MULTIPLE EXTREMES
Whakatane’s Extreme Boats took out the coveted Boat of the Show Supreme Award with its 645 Centre Console at this year’s Hutchwilco New Zealand Boat Show. The company was also awarded top spot in the Specialist Fishing Boat up to 7m category, while its 745 Walk Around received the gong for the Specialist Fishing Boat up to 8m.
Boat of the show Supreme Winner and Specialist Fishing Boat up to 7m
Extreme 645 Centre Console
Boat of the show Launch Winner Admiral 10m Sports Cruiser
Other award winners were a mix of traditional, first-timers, imported and local vessels. Hamilton-based Admiral Boats, for example, was triumphant in the Boat of the Show: Launch category, with its stylish Admiral 10m Sport Cruiser, while the Jeanneau Merry Fisher 795 Series 2 received the All-purpose Family Boat up to 8m award.
Boat of the show All Purpose Family Boat up to 8m Merry Fisher 795 Series 2
As always, competition was fierce in all divisions – but more so this year given the record number of new entrants from alloy boatbuilders. First-time exhibitor, Machina came away with the Boat of the Show: All Purpose Family Boat up to 6m, with its Machina 551. Whangarei’s Offshore Boats took the Boat of the Show: All Purpose Family Boat up to 7m for its very stylish Offshore 650 Hard Top.
Purecraft’s 800 HT took the honours in the All-purpose Family Boat Open section, with Best New Model going to the Innovision 707 Explorer. Innovision made it two from two with its 585 Explorer taking out the Specialist Fishing Boat up to 6m.
In the Altus Innovation awards, the CTEK CS Free was judged best in the International section, with the local honours going to BEP for its Smart Battery Hub.
Steve McLay, builder of McLay Boats was the 2021 Hall of Fame inductee – and well-deserved too.
Boat of the show Specialist Fishing Boat up to 6m Innovision 585 Explorer (left)
Boat of the show Specialist Fishing Boat up to 8m Extreme 745 Walk Around (right)
Boat of the show All Purpose Family Boat up to 6m Machina 551 (left)
Boat of the show All Purpose Family Boat up to 7m Offshore 650 Hard Top (right)
Boat of the show All Purpose Family Boat Open Purekraft 800HT (left)
Boat of the show Best New Model Innovision 707 Explorer (right)
NEW REQUIREMENTS FOR GOING OFFSHORE
Yachting New Zealand (YNZ) has been working with Maritime New Zealand (MNZ) to clarify the process skippers must undertake to best prepare their vessels before heading overseas. Under Section 21 of the Maritime Transport Act, New Zealand-registered vessels must obtain a Category 1 safety certificate before departing New Zealand.
Skippers of New Zealand-registered vessels must also notify the director of MNZ of their intention to leave. This can be done using an online form (www.maritimenz.govt.nz/ recreational/the-basics/going-overseas.asp), and skippers of foreign vessels are encouraged to follow this process as well.
“We have been delegated by MNZ to conduct Category 1 safety inspections,” says YNZ chief executive David Abercrombie. “The inspections focus on the design, construction and condition of the vessel as well as the capability and qualifications of the skipper and crew.
“The primary reason is to make sure everyone departing New Zealand remains as safe as possible throughout the voyage, and that they can get help if anything goes seriously wrong. We ask that skippers engage with YNZ early in the process to make sure they are supported throughout and any last-minute problems are avoided.”
MNZ and YNZ have also published an easy-to-follow flow chart to help people better understand what needs to be done to obtain a Category 1 safety certificate. It can be found on the MNZ website.
FIRMANS-MERCURY CELEBRATE 50 YEARS
Napier-based Firmans Marine’s 50-year partnership with Mercury began when someone saw a Mercury outboard in a window.
“The history of Firmans Marine,” says owner Brian Firman, “can be traced to my grandparents – Fred and Jean – who originally ran Caltex service stations before adding a caravan rental fleet. As the caravan business began to boom it became more attractive than the seven-day-a-week service station. They put all their energy into caravans.
