YBQ 9 Autumn 2026

ISSUE 9 AUTUMN 2026

OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF

Yachting & Boating Quarterly

GLOBAL INSIDE: RŪNĀ GOBESERLAIN + PAULIEN CHAMET LAW EXPLAINED + NEW LIFEJACKNGE CLASSES + WHEN TO CHA ANS-TASMAN + 2026 SOLO TR

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MAKE TOMORROW JUST AS EPIC Always clean your hull, gear and anchor

biosecurity.govt.nz/boaties

Boaties: Keep these invasive species away from your favourite spot

Northland RC

Exotic caulerpa – check your gear and anchor

Mediterranean fanworm – keep your hull clean

Don’t take a nasty hitchhiker with you

Clubbed tunicate – keep your hull clean

These get caught up on your anchor, anchor chain or any gear that goes down near the seabed, like fishing or dive gear.

Several invasive marine species get So now we’re asking before you move spread when boaties accidentally shift during a trip, check your anchor and them. We know this from spread patterns. gear for any seaweed and remove any you find. If you’re in the area from North Cape to East Cape, bag it and bin it Over the years there’s been a lot of onshore. talk about hull fouling – and that’s still something that needs to be managed to keep your boat moving well and avoid spreading invasive species like the clubbed tunicate and Mediterranean fanworm.

H

Two types of risk

But the arrival of exotic caulerpa in northern waters has highlighted the threat of invasive seaweeds that can spread as fragments.

ea

d Ma r s a r B m o h r f r

64

Photos / Live Sail Die, Sailing Energy, supplied

TOP MARK

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10 14 20 28 34 38 42

Kiwis battle world’s best Q&A: When to change sailing class All the national championship winners Cover story: Rebecca Gmuer-Hornell Preview: Solo Trans-Tasman Yacht Race The remarkable Paulien Chamberlain B&G celebrates 70 years of innovation

BRIEFINGS ISSUE 09 Autumn 2026

82 HOME STRAIGHT

44 SECOND BEAT 44 48 54 57 58

RŪNĀ goes global Sailing sunglasses in focus Lifejacket law: What you need to know PredictWind’s safety playbook From the safety boat: Nigel Richards

62 64 68 70 76 78 80 82 84

From the watchkeeper: Victoria Low Round North Island: The rise of Ragnar Update on membership model review Jono Ridler’s swim to save our seabed In pictures: Seaweek competition winners Homecoming for Hobsonville Yacht Club Round the regions Meet sailing’s favourite tiny tug Save the date

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START LINE Kiwi sailing setting the tone early in 2026

Eduan Roos EDITOR

@yachting_new_zealand @YachtingNewZealand @YachtingNewZealand

CONTRIBUTORS Jenny Armstrong, Michael Brown, Hayley Dawe, Sharon FerrisChoat, Ingrid Harder, Zoe Hawkins, Victoria Low, Suzanne McFadden, Nigel Richards, Alisa Torgersen, Kathy Young.

EDITORIAL Eduan Roos eduan@yachtingnz.org.nz ADVERTISING Eduan Roos eduan@yachtingnz.org.nz YACHTING NEW ZEALAND 11 Omana Road, Milford, Auckland 0620 YBQ is published quarterly by Yachting New Zealand.

Cover photos: The Famous Project, Joshua McCormack.

W

e’re barely into May, and already 2026 has delivered a string of standout Kiwi sailing moments — both at home and on the world stage.

Before January had even ended, Rebecca Gmuer-Hornell had etched her name into ocean racing history. The Bay of Islands sailor was part of the first all-female crew to sail non-stop around the world, completing the 57-day, 21-hour, 20-minute circumnavigation aboard the maxi trimaran IDEC SPORT. It was a landmark achievement — hard-earned and, at times, threatened by setbacks that tested the crew’s resolve on the run home. On page 28 of this edition of Yachting & Boating Quarterly, GmuerHornell reflects on nearly two months at sea, the realities of endurance racing, and what it means to perform under the scrutiny of a global audience.

She is likely to feature in the next instalment of The Ocean Race, which this week officially celebrates its return to Auckland after nearly a decade.

The 2027 edition will mark 50 years since the city first hosted a stopover of the prestigious and gruelling around-the-world event.

Just weeks after Gmuer-Hornell’s feat, Zofia Wells added another Kiwi milestone by becoming the first girl to win the overall Optimist national title (page 20).

It’s the latest achievement in what is already an impressive trajectory for the 14-year-old Aucklander.

Together, these performances highlight the growing impact of females in sailing.

Yet, as Victoria Low, chief executive of The Magenta Project, writes in this issue,

8 | YACHTING & BOATING QUARTERLY | AUTUMN 2026

there is still significant work to be done to ensure the sport is truly on an even keel for women.

Earlier this year, in collaboration with 11th Hour Racing and World Sailing, The Magenta Project led the 2x25 Review — the most comprehensive examination of equity and inclusion in sailing and the wider marine industry since 2019.

As Low outlines on page 62, the findings are both encouraging and confronting.

Also in these pages, we offer practical advice for young sailors considering a change of boat to take the next step in their development (page 14), alongside a nostalgic look back at the Solo TransTasman Yacht Races as anticipation builds for the 2026 edition.

At 89, Malcolm Dickson is among the early favourites ahead of the 30 May start.

Turn to page 34 to meet the fleet and learn more about the challenge ahead.

We also feature interviews with the remarkable Jono Ridler (page 70) and Paulien Chamberlain (page 38), alongside updates on key developments shaping the future of yacht clubs.

These include the latest on proposed lifejacket regulations (page 54) and progress on Yachting New Zealand’s review of its membership model and affiliation fee structure (page 68).

And, as always, there’s plenty of Kiwi ingenuity on display — from one club’s creative solution to a committee boat challenge (page 82) to another’s ongoing evolution to remain relevant, resilient, and closely connected to its community (page 78).

I hope you enjoy this edition as much as our team enjoyed putting it together.

TOP MARK FOREIGN EXCHANGE Kiwis impress in Europe 10

Photo / Sailing Energy

GOING IT ALONE

Meet the Solo Trans-Tasman fleet 34

A DIFFERENT VIEW Blind world champ’s rise to the top 38

AUTUMN 2026 | YACHTING & BOATING QUARTERLY | 9

TOP MARK

10 | YACHTING & BOATING QUARTERLY | AUTUMN SUMMER2026 2026

OLYMPIC SAILING Kiwi windfoilers soar as international season heats up at French Olympic Week in Hyères

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squad-first mentality off the water and a healthy rivalry on it are being credited for the emergence of New Zealand’s women’s iQFOiL triple threat over the past 18 months.

