Monday, December 26, 2011

Trademe fever strikes again.

Yep, you guessed it... Just put a $2 bid on a boat, and now I own it! Doh!

It's a Moth of unknown origin, looks like a scow, so either kiwi moth, or an old international, although it's impossible to tell from the picture, which only shows the deck from the mast step looking aft.

Claims to be fully rigged, and largely rebuilt requiring just a sand and paint. We'll see.

Oh well, should be fun for blasting about on those days when I don't want to break my Laser.

Speaking of which, I spent a lot of yesterday afternoon re-rigging said laser, so I can get some on-water practise before the RSA in February. I've been doing the fitness training and nutrition for the last few weeks, and before the silly season kicked in, had dropped around 4kg. Aiming to be around 95kg by the end of Feb, and hoping for a windy day!

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Seasons greetings

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from all of us involved with Weymouth Yacht Club.

The Manukau tides are great for the long weekend, so there's a strong possibility that we will see many people out on the water, even if miles apart across the harbour.

To all readers, enjoy the break, and we'll be back into it all early in January.

CHEERS!!

Sunday, December 18, 2011

The RSA Regatta is coming!!

Panmure Lagoon Sailing Club is holding the annual RSA Regatta on February 26.

This is an essential part of the season for any serious laser sailor, and attracts competitiors from all over Auckland, and beyond.

Go to plsc.org.nz and follow the links under Race Program.

 A copy of the NOR is also available in the news box on the Weymouth YC homepage.

After being forced to withdraw two days before the event with a torn MCL last year, expect me to turn up. If I can get really motivated, I may even bring my "A" game! It hasn't seen light of day in about 4 years, so probably should get a stir up, just to make sure it's still there!

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Coming up this week...

On the Manukau...

MYMBC has a xmas race, arrive at 1pm, Saturday.

FBYC has training on Saturday from 1pm, Spring race 4 on Sunday from 1:30pm

Waiuku and Weymouth have basically stopped for a Christmas break.

And nearby.....

Pakuranga SC at Farm Cove has racing with a 12:30 Start.

Panmure LSC has training from 11 on Saturday, Racing from 12:00 Sunday.

Monday, December 12, 2011

Weymouth Yacht Club Easter Regatta

Saturday April 7
Dinghy sprint race series
All sailing dinghies welcome to take part in four sprint races, in three divisions, with the top three in each division going into a mark-foy type grand final. $5 entry, or free with Sunday entry.

Sunday April 8
Manukau Regatta
Mixed fleet racing in junior, senior, and Trailer Yacht divisions, with eligible clubs competing for the Manukau Shield.
Open to members of any YNZ affiliated club. Entry $20 seniors, $10 juniors.

Food and drinks available.

Saturday participants will get a free soft drink and sausage.

Come along and join the fun.

Saturday, December 3, 2011

Next weekends sailing

Saturday 10 Dec 2011
Waiuku YC racing 10am - Queen of the waves.
Weymouth YC training 9:45am


Sunday 11 Dec 2011
French Bay racing 10am
Manukau YMBC racing 11am - Memorial cup.
Waiuku YC Racing 10am
Weymouth YC racing 10am

Lets hope for good weather, for once the tide is in our favour!

Manukau Yacht and Motor Boat Club website

Congrats go out to MYMBC who have finally got their new website up and running.

It looks good, but has a way to go before its complete at this stage.

Check the link above to see it.

Don't forget, if you have a competitive Hartley TS16 or Noelex 22, that's the place to be.

If you have a less-competitive small trailer yacht, Weymouth might suit you more.

Either way, come the winter months and we'll all be at the Manukau anyway!

Sunday, November 27, 2011

Weymouth Trailer Yacht Summer Series

Here are some proposed dates for a summer racing series for trailer yachts and bigger dinghies at Weymouth YC.

Sunday February 12 Briefing 11:30, Start 12 noon.

Sunday February 26 Briefing 11:30, Start 12 noon.

Sunday March 11 Briefing 11:30, Start 12 noon.

Sunday March 25 Briefing 11:00, Start 11:30am.

Two races each day, on one day there will be a long harbour course. Day and course to be determined according to the weather.

These should give anyone interested a decent chance to try out our local patch before the Manukau Regatta on April 8.

And don't forget we hope to have dinghy sprint races on Saturday the 7th as well, with some decent prizes up for grabs, and entry is free for Regatta participants. $5 for others. Entry includes a drink and a sausage!

Sunday FUN day!

Wow!

 Awesome sailing weather today for all the Manukau clubs, if you missed out, then that was a bit silly!

Hot, fine sunny weather, and wind between about 8 and 20 knots, which built slowly throughout the day. We also had beautifully flat water, although we stayed in the river, rather than venturing out into the open.

At Weymouth we had our first trailer yacht match up, between Rob in the Quicksilver, another Rob in the Beachcomber, and Aaron in the Cherry.

In the lighter winds earlier in the day, the Quicksilver had the best pace, as the beachcomber struggled to get any upwind speed. It didn't matter tho, because the first part of the day was spent taking lots of prospective members out for joyrides.

A little later, the Cherry arrived on the scene. In around ten knots of wind, all three boats seemed quite evenly matched once the beachcomber guys got it sorted a bit. The breeze started to build, and without the extra bodies, both Robs started to struggle in the breeze, and soon had smaller headsails up.

The Cherry, with its small rig, was just coming into its element, and upwind showed the way, even cracking a plane briefly, with just slightly eased sheets, while sailing upwind!! Around Shark Island, the lead was maybe 100metres. Coming back downwind was another story, as the quicksilver's big rig pushed her back into the action pretty fast, closing the gap down to around a boatlength. At the finish, the Cherry just managed to hang on for the win.