“In 1968 my dad Ray – working in the family business – traded a caravan for a wooden launch called Vagabond. It started the Firman family’s love for fishing. Then, in 1971, another deal ended with Ray trading a 9.8hp Mercury outboard which he displayed in the showroom shop window.
Mercury’s Dean Harris with Brian Firman and Will Sangster, Mercury’s GM Asia-Pacific.
“Coincidentally, David Reynolds – the marine division manager for Spedding Ltd – drove past and noticed the engine.
He dropped in and asked us whether we’d like the exclusive contract to sell Mercury outboards!” Ray readily agreed, and Red Band Mercury outboards were transferred to the Firmans shop. The business was renamed Firmans Caravan and Marine Centre Ltd.
By the mid-80s, Ray handed over the reins to sons Brian and Gary (both working in the oil industry, in Borneo and Africa respectively). They returned home, sold off the caravan business and focussed on marine equipment, new and used sales and workshop service.
Over the years, Brian and Gary were joined by siblings Sandra and David, making it a real family affair. Brian has been the sole owner since 2000 and says he’s seen huge changes across the years since those first Red Band engines.
The Firman family’s first boat Vagabond and Brian aboard an early Mercury-powered demonstrator.
“Probably the biggest shift was in the late 90s when Mercury launched the direct- injection Optimax range – it immediately halved the fuel bill for most users.”
The 50-year Firman-Mercury relationship, he adds, has been a fundamental part of the success. “Mercury has always been a leader in innovation and technology and it’s always backed that up with outstanding support.”
The 50-year celebratory champagne will have to wait, he says, because in the current environment there’s too much to do. “It’s the busiest I’ve ever seen it in my 36 years in the business. Covid-19 has brought on a different mindset for a lot of people. Driven by the lack of overseas travel and low interest rates, I think people are now more focused on friends and family and a ‘you-only-live-once’ mentality. Demand for recreational boating is huge at the moment – we’re just trying to help as many customers as we can.”
MARINA WILL MONITOR PENGUINS
The developers of Waiheke’s Kennedy Point Marina have welcomed a penguin expert’s recommendations following an independent review of the project’s approved plans.
A seabird ecologist, Dr Leigh Bull is an authority on the penguins and has significant experience in managing construction activities near penguin burrows. She found that while the project’s plans relating to the monitoring and management of the little blue penguins during construction addressed its consent conditions, the plans could be improved.
Existing penguin monitoring and construction management plans were approved by Council, but following concerns from several local interest groups for the welfare of the penguins using the rock wall at Kennedy Point, Dr Bull was engaged to review the plans and identify if they could be strengthened.
“One of my key recommendations involves the preparation of a single Little Blue Penguin Monitoring & Construction Management Plan to sit alongside the broader Construction Management Plan. This will create valuable benchmarks to measure the health of this colony as well as provide meaningful data around penguin behaviour that will likely benefit other penguin sites around New Zealand.
“The marina developers have accepted all of the recommendations of my review which demonstrates their commitment to protecting the penguins at Kennedy Point, both during construction and beyond. Some of the recommendations, such as the installation of surveillance cameras to provide real-time video monitoring, have already been implemented.
“I am comfortable with general construction work taking place at the site. This includes the planned works involving the temporary removal of rocks below the tide line at the foot of the seawall. I will be on-site and will carry out a detailed inspection prior to any work taking place on the breakwater wall.”
Marina project director, Tony Mair says “our team cares about the penguins too and we are committed to ensuring that they are not only protected during construction but are looked after long-term. We will be guided by Dr Bull and her team as to how best to do this.”
SUPERYACHT IN YOUR BACKYARD?
THE DUTCH ARE USED TO SEEING WONDERFULLY OUTRAGEOUS SIGHTS ALONG THE COUNTRY’S FAMOUS CANALS, BUT THIS 94M SUPERYACHT INCHING THROUGH SUBURBIA LEFT MANY GOB-SMACKED.
Initially identified only as Project 817 (she will be called Viva), the vessel was built by Dutch shipyard Feadship – the yard is inland, at its Kaag Island facility. To get to the North Sea – only a few kilometres away – Feadship’s creations have to negotiate a labyrinth of narrow canals.