That development was underlined again at the French Olympic Week in Hyères in late April, where 21-year-old Stella Bilger led the charge with a fourth-place finish in a regatta that tested the fleet across the full range of conditions, from light airs and flat water to strong breeze and heavy seas.

Bilger’s result follows a consistent start to the season, having also been the top New Zealand finisher in the women’s iQFOiL fleet at the Princess Sofia Regatta in Palma a fortnight earlier.

While pleased with her progress, she said there is still more to come.

“I’m really stoked with how I went this week,” Bilger said. “We had a range of different conditions and racing formats, with plenty of highs and quite a few lessons.

“That’s very valuable as we head towards the European Championships.”

Bilger attributes her recent rise to a combination of strong support and the depth within the women’s squad, led by coach Paul Snow-Hansen and bolstered by fellow rising talent Aimee Bright and Paris 2024 Olympian Veerle ten Have, who finished in the top 10 on her Olympic debut.

That competitive edge was evident at the under-23 World Championships in Portimão last September, where Bilger secured gold ahead of Bright in silver in a rare Kiwi one-two.

“It really is awesome having Vee and Aimee helping me to be the best that I can,” Bilger said. “We’re extremely lucky in New Zealand to have a strong windsurfing squad. They’re fast and very good tactically and strategically, and that pushes me to improve as well.”

That internal competition is matched by a close bond away from racing, something Bright believes has been just as important in their progress.

Stella Bilger has started the international season strongly. Photo / Sailing Energy

Continued on p12

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Continued from p11

Mattias Coutts and Oscar Gunn claimed their best result yet, finishing ninth at the French Olympic Week. Photo / Sailing Energy

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She qualified fourth overall in Hyères to reach the knockout series before being eliminated in the semi-finals, finishing seventh overall.

“Stella is one of my really good friends,” Bright said. “At times it can be tough competing against each other in such a competitive, high-stakes environment, but we’ve worked really well together over the past year. The whole squad understands how each other trains, competes and deals with pressure, and that’s brought us very close.

“It’s great having someone around my age to relate to, to travel the world with, have as much fun as we can, and push each other as hard as possible.

“That squad depth, training together and building connections with other sailors overseas has definitely helped us become more competitive in the open fleet.”

In the men’s iQFOiL fleet, Josh Armit finished eighth overall after being knocked out in the quarter-finals, with Eli Liefting 16th and Blake Hinsley 57th.

Meanwhile, Mattias Coutts and Oscar Gunn delivered one of New Zealand’s standout performances in the 49er class, producing their best sailing on the final day. Having qualified for the medal series in 10th, they won the last of their two finals races to climb to ninth overall — their best result as a pairing to date — in an event

OLYMPIC SAILING

Aimee Bright (top left) and George Gautrey were among the standout peformers in Palma and Hyères. Photos / Sailing Energy

won by China’s Zaiding Wen and Tian Liu. Sam Bacon and Blake McGlashan showed early promise to sit among the podium places midway through the regatta before finishing 19th, while Francesco Kayrouz and Hamish McLaren were 24th.

In the 49erFX, Nicola and Rebecca Hume placed 20th.

Greta Pilkington improved across the week to finish 26th in the 84-boat ILCA 6 fleet, while in the kitefoiling events Lucy Bilger was 16th in the women’s competition, with Lukas Walton-Keim 22nd and Lochy Naismith 31st in the men’s.

While New Zealand had no representative in the ILCA 7 fleet in Hyères, George Gautrey made a strong start to his international campaign at the season-opening Princess Sofia Regatta in Palma de Mallorca in early April.

The 28-year-old Aucklander closed out that regatta in style, winning one of the medal races in the newly introduced finals series to finish just six points off the podium. Gautrey, a bronze medallist at the 2023 Sailing World Championships, built his result through a strong qualifying series that included six top-10 finishes and briefly saw him lead the fleet.

“We faced a real mix of conditions — not the typical early European summer you might expect — so to grind out a topfive and be right there competing with the

best in the world is pleasing,” Gautrey said.

“That said, it’s not where I ultimately want to be. I’m aiming to win these events.”

He said it was encouraging to see the work put in over recent months in New Zealand translating on the water.

“I’m really happy with how my fitness held up and with the progress I’ve made since the Europeans at the end of last season. There have been some big improvements, and being able to sustain that level will be crucial.”

Sailors faced shifty offshore breezes that tested decision-making in Palma, while several also managed illness off the water.

George Pilkington and Caleb Armit placed 72nd and 76th respectively in the same fleet as Gautrey, while in the ILCA 6, Greta Pilkington was 20th. Two of the three New Zealand 49er crews reached the gold fleet, with Coutts and Gunn finishing

‘It’s great having someone around my age to relate to, to travel the world with, have as much fun as we can, and push each other as hard as possible.’

Aimee Bright

21st overall, Kayrouz and McLaren 24th, and Bacon and McGlashan 37th.

Micah Wilkinson and Kate Stewart continued to build their new Nacra 17 combination, placing 14th in their first major regatta together, including a sixth in qualifying and an eighth in gold fleet racing.

Stella Bilger narrowly missed the iQFOiL medal series, finishing 12th overall, while ten Have and Bright placed 36th and 37th.

With the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic cycle firmly in focus, the trio are balancing long-term ambition with a process-driven approach.

“The Olympics are the ultimate goal, and it’s definitely on the mind for all of us,” Bilger said.

“We’re all working really hard towards that, but it’s important to take it one step at a time.”

The squad will next regroup in Portimão in mid-May for the European Championships, where their rivalry is likely to again be a defining feature.

“Having those familiar faces at events helps so much, and we’ll keep pushing each other as hard as we can,” Bright said.

“Becoming number one and two in the world would be pretty special.”

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Q&A TOP MARK

THE BIG SWITCH

and Yachting New Zealand’s regional development and coaching manager Jenny Armstrong; and Tessa Clinton, who has competed at multiple Youth World Championships, winning bronze in 2025 with Amelia Higson.

Moving sailing classes is a big decision, but there’s no single right path. Four Kiwi experts share advice

How do I know when it is time to move to a new class?

Armstrong: There are many reasons for changing classes: aging out, outgrowing the level, friends moving on to another class, wanting a new challenge, wanting to go faster, or just trying something new.

Clinton: The most important for me is that you are having fun. If your friends have moved, it often makes sense to stay with them. If you are not the right size, it’s also worth finding a class that suits both your friends and your physical development.