The second race, which turned into a cruise, started out looking promising, especially for us, as we bore away onto a reach and instantly the boat started to plane. Sadly this only lasted a few seconds, before we settled back to displacement speed, where again the bigger rig on the Quicksilver allowed rob to pull ahead.

This proved what we'd always thought, that the quicksilver would be faster in the light stuff, and the cherry would gain the advantage in a breeze.  It also probably proves that the handicaps for the two classes are quite accurate, as they put the Quicksilver as marginally faster.

Thursday, November 17, 2011

This weekends sailing

French bay has twilight racing at 1630.

PLSC has a river race sunday afternoon.

Pakuranga SC has sailing starting 1330.

And I'm afraid thats it for this week.

Sunday, November 13, 2011

Scouts enjoy Weymouth YC hospitality

Today saw some great sailing weather, with warm temperatures, and fresh winds. With winds varying between 10 and 20 knots, the action on the water was pretty cool too!

To ensure the scouts had an enjoyable experience, two sunbursts were used, with two trailer yachts also taking them for rides.

Later in the day, the two trailer yachts had a short race around Shark Island, with the quicksilver finishing comfortably ahead of the beachcomber.

While there is no official sailing organised for next weekend at our club, Rob is planning to run a casual race, followed by a barbeque.

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Not much to say!

Alert viewers may have noticed that I haven't been posting much this summer.

There's a good reason for that..... There's not much going on!

The tides at the moment are either mid-day or dawn and dusk, depending on the weekend.

With our beloved Manukau being a very tidal harbour, that means we can only sail every second weekend just now.

The only South Auckland dinghy club with any sailing on this weekend is PLSC, who continue their spring series on Sunday.

Next weekend, the 12/13 November, has sailing everywhere. Weymouth, Waiuku, French Bay, PLSC, PSC,... everywhere! More on that next week.

Sunday, October 30, 2011

Weymouth sailing today

Hot weather and hot action were the key topics for todays sailing at Weymouth.

Sunbursts, a Topper and a Beachcomber made up the fleet.

Proving the "handicappers of old" correct, the Topper managed to keep close to the quicker Sunburst, and well ahead of the slower one.

At the end of the long beat, the Sunburst was easily out in front of the Beachcomber, with the Topper a way back in third. On the downwind run home, the Topper rapidly made up ground, closing the gap on the other two boats before the finish, but not quite enough to get past.

Here's a couple of pics from afterward - sorry, my camera stays on dry land!
Love that sky!
The makings of a good racing fleet happening here! 
Members from other clubs with Sunbursts, Starlings or boats of similar speed - if your club has nothing on, check our website, and feel free to join us for a day.

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Labour weekend sailing... or lack there-of!

None of the Manukau clubs have anything scheduled for this weekend, or Monday.

Early morning/late evening tides have probably put a stop to that.

One thing that could be done, subject to enthusiasm, and decent weather, is an Out and Back cruise, departing from your favourite launching place early Sunday Morning, and going out with the tide.

With a little communication and planning (eg swapping mobile phone numbers or similar), all the boats could meet up somewhere, either for a BBQ on the beach, or just raft up for a picnic, floating down the channel.

Trailer yachts would be best, as obviously the rafting-up idea wouldn't work with Lasers, but anything with a halyard could do it!

Once the tide starts to flow back in, we could all head back to where we came from.

High tide is around 7:30 am, so it's an early start from Weymouth or Mangere, but without work or school on Monday, it doesn't matter if we get back a bit late, just as long as it's daylight.

Next weekend (29/30 October, 2011) seems to be a busy one, with sailing planned at most clubs for both days.

Sunday, October 16, 2011

Hot action on the water

Today saw a mixture of training and racing at Weymouth YC.

Initially Shannon was getting some one on one coaching in an Oppi, while the other sailors cruised around enjoying the weather.

Once the training was over, a few short races were held, over some windward leeward courses.

The blue Seascout Sunburst, after further tuning, proved to be the secret weapon, winning all its races with relative ease. It appeared to be faster than the Starlings, and the Beachcomber, in the 10-15 knot wind range, in all directions, even downwind without a spinnaker.

Unfortunately we did not have any other sunbursts for comparison today, but everyone involved thought it was going very well.

We have no sailing scheduled for Labour Weekend, however if the weather is good some of us will probably get out on at least one day.

Saturday, October 15, 2011

Sunburst fun

Todays training session with the Weymouth Scouts was abandoned, which gave Murray and me a chance to tune the clubs red Sunburst, and the Scouts freshly refurbished blue one.

After a brief tuning session ashore, a course was set, and off we went.

The blue boat lead the way after the initial beat, although this was more due to the red boat being out of phase with the light and patchy wind. A mile of downwind running and the gap had not changed measurably.

Turning back upwind, it was immediately obvious that the blue boat had rather bad lee helm, requiring significant heel to balance things up.

The red boat showed much better height in the light conditions, although the speed seemed very similar.

After a short while, the red boat had got her nose in front, and the boats separated, one to each side of the channel, both trying to avoid the tide. The red boat then hooked into some better breeze, and pulled out a huge lead, while the blue boat sat becalmed.

At the final mark, before turning for home, the gap was around 5 minutes, and it stayed about the same all the way back downwind to the finish.

Back ashore, a little more rake was added to the mast of the blue boat, then we went back out for another go.

This time the boat felt much better, although the height was still lacking. A short beat put the red boat well ahead again.

The top batten in the blue boat was far too stiff, basically a straight line. I will be sanding it down tonight, and if I can find a tuning guide, will set it to the correct tension. This should help the leech of the sail to hook up a lot better, giving additional height and power.

Tomorrow is scheduled to be a racing day, so we shall see how it performs then. There's also meant to be a bit more wind.

Sunday, October 9, 2011

Upcoming Manukau Harbour Sailing - 15 & 16 October 2011

Because sailing matters....