Designed by Azure Yacht Design & Naval Architecture and De Voogt, Project 817 features a hybrid propulsion system. She is one of the biggest superyachts ever produced by the shipyard, and as you’d imagine, manoeuvring her to the North Sea required exceptional care. The operation took four days.
In fact, it seems the vessel’s dimensions (beam 13.6m) were designed around the width of the canals and bridges – in many parts of the trip she squeezed through with centimetres (literally) to spare.
Local photographer Tom van Oossanen has captured many of these painstakingly precise operations and says it’s unlikely Feadship will build a superyacht of the same size again at the Kaag Island yard. The company recently opened a new facility in Amsterdam which can build superyachts up to 160m LOA.
ABBA TAKES SEALEGS RACE
An ABBA-themed Sealegs raced its way into the winner’s circle at this year’s Onetangi Beach Races on Waiheke Island. The team – a new entry at this annual event – was joined by two regular winners: the pistol-toting Fisher family and the Burridge (as Team NZ, complete with ‘foils’).
The Exhibition race invites participants to dress up (both themselves and their vessels) in a show of ingenuity and creativity. More than 140 Waiheke Island and Auckland Sealegs customers attended the event.
As the home of over 110 Sealegs, Waiheke Island has the highest concentration of Sealegs per square kilometre anywhere in the world. Sealegs CEO David McKee Wright says, “the beach races have become somewhat of a tradition, providing owners an opportunity to gather together in one place and meet with other like-minded owners and speak to Sealegs staff.” The company has sold more than 1,500 amphibious boats in over 54 countries.
FOR THE ECO-TOURIST
A FLOATING HOTEL THAT GENERATES ITS OWN ELECTRICITY FROM THE TIDE AND CURRENT IS SCHEDULED TO BE BUILT IN QATAR.
The creation of a Turkish team (Hayri Atak Architectural Design Studio – HAADS) the Eco-Floating Hotel takes its inspiration from a vortex and works a bit a like a dynamo, spinning slowly in the tide/current, converting the rotational energy into electricity.
This offers guests a constantly changing perspective – and no, the movement won’t affect those with delicate tummies. The hotel takes 24 hours to complete a full rotation.
Created as a Five-Star facility, the 35,000m2 hotel will have 152 rooms. Each has its own balcony and within the structure are indoor and outdoor swimming pools, a sauna, spa, gym and a mini golf course. The hotel is accessed in three ways: through a 140° floating pier; disembarking from boats; and by helicopter (the helipad’s on the floating pier).
Though the first one is planned for the Qatar location, the concept can be installed anywhere with a suitable tide/currrent profile. Thrusters (a dynamic positioning system) keep the hotel in its place.
Completion of the structure is scheduled for 2025.
A RAPTURE OF RIVIERAS SUPPORT
In a show of support for ETNZ, a flotilla of 90 Riviera motor yachts with more than 600 Riviera family members and guests made for a spectacular sight as they steamed to the race track during the recent America’s Cup.
The armada – one of the largest ever assembled in the 41year history of Australia’s largest luxury motor yacht builder – was organised by New Zealand representative R Marine Flagship.
Featuring vessels between 34 and 72 feet in length, the two-bytwo configuration stretched more than 2km in length. Dean Horgan – dealer principal of R Marine Flagship – said it was a wonderful opportunity for Riviera owners to share such a great event with their friends.
“We had an overwhelming response to this special outing – the largest gathering of Rivieras since our record-breaking raft-up in February last year.” That raft-up marked the start of celebrations in 2020 for Riviera’s 40 years of evolution with a record flotilla of 106 Riviera luxury motor yachts joined together at Awaawaroa Bay, Waiheke Island, to create a circle measuring 234m in diameter.
Riviera has a very strong following in New Zealand with more than 600 motor yachts now cruising local waters since the arrival of the first Riviera in 1984.