Mackay: For many sailors, the natural time to consider changing class is at the

C

hoosing when to move into a new class can feel like a big decision for sailors and parents. There are many factors to weigh — age, growth, motivation, friendships, fleet size, budget, and future goals.

The aim is not to get it perfect, but to find the next step that keeps you learning and enjoying sailing.

We asked four sailors with different backgrounds for their advice — Sam Mackay, Yachting New Zealand’s Youth Manager; Tom Saunders, a former ILCA 7 world champion and Paris 2024 Olympian; Olympic gold medallist

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Continued on p16

Jenny Armstrong

YOUTH SAILING Tom Saunders is a former world champion and ILCA 7 Olympic representative.

Photo: World Sailing

AUTUMN 2026 | YACHTING & BOATING QUARTERLY | 15

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YOUTH SAILING

Tessa Clinton and Amelia Higson (left and above) won bronze in the girls’ 420 at the Youth World Championships in Portugal last year, while Tom Saunders struck gold in the boys’ ILCA 6 competition at teh same event in 2010 (top right) . Photos: World Sailing

Continued from p15

end or start of a season. This gives time to plan, try boats, and talk to coaches before deciding. A common risk is staying too long in a class. If a sailor outgrows the boat, it can become frustrating and may feel like they are not improving, when in fact the boat is no longer the right fit.

What are the most common indicators that it is time to move on — physically, technically, or mentally?

Mackay: There are usually a few clear signs. Physically, a sailor may be outgrowing the boat or finding it harder to sail effectively, which can affect both performance and enjoyment. Technically, they may be ready for a new challenge such as a spinnaker, trapeze, foiling, more complex controls, or a different style of fleet racing. Mentally, they may become curious about other boats or lose motivation in their current class. A useful question is: is this boat still helping me become a better sailor? If not, it may be time to look at the next step.

Saunders: It’s important to be honest with yourself about whether you’re still learning in your current boat. If you feel like you’re no longer improving, it’s probably time to move on. As a young sailor, continuous skill development is key, and staying in the same boat too long can limit that growth.

What key questions should sailors ask themselves before choosing their next

class, and who can they turn to for guidance?

Armstrong: People are always willing to help — you just need to ask. Coaches, parents, older sailors, and those already sailing the boat you’re considering can all offer advice.

Mackay: A good class choice starts with understanding what the sailor enjoys.

What type of sailing excites them — speed, tactics, foiling, technical setup, teamwork, or close fleet racing? It’s also important to consider whether they want to sail single- or double-handed, and whether there is a strong local or regional fleet to train and race with regularly.

Coaching support, suitability for size and growth, and budget all matter too. Above all, the key question is whether the boat will keep them motivated.

Sailors often stay in a class longer to win events or stay with friends. How do you balance confidence-building with longterm development?

Clinton: You don’t need to be successful early to reach long-term goals. Many top sailors started late. Each class feels important at the time, but later you realise it was one step in your development. The key is enjoying the learning, as each new class will eventually become your focus.

Saunders: There’s a fine balance, but I was usually among the first in my age group to move up rather than wait to age out. It pushed me to advance my skills,

and while I didn’t always win races at first, it gave me a head start over other sailors my age and set me up well for my career. Winning is important, but if you’re unsure, it’s often better to move to the next class. Talk to people at your club or Yachting New Zealand — it’s not a decision you have to make alone.

Would you recommend trying a variety of boats before committing?

Armstrong: Yes, because how do you know what a boat is like without trying it first? Find someone at your club who can give you a go on their boat, or contact the class association or Yachting New Zealand to help connect you with someone.

Clinton: Absolutely. Trying different boats before committing is highly recommended. Most classes have sailors who are happy to help, and your club or Yachting New Zealand can connect you with opportunities to try boats.

Do I need to think about my physical size and growth potential when deciding on moving classes?

Armstrong: Yes. If you’re interested in racing and aiming to reach the top of a class, it’s important to fit within the optimal weight and size range. However, if you love a boat and simply want to go sailing, it’s less important.

Clinton: Yes, physical size and growth should be considered. If your size Continued on p18

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Saunders was often the first in his age group to move to a new class and he believes it set him up well.

Photos: World Sailing

Continued from p17

means you are no longer enjoying the boat or performing well, it may be time to move on rather than stay too long.

Mackay: Size should not be the only factor, but it should be part of the decision. Staying in a class too long and becoming too big for the boat can make sailing harder and become demotivating.

What are the pros and cons of moving from single-handed to double-handed classes?

Armstrong: I’ve sailed both and think that, at its core, double-handed sailing has higher highs and lower lows. The main advantage is that you have a teammate to lean on, which also makes it a more social experience. On the other hand, there are more logistical challenges, including coordinating schedules between two sailors and often two families, and managing more variables.

Mackay: Double-handed sailing can be a fantastic development step, but the most important thing is that the sailors enjoy sailing together. A good pairing

Mackay & BOATING QUARTERLY | AUTUMN 2026 18Sam | YACHTING

YOUTH SAILING

is not always the two strongest sailors on paper. Often, the best combinations are sailors who communicate well, have similar commitment levels, enjoy training together, and can work through challenges positively.

Saunders: I’d encourage young sailors to try as many things as possible early on. Some sailors thrive in a team environment and perform better with a partner. I tried it when I was younger, but I realised I preferred sailing alone — I like being the only one to blame!

When selecting a new class, how important is the strength of the local fleet?

Clinton: That depends on the sailor.

Some just enjoy sailing regardless of numbers, while others prefer large, competitive fleets.

Mackay: Local fleet numbers are especially important for sailors from regional clubs. Sailing with a group is usually more enjoyable, providing regular training, frequent racing, learning from others, and social connection. A boat may look ideal on paper, but without others nearby to sail with, it can quickly feel

isolating.

What role should budget and equipment considerations play?

Armstrong: Budget is always a consideration and may be a critical factor when selecting your next class.

Check out your local club, as there may be options to use or rent club boats.

Mackay: Budget should be considered early and honestly. The cost of a class goes well beyond the boat, including sails, foils, spars, ropes, maintenance, insurance, coaching, travel, accommodation, entry fees, and replacement gear. Some classes also require more ongoing investment.

Changing classes can be challenging while you are learning. What advice would you give to sailors and parents to manage expectations during this transition?

Armstrong: Remember that each sailor develops at different speeds. As parents, we naturally want our children to do well, but if a child quits a sport, we — and they — will never know how good they could have become.

