any boat club, marina or similar facility.
“Please contact us so that we can identify your needs and desires. This will enable us to present Council with the real facts needed to be incorporated in the new region-wide recreational marina strategy.” For more information, contact Euan Little, Deputy Chair, Auckland Marina Users Association Inc., at little@ihug.co.nz