Saturday 15.

Weymouth training day starts 11:00

Waiuku YC opening day starts 12:00 - part of icebreaker.

Sunday 16.

Weymouth club day starts 11:45

French Bay opening day starts 12:00

Waiuku YC champs series starts 12:30 - icebreaker continues.

Manukau YMBC Summer series A starts 13:00 - Trailer Yachts.

And PLSC begins their Summer Series at 10:00 - during the summer season I will not be posting their regular events on here, or the Weymouth website, as they are not a Manukau Club, however I will publicise any larger events, such as the RSA regatta.

Todays sailing at Weymouth

Awesome sunny but calm weather and flat water gave a fantastic start to our sailing season.

Sailing a basic windward-leeward course, Gina in the Topper lead Murray in the Sunburst and Rob in the Laser at the end of the first near-drifting downwind leg. On the beat back to the finish, the Laser streaked past, opening up a sizable lead. Gina then hit the reef out in front of the clubhouse, allowing Murray to gain the advantage, which he held to the finish.

Simon ran the rescue boat, which was a very restful experience in the conditions.

Everyone really enjoyed themselves, and we are all looking forward to next weekend.

Come  on down and join in the fun any weekend through the Summer, lessons and training take place on Saturdays - our boats or yours. Casual mixed fleet racing or cruising happens every Sunday. The website and this blog are frequently updated, keeping you informed of what's on.

Monday, October 3, 2011

Upcoming sailing October 8/9 2011

Weymouth Yacht Club is sailing on Sunday, 9am start. All welcome.

Nothing scheduled for Panmure LSC or Manukau YMBC.

French Bay have Starling training both days.

Waiuku and Clarks Beach have nothing advertised.

Sunday, October 2, 2011

Easter weekend.

We will be holding an invitational sprint race series on Saturday April 7, before the Manukau Regatta on April 8.

The regatta will probably follow the normal format of 2 or 3 old school olympic triangle races.

The Sprint series will be run on a new innovative idea that hasn't been tried before, but will certainly work up a sweat if there's wind. And thats just the race officer!!

If I have my way, Sprint entry will be included free with Regatta entry, or $5 just for the one event.

Todays sailing cancelled

Todays sailing at Weymouth has been cancelled due to the weather.

With the wind blowing between 20 and 35 knots, this seems the best course of action, especially considering that it is the season opener, and why risk breaking stuff on the first day.

Sunday, September 25, 2011

The season starts here, whats on next weekend.

Upcoming events, Weekend of 1 & 2 October 2011.

Saturday:

Weymouth Yacht Club training day. Start time 12 noon.
FBYC working bee at 10am.

Sunday:

Weymouth Yacht Club opening day. Start time 2pm. All welcome.
PLSC handicap series continues, 11am start.

Things to note....

New and prospective members always welcome at all Weymouth Yacht Club events. We offer coaching for all levels from beginners right up to advanced race training. Free boat hire for members too!

Come on down and meet the team.

Click the link at the top of the page, go to www.sportsground.co.nz/weymouthyacht, or just turn up on the day. Even though we use the whole building, on most days we tend to be downstairs, so check down the hill if you cant  find us. or call me, Aaron, on 021 260 9822.

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

South Auckland Sailing 17 & 18 sept, 2011.

PLSC handicap series race 3 on Sunday, 11:00 start.

FBYC reserve day for the winter series on Sunday, 12:00 start - phone to check first!!


Nothing planned for Weymouth, Manukau, or Waiuku.

Clarks beach and Pakuranga programs unavailable.

Informal trailer yacht harbour race from Weymouth on Sunday, late morning/early afternoon start depending upon weather. Contact me for details.

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Reality check - the aftermath.

Where to from here....

Where should small sailing clubs go from here? I am of the opinion that the clubs should have regular scheduled racing, even if it's very low key, to help keep peoples interest up. Almost everyone has a competitive streak somewhere. Training should also be a key function, at all levels the club can manage. For some clubs, this will be just basic skills teaching, for others it may go all the way to coaching olympic hopefuls.

Make it all fun, hand out spot-prizes of a mars bar (or something) for worst start, best capsize, best start, anything really. After all, if you're going to charge up to $20 entry for a day, make it worthwhile. A bag of choccy bars only cost about $5, the smiles on the kids faces make up for that!.

And travel, support other clubs. If your members perform well at other clubs events, people will come to your club to have another go at them. If the organisation is good that day, they may even join you.

Extra bits.

First aid certificates should be kept up to date, as memory fades, and first aid techniques are always evolving.

Powerboat training is really important, both for instructing and for rescue boat duties. Anyone can drive a boat fast in good conditions, but the fact is, the days when things go wrong are not good conditions, and you wont get any help from your students, as they will be more concerned with survival. So, powerboat training needs to cover low-speed handling, getting the rescue boat to exactly where it is needed and can be most effective, in conditions where you are likely to need to use it. Without injuring swimmers, or damaging boats. A good powerboat driver should be able to turn a boat through 360degrees in less than one and a half times its length, even in rough conditions. It is also important to be able to get close to the boom of a boat that is sailing to offer advice and instruction.

Could I do that? Probably not, as I am out of practise, and am not familiar with the rescue boats at our club, however give me a chance to practise a bit, and I could. Skills fade if not used regularly.

A few years back I had a narrow escape, when the boat I was in got hit by a keelboat tacking less than a boat length away from us. The only warning we had was the sound of a flapping jib, about 1 second before their kite pole came through our jib. moments before, we had been sailing parallel to them, upwind and slightly faster, we had just lost sight of their bow. We were rolled over by the impact, and our rig was torn out. My partner ended up stuck under the upturned boat. She was fine, in the air pocket, but unable to free herself. After a brief discussion through the centrecase I dove under the boat to help her get free. While we were under the boat, a well meaning rescue boat approached, they slowed but as they had approached from upwind, in around 30knots, the rescue boat continued to move quite fast downwind, riding straight over the capsized dinghy. Had either of us been on the upturned hull, we would likely have been very badly injured, or even killed.