Clinton: Talk to lots of people and seek

out experienced, thoughtful sailors rather than just opinions. Once in a new class, find trusted people and listen to their advice.

Mackay: Expect the transition to take time. When sailors move into a new class, results won’t come straight away, and that’s normal. They are learning a new boat, skills, controls, physical demands, and often a different style of racing. Parents can help by keeping expectations realistic and focusing on effort, enjoyment, and small improvements. Mistakes are part of the process, so staying curious and asking questions is key.

Saunders: Patience is key. Just because you’re not performing as well as you’d like in one class doesn’t mean you won’t excel in another. Often, making a switch is when things start to click. Everyone progresses at their own pace, and it may take time before you find the class that suits you best. o do well, but if a child quits a sport, we — and they — will never know how good they could have become.

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YBQ

TOP MARK

CLASS OF HER Zofia Wells made NZ sailing history in April, capping months of standout performances at national events across the country

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uckland teenager Zofia Wells etched her name into New Zealand sailing history, becoming the first female sailor to win the overall title at the prestigious New Zealand Optimist national championships in early April.

The 14-year-old from Glendowie Boating Club delivered a commanding performance across four days of racing at the New Plymouth Yacht Club, outclassing a fleet of 85 other sailors to secure the title by a remarkable 18-point margin.

Widely regarded as the premier junior sailing class in the country, the Optimist has long been a proving ground for future champions.

While girls’ titles have been contested for decades, no female sailor had ever claimed the overall national crown until now.

For Wells, the achievement is still sinking in.

“It feels really crazy — I still can’t believe I did what I set out to do,” she said.

Having already won the girls’ national title for the past two years, Wells arrived at the regatta with a clear goal: “Winning overall was definitely something I thought about and was hoping to achieve before and during the regatta.”

She won five of her six qualifying races and added two wins in the finals series, finishing outside the top three only once. In total, she claimed seven race victories across the regatta.

Napier Sailing Club’s Blake Duncan and Jake Dickey completed the podium, while Tauranga Yacht and Powerboat Club’s Ally Burfoot finished fourth overall. Notably, female sailors made a strong impression

throughout the fleet, with five girls finishing inside the top 20.

“The fact that it hasn’t been done before certainly makes me feel very proud of myself for what I have achieved,” Wells said. “Considering the experience of the fleet, it definitely makes the win more special.”

The regatta tested sailors across a wide range of conditions, from light winds in the opening days to gusts reaching 20 knots on the final day.

Despite her dominance, Wells said she deliberately avoided getting caught up in the possibility of victory too early. Instead, she relied on a light-hearted ritual that has quietly followed her success from regatta to regatta.

“After the first day, I started to think that I could win overall, but I decided not to focus on that. I think I went as well as I did because I wasn’t worried about anything and was just focusing on sailing and having fun while competing,” she said. “I had one main lucky charm, which was a small pink piece of Dyneema (rope) that I’ve had at every regatta where I’ve done well.”

And done well, she has. Over the past 12 months, Wells has also claimed the coveted Tanner Cup and skippered the top female crew at the 2025 RS Feva World Championships in France, where she finished second overall in the Open fleet alongside teammate Charlotte Handley.

Now firmly established as one of the country’s brightest young sailing talents, Wells credits two Kiwi Olympic greats in particular as inspiring her.

“My role models are mainly [windsurfing legend] Barbara Kendall and [America’s Cup and SailGP star] Peter Burling, and my biggest supporters

20 | YACHTING & BOATING QUARTERLY | AUTUMN 2026

are definitely my parents,” she said.

Burling himself won the Optimist national crown in 2003, while other previous winners include Black Foils SailGP sailor Leonard Takahashi-Fry (2011 and 2012), and New Zealand Olympians Dan Wilcox (2004) and Paul Snow-Hansen (2005).

Wells’ parents, James and Julia, introduced her to the sport at a young age.

“I got into sailing through my parents because they were windsurfers, and I wanted to be like them. Luckily, my dad said I had to learn to sail before I learned to windsurf, which got me into Optis and later progressed into larger boats.”

Yachting New Zealand Youth Manager

Zofia Wells shortly after winning the Optimist title and during the regatta (inset).

OWN Sam Mackay said Wells’ achievement marks a significant moment for sailing in the country.

“For Zofia to achieve this is a huge milestone and a credit to all her hard work,” Mackay said. “She has already proven herself on the world stage, and what stands out just as much is her attitude towards sailing — she’s not overly focused on any one result and is already committed to her 420 [double-handed dinghy] campaign with Charlotte.

“The Optimist fleet is one of the most competitive junior classes in the country, and the nationals are among the toughest events on the calendar to perform well in, particularly in the light, choppy conditions the sailors experienced. It was great to see the depth across the fleet, with strong performances throughout the open division. Having two girls in the top five for the first time since 2009, along with the strength of regional programmes like Napier and Tauranga, was really encouraging.”

Mackay added that Wells’ breakthrough has wider implications for the future of the sport.

“Growing pathways and creating opportunities for young sailors — especially young female sailors — is a key focus for Yachting New Zealand.

Zofia’s result will inspire other girls to aim high and keep progressing in the sport.”

Globally, the Optimist class remains one of the most important entry points into competitive sailing. Designed for sailors under 16, the small, single-handed dinghy is sailed in more than 120 countries, with over 150,000 registered boats worldwide. It is widely recognised as the foundation of elite sailing careers.

Wells ranks this win among her proudest sailing achievements — “mainly because I’m the first girl to ever win” — but she has no plans to slow down.

“My long-term ambition is to go to the Olympics with Charlotte in a 49erFX [women’s skiff],” she said.

“However, I have also thought about the America’s Cup and being on a SailGP Photo / Supplied boat one day.”

Continued on p22

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

Wakatere hosts strong RS Feva fleet Lauchy Wills and Will Handley won the 2026 RS Feva national championships at Wakatere Boating Club, taking both the overall and youth honours. Annika Wells and Milla Holland were awarded the junior title,

with Polly Powrie and Katie Burgess (open fleet), Flora Stevens and Isla Brown (female), and Ally Burfoot and Micah Bollen (mixed) also winning gold. The event featured strong fleet racing across ANZAC weekend.

Photo / Insight Media

Richardson on top at windy O’pen Skiffs Sam Charlie Richardson won the under-17 gold fleet at a windy PredictWind O’pen Skiff nationals at Bay of Islands Yacht Club, ahead of Noah Petersen and Max Jameson. Harrison Treadwell took the honours in the

Cherub champs edge close rivals

development fleet, while Finn Walker won silver. Ruby Peters topped the girls’ standings, while Henry Burgess finished top in the under-13/14 division, followed

by Summer Torbet and Mei Whitehead. manship marked the regatta.