SAVE THE SCHOOL
The New Zealand Traditional Boatbuilding School (NZTBS) will likely be forced to close its doors for the final time on the April 30. Sadly, the lease on its current location has expired and it has been unable to locate an affordable, alternative location.
Since being founded in 2005, the NZTBS has enrolled many hundreds of people in its courses with countless dinghies, canoes and small projects completed. A host of new and old skills have been passed on to the next generation.
During this time, while the demand for these types of courses continues to increase, so has the cost of commercial property in Auckland. For more than a decade, Panuku Development Auckland has promised the school space in the Percy Vos boatyard in Beaumont Street, but nothing concrete has yet eventuated.
Covid 19 also affected classes, and compounded efforts to obtain additional funding from the likes of Trusts.
NZTBS’ trustees have explored every option over the last year or two to stay in business. While other towns such as Hobart (Australia) and Port Townson (USA) have built thriving traditional boat centres running at a financial profit, it seems this can’t happen in Auckland.
Considering the world-class classic yacht fleet based in Auckland, the loss of the NZTBS would be a massive lost opportunity.
The School is making a last ditch call for help. If anyone has a building, a space to share, funding, or any other assistance that would allow us to continue operating, please contact Steve Cranch (Chairman NZTBS) at info@nztbs.org.nz
A SPRING IN OLDIE’S STEP
The Dibley 8 Spring Loaded produced two impressive line honour wins in the annual Donald Hay Classic Race, sailed in hot and variable conditions on Lake Wakatipu in March.
The 28-year-old Spring Loaded was skippered by new owner Greg Webster and crewed by Nick Webster, Richard Crouch and Kevin Dibley – none of whom had sailed together before. Webster was understandably stoked with the result.
“To take line honours both days and to be awarded the Donald Hay Trophy on our first attempt was a thrill and it is a testament to the Dibley 8 design.”
SEATS AT THE AMERICA’S CUP
Christchurch’s Shark Seats has just relocated to larger premises following massive demand for its boat suspension seats – largely fuelled by the America’s Cup.
“With the greater speeds of these foiling yachts,” explains Shark Seats owner Paul Zwaan, “chase boats were entirely redesigned to keep up. Our hydraulic suspension seats absorb the enormous loads resulting from travelling at high speeds over choppy seas.
“With chase boats travelling at over 50 knots, the humans on board are the weakest link in these robust vessels. Suspension seats enable the skipper to keep his eyes on the horizon to react quickly.”
More than 150 Shark Seats have been installed on the Salthouse, Rayglass and Q-West vessels attending the America’s Cup. This includes the camera boat, team chase boats, boats carrying the course umpires and marshalls – as well as Coastguard and Police boats patrolling the harbour.
Most of the seats’ components are designed, produced and assembled in New Zealand and shipped all over the world. Clients range from recreational boaties wanting an attractive seat that also protects the spines and knees from injury, through to the Indonesian Navy, Philippines Police, Malaysian Coastguard and the Australian Army.
The company was formed back in 2011 when Zwaan’s design business – Zetec Ltd – was approached to develop a more cost-effective suspension seat solution. Since then the company’s production capacity has mushroomed, requiring the recent move to a 400m2m warehouse in Phillipstown, Christchurch.
For more information contact Paul Zwaan on 027 572 8555, email Paul@zetec.co.nz or visit www.sharkseating.com
EGNOT-JOHNSON WINS MATCH RACING CUP
Nick Egnot-Johnson and his KNOTS Racing crew of Niall Malone, Alastair Gifford and Ollie Gilmour survived a tricky sudden-death final to win the 2021 Harken Youth International Match Racing Cup.
Going back to the Round Robin stage, the top seeding came down to a battle between the eventual finalists, with Nick EgnotJohnson and Jordan Stevenson racing off in the final match.
As is always the case with these two the race was a tight one, but it was Egnot-Johnson who claimed a narrow victory. Both finished with an eight-one record, but Egnot-Johnson snatched the top spot on a countback with the vital, final race win.
This is Egnot-Johnson’s second Harken Youth International Match Racing Cup title, and it will also be his last, with the now notso-young skipper ageing out of the youth scene.