The choice of rescue boat is also important. Deep V RIB's are ideal for semi-coastal conditions, as they are more stable than conventional craft, track well in waves because of the V bottom, and are softer to bump into when things go wrong. Aluminium dinghy's are too light, and get blown around, almost impossible to control at low speeds in strong winds. The choice of engine is also important. 4 Strokes offer better fuel economy at lower revs, however that is reversed with the throttles fully open. They are also more expensive to purchase when new. But they do tend to provide more torque at low speeds, essential when towing a damaged or submerged boat.

Another thing to remember is that rescue boats really need two people onboard at all times. One dedicated to driving, one to assisting the troubled.

Right, thats all from me on this topic, any comments please stick them in the box below.
And above all, Happy sailing for the upcoming season!




Upcoming Sailing 10/11-9-2011

Waiuku Yacht Club winter series continues at 9:30 am on Sunday.

French Market at 7 am at French Bay Yacht Club also on Sunday.

No scheduled racing at PLSC, MYMBC or Weymouth.

Clarks beach website and calendar not available.
Pakuranga website and calendar not available.

Monday, September 5, 2011

Reality Check part 2

Carrying on....

So, the perceived financial barriers to participation in our sport can be largely removed, simply because, for most of us, they need not exist. Case in point - I currently sail a $1200 laser, which at around 25 years old, is probably the oldest one active here, and yet the only reasons I have lost races have been due to my own shortcomings. I have frequently beaten brand-new lasers while racing a similar aged boat in Europe. With a new laser retailing at $10,500 (todays price) thats almost 90% less.

Good sails would be the only performance-related investment I would recommend, but even so, good second hand sails are often available at a fraction of the cost of new.

Moving on...

Next part, as I see it, comes down to the clubs.

IF YOU WANT PEOPLE TO JOIN YOU - MAKE YOURSELF ACCESSIBLE.

And by that I don't mean wheelchair ramps etc, I mean welcome new prospects into the club. How many times have you gone into a yacht club to find out about membership, facilities or whatever, to find that the people there make you feel unworthy, because you've just walked in on some chat about their grandchildren, fixing the car, last thursdays lunch or some other random topic?

At the end of the day, you are actually in a sailing club, where people go for sailing. Your number one goal, aside from having lots of fun on the water, should be encouraging people to take up sailing. Here. Now. With you. Increasing your clubs membership. For all you know, that person you just ignored may have 10 friends all wanting to learn. Thats 10 members you wont get. And possibly 10 sailors that will never exist.

And similarly, if a stranger turns up at your club, with gear that is not going to be competitive, take the time to talk to them, and explain to them (tactfully) that you have some extremely good sailors (ex world/national/regional champs etc) in well setup boats, and that they must not get too discouraged if they cant keep up. Through competing and asking questions, they can find solutions to the main problems, and improve over time until they too are battling for the lead. And make sure that a similar thing happens afterward, to make them feel more like coming back to try again next time.

Training and positive reinforcement, and a professional outlook.

It's important for clubs to have designated instructors, and also to have the training information readily to hand for any potential students/members.
The instructors should be suitably qualified, and experienced in the type of boat being used. First aid and powerboating skills are also important. More on this later.

 Instead of just rushing around trying to get people out on the water the moment they turn up, have a well thought out lesson plan, and stick to it. Have progression, and take each step slowly, one bit at a time. over a full weekend (around 12-16 hours) you should aim to get students sailing solo with some semblance of control, and able to tack and sail a shallow triangle.

Instructors need to have a professional, positive outlook too, because the people you are teaching have paid, either directly or through the club's system, to learn. This isn't the 1970's military, and we do not shout at our students, or criticise them. EVER. Always find the positives, and praise those, while making suggestions on how to improve. And if you are teaching kids, talk on their level. DO NOT talk down to them. Also encourage the parents to participate, as they are the ones who A, bring their kids to the club, and B, supply the funds if the kids want their own boat. Another possibility is that on a nice day, the parents will decide that the water looks really inviting, and they want to try it out. Let them. Get them hooked. After all, they already have some of the theory from their earlier involvement. and the practical bit is easy once the theory is there!

Small Fish


We are now a minority sport, and I still sense that a lot of clubs have failed to recognise this. I have been barracking other clubs to start supporting each other, as the sum of our parts is greater than the whole, as they say. Why spend the whole season racing at one venue, maybe traveling away to one event. You sail in the same wind, with the same few boats, and get the same results, all year. Anyone who sees the club active with only 15 boats on the water probably wont give it a second thought. If that same person were to see 50+ boats, it would probably ignite some interest somewhere in the back of their mind. Sponsors think the same way.

 A joint series involving several clubs could be run easily, only taking away a few events from each club, in turn for a bigger one. If, for example, this series involved the five Manukau Harbour clubs, you could easily get 60 boats at each event, and each club would only lose four sailing days. Different venues, more competition, more exposure, it could work, why not give it a try? After all, most people still take their boats home after each days sailing, so what's an extra 20 minutes drive to another club? Open the entries up to anyone, and you could potentially be overcome with more boats than you can handle. Imagine what that sort of publicity could do for your club.

And there's still more to come...

Saturday, September 3, 2011

Time for a little reality check!

History......

I have been sailing competitively for around 30 years, starting out as a young child at Onerahi Yacht Club, and Whangarei Cruising Club. I can remember that even in a city of only 30,000 people, there were regularly fleets of 40 boats, being around 10 Optimists, 10 P class, 10 Starlings, and a smattering of Lasers and Cats.