Tasman Rowntree and Josh Schon.

Photo / Supplied

Tasman Rowntree and Josh Schon defended their Cherub national title at Marsden Yacht and Boat Club, combining light-air speed and smart tactics to secure victory. Blake Batten and Merrick Sanderson on Vamoose were one point behind in second, with Hugo Smith and Adrian Pawson (Full Boar) third. The six-race regatta featured shifting light airs and a final 13–14 knot southwesterly, testing crews’ strategy and boat handling.

Soper, Handley claim Starling crowns Nate Soper and Charlotte Handley won the Starling national championships hosted by Worser Bay Boating Club in mid-April. Soper, edged out Finloe Gaites by a single point after 11 intense races for the

overall crowne, with Handley placing third in the fleet and first female.

Roberto Beavis won the silver fleet (with Lauren Arnold top female), and Georgia Barker took out the development title.

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YBQ

TOP MARK Continued from p21 Kamil Manowiecki finished first in the gold fleet at the 2026 wingfoil nationals.

Photo / Melanie Parkin

Photo / Live Sail Die

St Kentigern clinch schools keelboat title Saint Kentigern College won the secondary schools keelboat nationals at the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, led by Keaton Lay. They finished one point ahead of Auckland Grammar’s Tom Pilkington and Westlake Boys’ Finloe Gaites. Westlake Girls’ Bella Jenkins was top female.

The silver fleet was won by Luke Shaw (Long Bay College) over Charlotte Handley (Westlake Girls).

Photo /Supplied

Polish star dominates at wingfoil nationals Kamil Manowiecki of Poland dominated the PredictWind wingfoil nationals at Worser Bay Boating Club, winning the gold fleet. Sean Herbert placed second, Kosta Gladiadis third.

The silver fleet champion was Carter

Stringer, Fynn Goat won the youth title, and Cris Brodie topped the masters standings alongside Cristiana Chiappini-Brodie as first female master.

Mitchell Hunt took out the social fleet on countback from Woo Norris.

Shapeshifter secures Elliott 5.9 repeat Shapeshifter secured consecutive Elliott 5.9 national titles at Maraetai Boating Club, winning after six tense races against Derek Scott’s Revelry and Ross May’s R&R. Despite an opening OCS, Shapeshifter took two crucial final-day wins in high winds to claim victory. Bloodline finished fourth, while youth and South Island crews impressed.

The Young Magic crew.

Photo / Live Sail Die

Will Mason sets new Young 88 record Sixteen-year-old Will Mason became the youngest-ever helm to win the Young 88 nationals, when he won this year’s regatta at the RNZYS. Skippering Young Magic, Mason secured two wins over seven races to finish three points ahead of defending champion Harry

22 | YACHTING & BOATING QUARTERLY | AUTUMN 2026

Thurston’s Dangerzone. Greg Wilshire’s Vagabond was third. Mason sailed with Tim Howse, Noah Malpot, Sam Street, Pierre Harrison, Lucas Day, and his father, Matt Mason. Vagabond claimed top Corinthian honours, and Karyn Drummond was the top female helm.

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

Drummond’s A Class showing Mike Drummond won the classic division at the A Class national championships held at Maraetai Sailing Club on countback over Bruce Curson, with Bruce Mathers third. In the open division, Kiwi multihull star Dave Shaw swept all three races to win ahead of David Haylock and Derek Scott.

Scott Leith, Rod Dawson and Mark Orams. Photo / Live Sail Die

Zephyrs: Dawson, Wright shine brightest Rod Dawson won the Zephyr nationals at Howick Sailing Club, finishing first overall and topping the 50–59 division, ahead of Mark Orams (60–64) and Scott Leith. Polly Wright was leading female and under-30

champion. Other age-group winners included David Hazzard (under-40), Mat Dunne (40–49), Murray Thom (65–69), Brian Peet (70–74), and Michael Renner (75+).

Photo / Supplied

Photo / Supplied

New combination claims 420 dinghy title Tessa Clinton and Will Mason won the 420 national championships at Evans Bay Yacht and Motorboat Club, taking five of eight races and finishing six points ahead of Nico and Finn Holmes. Hamish Brown and Nathan Soper were third. Clinton won

Shaw adds Tornado to long list of titles Dave and Susan Shaw comfortably claimed the 2026 Tornado national championships at Tauranga Yacht and Powerboat Club, sweeping all eight races. Winston Ordish-Brenner and Shanae Ahern were second, with Wayne Limbrick and Sally Tait third. The victory adds to Dave Shaw’s multiple A Class and Paper Tiger national titles.

Continued on p24

bronze in the same class at the Youth Worlds last year, sailing with Amelia Higson. In the Flying Fifteen champs, held during the same regatta, Murray Gilbert and Jonathan Burgess claimed victory, finishing six points clear of the rest.

Dave Shaw

Moriarty takes out Farr 3.7 title Paul Moriarty won the Farr 3.7 nationals at New Plymouth Yacht Club, narrowly beating Derek Snow. Moriarty won three races, while Snow won the last but fell just one point short.

Ethan Lecher was the top under-21 sailor, with Werner Hennig best grand veteran, and Silvana Nieto top female.

Noelex 25s: Title down to the wire Nick Coultas aboard Outnumbered came out on top at a tense Noelex 25 national championships at Tauranga Yacht and Powerboat Club. He beat Derek Dumbar’s Que Sera Sera with a penultimate race win to claim the overall honours. Holly Farmer took the title as top female helm, leading Revel with Helen Maxey and Max Faulkner.

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Continued from p23

Megan Thomson and the 2.0 Racing Team.

Photo / Live Sail Die

Women’s match racing: Megan Thomson keeps her crown 2.0 Racing Team defended their New Zealand women’s match racing title at the RNZYS, with experienced skipper Megan Thomson, with Charlotte Porter,

Anna Merchant, Josi Andres, and Alex Maloney, securing the gold ahead of Lily Xu’s crew (silver) and Harriet McLachlan’s Australian team (bronze).

The win extends 2.0 Racing Team’s dominance in the format with three straight national titles and strong recent world championships results.

Jasper Camenzind.