As a twentysomething, in the same city, the fleets had changed very little, and there was a strong fleet of lasers, no cats, and still good numbers of juniors. There were also around 30 Traileryachts, and a similar number of Keelboats racing every weekend through the winter, which had probably been there when I was a kid too.

I went overseas about a decade ago, while NZL held the Americas Cup. Sailing was very popular here in NZ, and had good media coverage, with club level events getting newspaper exposure with a whats on, race results etc.

Upon my return two years ago, a lot had changed. I had applied for a position with Yachting New Zealand, which fell through at the last moment. In retrospect, that was a good thing, as had I been successful, I would probably have joined the bureaucracy, and not noticed what a sad state our sport is in.

When I contacted WCC to find out when the next dinghy racing day was, I was told that there was none, as there were very few people actually sailing there now. Shortly after that I moved to Auckland to discover that the story was similar here too.

The Present......

There is now a real problem with the public perception of sailing being an expensive, elitist sport. If your goal is an olympic medal, then this is the case, but for most of us, local or regional competition is as good as we're going to get.

To use a rugby analogy, it's like devoting yourself to becoming All-Black captain and winning the world cup, while the rest of us are happy playing in the ITM or local competition.

This perception may be the result of the Americas cup publicity campaigns. The cup demands ridiculous amounts of money, which is often referred to during the build-up to the events. This makes our sport look and sound like a rich mans play area. This turns people away.

Kids wanting to learn to sail have two main options -

The NGO preferred route of spending lots of their parents money, replacing their boat, sails etc every few months, and travelling around the country for coaching, regattas etc, which will cost around $5,000 for the first two years. The resale value will be ok, but you will lose money.

Or find a local club that has its own boats, join that, and use the resources available at that club. This option will cost somewhere around $1-200 for the first two years, or perhaps after a short while the parents decide to buy the child a boat - $3-600 should suffice, and you can sell it for the same when you've finished with it.

Of course, most people should go with the latter option, as it's easy to upgrade to new gear once you have mastered the basics. Plus it can provide an incentive for the children to save up their pocket money for better gear.

At club level, having the best gear wont make any significant difference to performance or enjoyment. At higher levels it might.

more to come....

Saturday, August 27, 2011

Wattle Farm RC boats.

Today I was invited by Rob to  race against him in some one-metre RC yachts.

The lake at Wattle Farm is perfect for this stuff, when finance permits I'll probably buy a boat to use there.

Conditions were trying for the little boats, and getting the setup right before sailing was crucial, allowing the boats to feather upwind. In the conditions, balance seemed to be the biggest factor in determining how well the boats went.

I had huge trouble working out distances to marks, laylines etc, but it's still some great fun, and beats watching DVDs hands down. Its also suprisingly good exercise in that breeze, running along the bank to the best vantage points for mark roundings and the like - those little things go quite fast when its windy!

Lots of lessons learned by me, wonder if I can apply them to big boats?

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Manukau Winter Series 28-8-2011

This Sunday see's the final races of the MYMBC trailer yacht winter series near Mangere Bridge.
Start time is 0930, so no lie-in this weekend.

Last chance for us to line the Cherry up against the Hartleys and the Quicksilver. Newly tuned, we hope for enough wind to get a decent showing. At that time of the morning it's unlikely, but we can hope.

Sunday, August 21, 2011

Awesome sailing today.

Today saw the last 2 races of the Pakuranga Sailing Club winter series.

The weather was fantastic, with about 10 knots of wind straight down the channel, flat water, and moderate temperatures. Long wetsuits were ideal.

The race management was very good, with a well conducted briefing, good simple courses, and great prizes awarded at the end, for both place-getters, and a few by lucky dip.

There was a good fleet of sunbursts ( If I'd realised that earlier, I would have brought one of those over instead of my Laser ) and a good fleet of Scout Cutters, with a handful of other boats thrown in for good measure.

I think it ranks as the best bit of club sailing I've been involved with for some time.

Action on the water was fiercely contested, with some great battles in both fleets. I also spotted a few boats touching bottom in the shallow water near the clubhouse, trying to gain a tiny advantage.

It was great to see another club trying to build our sport, through grass roots level, and helping to increase participation.

Thank you PSC, respect is definitely yours.

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Upcoming sailing events 21-8-2011.

This weekends Manukau sailing events are:

Laser racing at PLSC, Ireland Road Panmure - Handicap series number 2.
11:30 Start.

Mixed fleet racing at PSC, Farm Cove Pakuranga - Winter series 11 and 12.
10:00 Start, followed by prizegiving.

Both events are on Sunday, and dont forget to arrive with plenty of time to rig, and mention the Manukau Sailing Blog when you are talking to people there!

The windfinder forecast says around 5-15 knots SW, fine, clear skies, and 12 degrees, so probably not the best weather for those shorty wetsuits!

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Learn to Sail - Sailing School

LEARN TO SAIL WITH US NOW.

Weymouth Yacht Club sailing school runs through September.

Age 10 and above, adult learners welcome.

Boats supplied, or bring your own.

$20 introductory offer gets you 2 full weekends of sailing, including relevant theory, handouts, and knowledgeable, qualified instructors, plus a short introduction day where you can find out where to get the kit you need to be comfortable and safe out there.

Enrol now or get more information by emailing me on:

            -watersports@instruction.com-

or replying to this post. Spaces strictly limited, on a first in, first served basis.

Weymouth Yacht Club members get unlimited use of club boats, subject to availability. Click the link at the top of the page to go to the club website and find out more!

Sunday, August 14, 2011

What happened today.....

Big wind, big waves, and, you guessed it, NO SAILING!!

Todays MYMBC trailer yacht racing was cancelled due to 40+ knot winds.

So, in conditions deemed foolhardy and dangerous in big-ish boats, I was itching to go out sailing. so I did.

I dragged my laser out from the back yard, and went out for a blast with a cut-down sail on, which meant that I shouldn't suffer any damage.

While rigging, a savage squall came through, and I almost changed my mind, but then the sun shone through, and with 30-something knots I launched.

Awesome sailing, just blasting back and forth, jumping waves.

Then the breeze died away to around 15, and it was time to come in.

Still Buzzing, it's been a while!

Friday, August 12, 2011

Sunday's forecast

I haven't done much this week, and with the pending battle coming up on Sunday I thought I should put the forecast into perspective. Just in case any international readers want to know what's happening.

The average wind speed is 18-20 knots (Force 5).
The wind gusts are 26-28 knots (Force 7).

Wind direction - Southwest, which is the prevailing wind in this area. It usually feels stronger than it really is.
                           ---------------                     --------------                   -----------------

The Cherry (my boat) is 4.75 m long, 2.15 m wide, sleeps four adults, and weighs 220kg fully rigged. It has no internal ballast. The working sail area is 11.4m2.

The Quicksilver (Rob's boat) is 5m long, 2.24 m wide, also sleeps four, and weighs 408kg, with 108kg of ballast. The working sail area is 17.7m2.

Neither of us will be carrying spinnakers.

With the rig size being offset by the weight difference, its easy to see why these boats are quite closely matched in theory. IF we manage to get decent starts, then there could be quite a battle!!

I know rob spent a few hours recently tuning up ready for a windy weekend, to be faced with drifters up 'til now. I spent about an hour doing the same thing today.

Of course, tuning on the driveway is fine, but until we get on the water, I have no real idea how well it's  worked. We're pretty much ignoring the Noelex's and Hartley's, although if we happen to be close, then who knows!

Check in here Sunday Arvo to see how it all goes down.

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Trailer Yacht action this weekend

This Sunday, August 14 sees the penultimate day of the MYMBC trailer yacht winter series, held near Mangere Bridge.

The action so far has been hotly contested in all conditions, with the H16s and N22s sharing the honours.

This weekend the hottest competition will be going on near the other end of the fleet, as there is a challenge taking place between the Quicksilver and the Cherry. Winner takes all!

The start time is scheduled for 1015, and there should be two races.

At this time the forecast looks great, a little overcast, but fine with 15knot winds.

Finally all my family's personal dramas are over, so we should be able to attend, and compete, at last.

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

This weekend's sailing

Panmure Lagoon sailing club have race 1 of their handicap series. Start time scheduled for 1230.
South Auckland's best winter Laser racing.

Pakuranga Sailing Club continue their winter series for all dinghy classes at Farm Cove.
Start time is 1130. Expect big fleets.

Weymouth members will probably be present at both events, as will other members from around the Manukau.

The Windfinder forecast says it will be fine, warm (16 degrees!) and have fresh 15-25 knot winds. Sounds like sailing heaven!!

Midwinter sailing

Two photo's of the lack of adrenaline required for last weekends MYMBC winter series.

Race one start, just enough wind to move.

Cody and Ashley messing about in an Oppy.

Beautiful weather, around 14 degrees and bright sunshine. The guys fishing from the wharf had a little luck - one  seriously big Kahawai, which was destined for dinner, and a sprat, which one of their kids threw back by accident!

The next race day is scheduled for August 14, starting at 1015. Lets hope for similar sun and temps, but a bit more wind.

Sunday, July 31, 2011

Manukau Travellers series

i'm willing to plan, advertise, and market a five or six event series based around the Manukau sailing clubs.

Each event could be two races, and be held on a normal sailing day, with minimal burden on club resourses.

This could be made into an attractive marketable package, which could then be sold to potential sponsors.

Light winds on the Manukau Harbour

Todays MYMBC winter series was hotly contested between 3 Hartleys and 3 Noelexes. In the light winds of the day, the fleet was quite small.

Two races were held, with the lead changing several times in each race.

Downwind starts didn't appear to favour either class, as the poled-out Hartleys gave the kited Noelexes something to chase. A little more breeze appeared between races, but in true fashion, dropped away right before the second start.

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Manukau Regatta for 2012

The date chosen for the Manukau Regatta for the upcoming 2011/12 season is Sunday April 8, 2012.

We are aware that this is Easter Sunday, however this is the only date with suitable tides, which is not already utilised by other clubs or major events.

Start time is scheduled for 0930.

Monday, July 25, 2011

Manukau Trailer Yacht Winter Series

Day 4 of the MYMBC trailer yacht winter series is to be held this Sunday.

Start Time 1015, All welcome.

Located at the end of Kiwi Esplanade, near Mangere Bridge.

$10 entry fee, dont forget to allow time to rig!

Fingers crossed there'll be about 12 boats, mostly 16 feet long, with a couple of Noelex 22s also battling it out!

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Instructors course

There are still spaces available for the sailing instructor's course on August 14/15.
Cost is $135 all up.
Venue is Clarks Beach.

I'm going! because my RYA cert is out of date and I keep forgetting to send it back to england!

Sunday, July 17, 2011

Upcoming racing at PLSC

PLSC has their second River Race on Sunday July 24.

Race Start 1pm, arrive at 12 to allow time for rigging and briefing.

Hire boats may be available, subject to demand.

Panmure Lagoon, Ireland Road, next to the play area,and not far from Sylvia Park shopping centre.

Manukau Winter Series

Today's Manukau Yacht Club trailer yacht winter series racing was held in very light drifting conditions.

Two races were planned. In the light conditions, the Hartley 16s were showing the way to the Noelex 22s.

Sadly, both Rob in the Quicksilver and myself in the Cherry were unable to attend due to personal circumstances.