Photo / Live Sail Die

Photo / Supplied

Akarana’s Starling match race sweep Royal Akarana Yacht Club dominated the Starling match racing nationals, taking all top four places. Hugo Smith won gold after defeating Charlotte Handley in the final, while Leo Brown claimed bronze over Nate Soper 2–0.

Camenzind wins another Waszp thriller Jasper Camenzind won the PredictWind Waszp nationals at Manly Sailing Club, pipping Will Mason by two points after 12 races. Will Leech finished third. Mason won the under-19 title, adding to a raft of national

24 | YACHTING & BOATING QUARTERLY | AUTUMN 2026

titles the young Aucklander has claimed this season, while Brooke Mundy took the women’s 8.2m, Dahlia Fyfe topped the 7.5 open division , and Peter Graham claimed the masters competition.

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

Grae Morris, Aimee Bright top in iQFOiL Grae Morris won the men’s 8m title at the iQFOiL nationals at Milford Cruising Club, while Aimee Bright finished top in the women’s 7.3m class. Ben Rist and Elbe White

won the youth categories, with Honor Fyfe crowned junior female champion. Patrick Haybittle and Alin Misescu, meanwhile, triumphed in the open divisions.

Photo / Supplied

Noelex 22s: May unstoppable Andrew May, with Ross May and Brian Lamb, won the Noelex 22 nationals at Naval Point Club Lyttelton, taking five of eight races. Tristin Ornsby was second and Olliver Gilmour third in a 14-boat event marked by shifting winds and tactical racing.

The Hartley 16 fleet Photo / Supplied

Hartley 16: Bizarre goes back-to-back Russell Durrant and Clynton Leuty defended their Hartley 16 national title aboard Bizarre at a tightly contested regatta hosted by Manukau Yacht and Motorboat Club. The pair held off the

experienced Jason Holdt and Todd Birrell on Shaking Laundry, with Wayne Holdt and Duncan Dunning on Panache completing the podium.

Continued on p26

Chamberlain takes Hansa singles honours Paulien Chamberlain won the Hansa 303 singles title at Tauranga Yacht and Powerboat Club. Angus Bates and Richard Bates won the doubles.

Supported by Sailability Tauranga, the regatta highlighted accessibility and competitive racing across divisions.

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Continued from p25

Photo / Supplied

Paper Tigers tamed: More silverware for Kiwi multihull star Dave Shaw dominated the Paper Tiger national championships at Clarks Beach Yacht Club with a flawless series. Winning

all nine races, Shaw finished nine points ahead of Napier Sailing Club’s Scott Pedersen and Scott Hodges (New

Plymouth Yacht Club). Jane Thomassen (Evans Bay Yacht and Powerboat Club) was the top female in 19th overall.

Cam Brown and Tessa Clinton took out the Sunburst national championships.

Photo / Live Sail Die

Brown extends Sunburst run to 8 with victory alongside Clinton Cam Brown and Tessa Clinton delivered a dominant performance at the Sunburst national championships, winning four

of six races aboard Vagrant to secure the overall title. Andy and Pippa Walker finished second, with Robbs Hielkema

26 | YACHTING & BOATING QUARTERLY | AUTUMN 2026

and Luka Hielkema third. The victory at Wakatere Boating Club was Brown’s eighth title in the class.

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

ILCA action cut short The ILCA nationals at the Bay of Islands Yacht Club saw shortened racing due to poor weather. Mickey Beckett won the ILCA 7, edging Duko Bos and Finn Lynch, while Erika Reineke took out the ILCA 6 open, George Lane won the ILCA 6 men, and Nathan Soper claimed the ILCA 4 category. Phil Wild won the ILCA 6 masters with three race wins.

McDowell masters OKs Steve McDowell won the OK Dinghy nationals at Wakatere Boating Club after nine races. Dave Ridley and Ben Morrison completed the podium.

Category winners included Noah Hengst (junior), John Cutler (master), and Rod Davis (grand master). Dan Bush received a service award.

Photo / Supplied

Batten does the double

Europe Dinghy: Brebner’s dramatic win Derek Brebner emerged victorious at the Europe Dinghy national championships after a final-race decider in challenging swell and wind conditions at Nelson Yacht Club. Tim

Fraser-Harris was second and David Brown third at the regatta that also served as the selection event for the class world championships in Poland in July.

Blake Batten defended his Tauranga Cup P Class title at Kohimarama Yacht Club, winning multiple races across nine-race series. Lauchy Wills finished second and Luca Blundell third. Greta Hutton won the Naomi James Trophy as top female.

Photo / Live Sail Die

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WHEN ‘NO’ IS NOT AN OPTION

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COVER STORY

Michael Brown talks with Rebecca Gmuer-Hornell about a record-breaking 57-day journey around the world shaped by grit, setbacks, and relentless forward momentum.

R

ebecca Gmuer-Hornell’s inbox is a lot busier these days.

It happens when you’ve been a member of a recordbreaking team, sailing around the world non-stop for 57 days, 21 hours and 20 minutes.

It also happens when you have an attitude like Gmuer-Hornell’s.

“I'm fully open to everything that comes at me,” she says from her

family home in the Bay of Islands.

“I don't really say no to anything.”

And Gmuer-Hornell certainly wasn’t going to say no to Dee Caffari and Alexia Barrier and The Famous Project.

Just like she hadn’t said no when asked to sail the Coastal Classic while still at primary school, or the Sydney Hobart Race, or the two-handed Round North Island Race with her father, Chris, or the Trans-Atlantic, or last year’s Admiral’s Cup or racing onboard various boats around the world.

Doors don’t open if you continually decline to walk through them and there haven’t been many Gmuer-Hornell has avoided, least of all the one that led to the first all-female attempt on the Jules Verne Trophy.

It’s a prize created out of slightly romantic ideals, named after Jules Verne’s novel Round the World in 80 Days, but one that’s courted some of the world’s best ocean sailors, from Sir Peter Blake and Robin Knox-Johnson to Frenchmen Bruno Peyron and Franck Cammas.

Continued on p30

Rebecca Gmuer-Hornell made history earlier this year as part of the Famous Project (main image). Photos / The Famous Project

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From left to right: Rebecca Gmuer-Hornell and The Famous Project crew faced several challenges during their voyage.

Continued from p29

Caffari and Barrier wanted to write themselves into the record books, which they did in different ways by completing the voyage alongside Gmuer-Hornell, Annemieke Bes, Deborah Blair, Molly LaPointe, Tamara Echegoyen and Stacey Jackson in late January aboard the 31.5-metre maxi trimaran IDEC SPORT. But it was also a journey of survival and perseverance.