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Weather for the weekend

Despite the storms raging over the whole country at present, the weekend looks good.

Race time Sunday is forecast to be:

Light winds 5-7 knots from the South
Clear skies and a high of 14  degrees.

Shame the racing isn't on Saturday tho, with 20kt winds, some light cloud and 13 degrees.

The rubbish weather returns on Monday, with rain all next week.

Forecasting by Windfinder.com for Auckland Airport.

Sunday, July 10, 2011

Manukau winter series

The next race of the MYMBC trailer yacht winter series is July 17, starting at 1100.

Anyone with a small trailer yacht is welcome to attend, entry fee is $10.

The fleet is mostly Hartley 16s and Noelex 22s, with a quicksilver and a cherry also in the mix.

Full bar, and food available after the racing.

Saturday, July 9, 2011

Weymouth members in action.

Murray has recently informed me that in the first outing with the newly renovated Jollyboat, he and Cody managed a first and a second across the line at Pakuranga SC.

Well done guys!

Also, Murray has been spotted enjoying some hard earned racing time at Manukau YMBC, sailing on a Noelex 22 called Blue Tango.

PLSC Laser racing tomorrow.

Racing starts 1330, allow around an hour for rigging and briefing.

The windfinder forecast is showing WNW winds of 18, gusting 27 knots for the period between 12 and 3pm.

Fine weather and 14 degrees c.

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

PLSC Lasers on Sunday

Laser racing at PLSC, Ireland Road Panmure this Sunday, July 10.

1:30 start, arrive around 12:30 to allow time to rig.

Hire boats available.

I'll try to be there!!

Sunday, July 3, 2011

Hot Trailer Yacht action at Manukau

Race 2 of the MYMBC trailer yacht winter series happened today in near perfect winter sailing conditions. Winds varied between 10 and 20 knots through the day, and the water was beautifully flat.

The top placings were very hotly contested between the leading Hartley 16s and Noelex 22s.

The Quicksilver 16 and Cherry 16 were both slightly off the pace in the conditions.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As the Cherry sailor, I felt that we were a close match for the Quicksilver in the windier parts, however start line confusion in the second race prevented us from having a really good battle. Both boats were also late for the first start.

A little more wind would have suited us better, although less wind would have favoured the quicksilver.

I intend to add a significant amount of mast rake before the next race,  in an effort to remove any traces of lee helm, which, although very minimal, still affects our handling and performance in the gusts.

Thursday, June 30, 2011

Sailing at MYMBC this Sunday.

Race 2 of the Manukau Yacht and MotorBoat Club's winter series is scheduled for Sunday July 3rd.

Start Time is 1100, so make sure you leave plenty of time to rig.

The forecast according to Windfinder is fine, some light cloud, and easterly 10 knots gusting toward 20.

With a high of 14 degrees, wrap up warm, and the sailing should be great!

Clubhouse on Kiwi Esplanade, half a k past the outboard boating club buildings.

Monday, June 27, 2011

New images added to Weymouth site.

Two new images have been added to the Weymouth Yacht Club gallery.

Although taken at MYMBC, these images depict the type of action we like to see out on the water.

A good breeze, and close racing, it doesn't get much better!

Thanks Rob for the photos.

Thursday, June 23, 2011

YNZ listing update now complete

The Yachting New Zealand listing for Weymouth Yacht Club is now fully up  to date. Simon if you read this please send me your new email address so we can add it accordingly.

Monday, June 20, 2011

YNZ listing update

I have sent the club information form off to YNZ for Weymouth Yacht Club.
Hopefully the directory information will be updated soon.

Sunday, June 19, 2011

Manukau Winter Series 2011

Race 1 of the Manukau Yacht and Motor Boat Club's Trailer Yacht Winter Series was cancelled today due to some really nasty weather.

 From any other direction, the wind would have been great, but in the North-East of today, launching would have been treacherous, and the chances of boat damage quite high.

Upcoming race dates are:
July 3, 1100 Start.
July 17, 1100 Start.
July 31, 1015 Start.
August 14, 1015 Start.
August 28, 0930 Start.

To get there, jump off the motorway at Coronation Road, follow the signs for Mangere Bridge Village (or Township) and once past the small roundabout look for Kiwi Esplanade on the left. Follow Kiwi esplanade until you find the clubhouse. Please note: the clubhouse is another 1/2 km past the Mangere Boat Club buildings.

Manukau Yacht and Motor Boat Club

The MYMBC season program for 2011-2012 has been uploaded to the Weymouth website as MYMBC are having difficulties with there own site at this time.

Go to the Weymouth Yacht Club link above, and once you get there click on "Sailing Days" to find the tab.

Saturday, June 18, 2011

Trailer Yacht Action

Anyone with a 16' trailer yacht, Hartley, Pelin, Quicksilver etc are invited to come racing at Manukau Yacht and Motor Boat Club tomorrow at noon.

At this point, Weymouth will be represented by Robert in a Quicksilver, and me in a Pelin Cherry, weather permitting.

There is also early morning Laser racing at 0845, at PLSC. Not sure whether I can be bothered getting up that early, and rushing to change boats late morning.

Wanted - good sailing photo's

Anyone with good sailing photo's of club activities, or club members competing elsewhere please send them to me so I can put them on the Weymouth Yacht Club web gallery.

Send them to watersports@instruction.com and I'll post them shortly after.

Sunday, June 12, 2011

Manukau sailors at PLSC

Laser sailors from Waiuku and Weymouth clubs fared well when visiting Panmure Lagoon Sailing Club this afternoon. Although neither of them scored a win, both showed good speed, finishing in  the top bunch and challenging for the lead in all races.

Great fun racing, with a good bunch of sailors. PLSC is only around 15 minutes drive from Weymouth, on Ireland road.

Weymouth Yacht Club Season Program

The WYC program for the 2011/12 has been added to the website.

Click Here to go there now, or you can find it through the club's link above.

Monday, June 6, 2011

Weymouth yacht club sailing boats.

Murray has spent a lot of the winter fixing up the club boats.

The Jollyboat has been stripped and refinished, with some new gear added. It now looks like a pretty formidable machine. I believe Murray will be racing it around the clubs for the next couple of months, so lets hope it goes as well as it looks!

The red Sunburst has also been given a spruce-up. All the leaks have been fixed, and the soft spots removed.

Thanks Murray for all the hard work, and good luck with the racing.

Laser sailing

I picked up a Laser from Trademe last week, and took it for a spin today.
There was virtually no wind, but performance didn't feel too bad in the conditions.

No XD kit, so I need to spend some dosh on upgrades, but the price was right all things considered.

Now for the dilemma.... What to do.... PLSC for laser racing, or MYMBC for trailer yacht racing?

Thursday, June 2, 2011

Weymouth Yacht Club website

The Weymouth Yacht Club website is now almost fully operational. As we have no sailing planned through June and July, I  have incorporated a link to Panmure Lagoon Sailing Club's winter calendar.

Images are still being added.

Click on the link at the top of the page to check it out.

Thanks to sportsground.co.nz for the hosting services.

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Sailing Lessons - Weymouth Yacht Club

Three week intensive learn to sail course starts August 27 at 9am.

Just bring yourself, a pen and paper, and a willingness to learn. This is an introductory day, and you shouldn't get wet.

The first on-water sailing lesson will be the following weekend, September 3 and 4, and the next two weekends.

Limited spaces, register your interest now by replying to this post.

Saturday, March 26, 2011

Ouch! no sailing for me this week.

Last night i was in a fall and have torn the Medial Cruciate Ligament in my left knee.

This means I am unable to compete in the Panmure Lagoon Sailing Club RSA regatta.

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Sail Training at Weymouth - Manukau Sailing- Sailing Lessons.

I intend to run beginners race training over the winter months, most likely on Saturday afternoons.

The course will be based around the proven RYA Start Racing syllabus, with topics including starting, upwind, downwind, marks, rules, and finishing.

I will also cover the 5 essentials, which are the things that separate experts from the rest.

email watersports@instruction.com to register your interest now!

Sunday, March 20, 2011

Manukau Regatta - Clarkes beach yacht club march 20, 2011.

Weymouth Yacht Club, who will be hosting this event next year, sent a team of a jollyboat, 3 sunbursts, 1 starling and a scout cutter to this event.

One of the Sunbursts took first place, with good performances from all.

Unfortunately for WYC the interclub trophy favours top finishes in multiple fleets, so we ended up third  placed club for the trophy.

Congratulations to French Bay Yacht Club who won the shield for another year.

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Manukau Regatta in two weeks.

Clarkes beach is hosting this years annual Manukau Regatta, on Sunday the 20th of March.

Weymouth has a strong team going this year.

Focus will then change to organising the Freezer, our new mid-winter sailing event, which will be launched on Queens Birthday weekend. Invites will be sent to family oriented clubs in the area shortly.

Weymouth Sea Scouts hosted by Weymouth YC

The Weymouth Sea Scouts had a great day on the water in somewhat challenging conditions.

Scouts rotated through various sailing boats, including sunbursts and a scout cutter, in conditions averaging around 15 knots, gusting up to about 20.

Great sailing weather allowed for some fast rides, as the sunbursts planed across the river.

Unfortunately the cutter was capsized late in the day, however the club's rescue boat was on hand promptly and the cutter was recovered safely.

Sunday, February 6, 2011

Whats on February 12/13.

Saturday 12
Training at Weymouth, 3:30pm start, subject to availability.
Clarkes beach - Points series no.2,  3pm start.

Sunday 13
French Bay - Adventure sail to Cornwallis, 8:30am start.
Clarkes Beach - Training 9am

Papakura Scouts enjoy Weymouth Yacht Club

Around 20 youths from the Papakura scouts enjoyed their first sailing experience today in near perfect conditions. 10 Knots and 25 degrees = hot and happy people!

Saturday, February 5, 2011

What's on this week

Sunday 6 feb

WeymouthYC, sailing 11am
French bay, sailing 9.30am
Clarkes beach, point series 1, 9am.

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Whats on January 22-23.

Saturday
Weymouth  - Sail training 11am

Sunday
Weymouth - Racing 12pm
French Bay - LTS/Coach/Sail 12pm

Mangere - not known
Clarks beach - nothing scheduled.

Saturday, January 15, 2011

Manukau freezer sailing regatta

I am now trying to arrange for the freezer to include the Waka Ama (Outriggers) club in the freezer. Initial contact has been made and the feeling is positive.

Friday, January 14, 2011

Auckland Manukau Sailing Lessons

I am now able to offer beginners sailing lessons, in conjunction with Weymouth YC, on the Manukau Harbour.
Race coaching and personal training also available.

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Manukau Freezer Winter Sailing Event

          Plans are well underway for the running of the inaugural Manukau Freezer.

 Sponsors are now being sought for this unique event held over Queens Birthday weekend.

For more information contact me.

Manukau Harbour Sailing

Hi all, I hope to keep this site up to date with what's going on around the Manukau Harbour, South Auckland, with all that matters to sailing enthusiasts.

A little background:
The Manukau is NZ's second largest harbour, very tidal, and houses four active sailing clubs. It is on the west coast, and there is at least one big multi-club invitational regatta each year.

I am affiliated with Weymouth Yacht Club, which is on the fringe of Manukau City.

Weymouth is a small family club, currently in need of more members. The club owns several boats which members are encouraged to use.