T

he first major incident happened near the Cape of Good Hope.

Progress had been good from the start in France and down the Atlantic, sometimes covering 500 nautical miles a day, but there was a feeling something was wrong when they tried to put a reef in the mainsail, and it wouldn’t budge.

Gmuer-Hornell’s principal role onboard was to work the pit on the port hull but, as a rigger, she was best placed to investigate this issue so was sent inside and then up the mast.

What she found would alter their

attempt entirely. They had an issue with the halyard lock, the car was damaged, and, without a spare, they were forced to decide whether to turn for home, head to Cape Town for repairs or continue but without any hope of claiming the Jules Verne Trophy.

That decision took close to three days to make.

“I wanted to do the lap [around the world] as quickly as possible because I come from quite a strong racing background and I’m really competitive,” Gmuer-Hornell, who celebrated her 26th birthday during the race, said.

“But we had to go from that to putting the brakes on and just making it around. That was quite a hard thing to get my head around.

“We got a message from our weather guy [Christian Dumard] and he

The team completed their journey aboard the maxi trimaran IDEC SPORT in late January.

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COVER STORY

Gmuer-Hornell's role was working the pit on the port hull but her rigging skills also proved invaluable. Photos / The Famous Project

'Alexia did say, if we end up having a full failure of the lock, we can always just go to New Zealand and I was like, ‘New Zealand, yes, we can always go to New Zealand'.'

Rebecca Gmuer-Hornell

sent us 11 reasons why we should keep going. And that was a really nice thing to get because we didn’t really realise the magnitude of what we were doing. You get so caught up in your own world. At the time we were like, ‘s***, we’ve broken the boat’.

“Alexia did say, if we end up having a full failure of the lock, we can always just go to New Zealand and I was like, ‘New Zealand, yes, we can always go to New Zealand’.”

As it turned out, they didn’t need to stop here but were lucky they didn’t need to call into Australia.

G

muer-Hornell was in her bunk when it happened. Within moments, they went from screaming along at close to 30 to knots near Cape Leeuwin on the

south-western corner of Australia, to a complete standstill.

“We sleep with our feet forwards, so you don't hit your head [if thrown forwards],” Gmeur-Hornell explained.

“So, I ended up in a pile at the bottom of my bunk, jumped up and looked at Dee, who was also in a bunk. We looked at each other and we were like, ‘what the heck’s going on right now?’”

What was going on was just another significant setback.

The starboard foil on the maxi trimaran had become entangled in a large fishing net, violently stopping the boat’s progress.

This was not the big catch the fisherman had been looking for and, for the crew onboard, they needed to get away.

Eventually they got going again. At the time, they thought they had got off pretty lightly but after rounding Cape Continued on p32

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Continued from p31

Horn, it was clear they hadn’t.

The foil tip fell off, dropping an alreadycompromised boat’s performance by another 10-15 per cent.

Then they ran into a series of depressions stacking up in the North Atlantic, halting progress even more – 50 knot winds, driving rain, 8m-10m waves.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, given the pressure caused by the halyard lock failure, and their technique to try to clear it each time they put a reef in (which later became known as the Hornell Manoeuvre), the mainsail ripped and couldn’t be repaired.

“I think I’m a pretty resilient person,” Gmuer-Hornell said.

“I think I bounce back from things pretty quickly. For the rest of the way home we were in 8m waves and 50 knots

of breeze, which is tough without a mainsail, but we were still doing 20 knots in the right direction.

“If it was on the wind, it would have been a whole different story, but I think we got really lucky. It was kind of fun. I don’t think it was fun for some of the girls onboard, but I know I thrive in those conditions, so it was cool for me.”

What was even better was seeing a French navy plane greet them within hours of the finish line, and then hundreds of people onshore in Brest for their arrival, including GmuerHornell’s family.

Tears, she admits, might have been shed.

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T

he enormity of what The Famous Project achieved hasn’t really sunk in for Gmuer-Hornell and might not ever really register.

“It’s kind of weird looking back at it now,” she said. “I didn’t feel like we were at sea for 57 days. It just felt like another race. I don’t know why, but it doesn’t feel as massive as it probably looks from the outside.”

Caffari knows, though, calling the feat a “game-changer”.

As a veteran of seven circumnavigations, she can see the significance of becoming the first allfemale crew to sail the globe non-stop, saying it challenged perceptions, created opportunities and showed what women

COVER STORY

The Famous Project's race time of 57 days, 21 hours and 20 minutes smashed Sir Peter Blake's record by almost 20 days. Photos / The Famous Project

are capable of. She also points to the fact 11 females have now sailed around the world non-stop.

Eight were on board IDEC Sport.

Although they were well short of the Jules Verne Trophy, claimed this year by Thomas Coville and the team on Sodebo Ultim 3 in 40 days, 10 hours, GmuerHornell’s time smashed Blake’s record by nearly 20 days as the fastest Kiwi around the planet non-stop.

“It’s a really cool thing to be able to say but we have so much better technology than they ever did,” she said.

It was Gmuer-Hornell’s first lap and unlikely to be her last. There’s already talk of The Famous Project putting together

another tilt at the Jules Verne Trophy (“that was just our practice lap,” Caffari has said), and a couple of Ocean Race teams have approached her to join their teams for next year’s race.

She’s spent the last few weeks at home recovering but also stitching together her calendar for the next few months, which is filling up quickly with anything from working with the tech team at April’s Sail GP event in Rio de Janeiro, to a variety of inshore and offshore races.

“Her future is bright,” Caffari said. “I for one would have her high on my list of people to work with again and I am lucky to continue working with her this season, too. Her rigging skills compliment her

sailing skills. Her ability to fit into a team and become an integral part of that team is exceptional and she is driven and has ambition which I like.

“Overall, Bex makes you laugh and has your back, making her a trusted team member and she has the skills to back it all up. She has an exciting future ahead of her no matter what direction she takes her sailing in.”

Most recently it’s been Wednesday night keelboat racing with her dad in the Bay of Islands. It’s not quite hurtling along at 30 knots in the Southern Ocean but it’s one offer Gmuer-Hornell can’t turn down.

Michael Brown is a sports producer for TVNZ and a former Yachting New Zealand communications manager.

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TAMING THE TA Kiwi veteran Malcolm Dickson is back to lead the charge across 1,200 unforgiving miles, as a new fleet takes on the legendary Solo Trans-Tasman — a race built on risk, endurance and raw nerve

A

t 79, Malcolm Dickson is not just back for another race — he is back to defend a legacy that stretches nearly half a century.

The oldest skipper in the fleet and the reigning champion will start as the early favourite when the Solo Trans-Tasman Yacht Challenge leaves Opua on 30 May,

bound for Southport Yacht Club. It will be his fourth attempt at the race, and, remarkably, it comes on the eve of his 80th birthday.

“We all felt we were pioneering something for the future,” he told RNZ’s The Detail, reflecting on his first race in 1978.

“It was very different in the days of celestial navigation to what it is now. The boats were a lot smaller and probably pretty primitive compared with some of them nowadays.”

That sense of pioneering still defines the event — now in its 15th edition — even as the boats, technology and preparation have evolved. Dickson’s own yacht Sarau, which he designed and built, has been painstakingly refined again for 2026.

“Coming from an earlier generation, I find this IT stuff and communications and all this weather mapping stuff pretty intimidating. I do my best to understand it all.”

He has also stripped weight wherever possible in search of marginal gains.

“There’s a two-page list of items on the hit list,” he told The Detail. “It’s interesting when you start to unload a boat … each item weighs almost nothing and you stack them in a fish bin and find you can hardly lift it.”

For all the upgrades, the philosophy remains unchanged.

“I’ve always felt that no matter how bad the conditions, one way or another

Meet the fleet Ben Ball

SSANZ Camellia Category: Monohull Design: Cav 36 LOA: 11m Race number: 19

Peter Bourke

Sandspit Yacht Club Diablo Category: Monohull Design: Sparkman & Stephens LOA: 8.7m Race number: 10

Guy Chester

Tinaroo Sailing Club (Aus) Oceans Tribute Category: Multihull Design: Crowther Design #93 LOA: 13.85m Race number: 9

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Malcolm Dickson Opua Cruising Club Sarau Category: Monohull Design: Dickson 55 LOA: 16.82m Race number: 7

Terry Dunn

Opua Cruising Club Marara Category: Monohull Design: S&S 34 LOA: 10.23m Race number: 12

2026 SOLO TRANS-TASMAN YACHT CHALLENGE

ASMAN we’ll get through.”

That mindset links the modern race back to its origins. The Solo TransTasman Yacht Challenge was dreamed up at a New Plymouth Yacht Club AGM in the late 1960s, when a small group of sailors — Howard Vosper, Dennis Lobb and Phillip Goodsell — decided it was time to take on the Tasman Sea alone. At the time, the only comparable race in the world was the Observer Single-Handed Trans-Atlantic Race.

With backing from legendary solo sailor Francis Chichester, the concept became reality, and the first fleet set sail in 1970.

No GPS. No AIS. No chartplotters.

Just sextants, instinct, and nerve.

Would you have signed up?

The Tasman has been testing that question ever since.

In 1974, 10 sailors — eight New Zealanders and two Australians — left New Plymouth for Mooloolaba.

Nine finished. Bill Belcher took line honours aboard Raha in 11 days and 2 hours, having downplayed his chances beforehand.

Continued on p36

Above and top: Malcolm Dickson won the 2023 Solo Trans-Tasman aboard Sarau. Photos / Solo Trans-Tasman Yacht Challenge

Peter Elkington

Southport Yacht Club (Aus) Pacman Category: Monohull Design: Young 11 LOA: 11.17m Race number: 6

Doug Esterman

Tauranga Yacht and Powerboat Club Fair Seasons Category: Monohull Design: Cav 39 LOA: 11.9m Race number: 1

Sharon Ferris-Choat Bay of Islands Yacht Club Vixen Racing Category: Monohull Design: Class 40 LOA: 12.17m Race number: 15

James Foster

Richmond River Sailing Club (Aus) Electron Category: Multihull Design: Mumby 48 LOA: 14.6m Race number: 11

Graeme Francis

New Plymouth Yacht Club Robbery Category: Monohull Design: Wilson 36 LOA: 10.97m Race number: 17

Continued on p36

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Continued from p35

History, however, belonged to Annette Wilde.

Sailing Valya, she became the first woman in the world to complete a single-handed offshore race, finishing fifth after more than two weeks at sea.

Four years later, in 1978, the race delivered both triumph and survival.

Pat Costello claimed line honours aboard Chubasco, while a young Dickson — in his first attempt — won on handicap with Spindrift of Nelson, a boat he had designed and built himself.

But Cyclone Hal tore through the fleet. Boats were rolled, dismasted and abandoned.

Bill Belcher was shipwrecked and rescued 28 days later from Middleton Reef.

One yacht was rolled three times.

Another limped home under jury rig.

Costello described one moment as his boat was knocked flat by a breaking sea: “I saw my boat go over and the mast disappear into the sea.

“I saw this steep 15–20’ wave coming from far off and knew there was nothing I could do.

“I gripped the yacht, looked up, and thought what a great day it was, while the yacht popped back up and continued on its way. I was very impressed, actually.”

Despite the chaos, all competitors survived. Calls to ban solo racing followed — but so did a surge in entries.

By 1986, the race produced one of its most extraordinary performances.

Richard Grant

Bellerive Yacht Club (Aus) Magellan Category: Monohull Design: Knoop 39 LOA: 11.98m Race number: 13

Glen Jeffery

Ian Johnson, sailing Bullfrog Sunblock, crossed the Tasman in just 6 days and 8 hours, a record that would stand for 28 years. He averaged more than eight knots across 1,284 nautical miles, pushing himself to the edge of endurance.

He rarely slept more than 15 minutes at a time.

At one point he went 36 hours without sleep and began hallucinating, convinced he had torn a massive hole in his spinnaker — damage that did not exist when he inspected it back on land.

That same race featured Kay Cottee, the only woman in the fleet,

‘Coming from an earlier generation, I find this IT stuff and communications and all this weather mapping stuff pretty intimidating. I do my best to understand it all.’

Malcolm Dickson

SSANZ Wave Category: Monohull Design: Grand Soleil 50 LOA: 15.0m Race number: 4

Bill Kidman

Opua Cruising Club Pretty Boy Floyd Category: Monohull Design: Ross 12m LOA: 12.2m Race number: 5

36 | YACHTING & BOATING QUARTERLY | AUTUMN 2026

who finished fifth before going on to circumnavigate the globe and become Australian Yachtsperson of the Year.

It also marked the first appearance of Graeme Francis, who finished 11th and declared solo sailing was not for him.

Decades later, he is back again in 2026.

Because once the Tasman gets under your skin, it never really lets go.

This year’s fleet of 18 reflects that same pull — a mix of veterans and firsttimers, New Zealand and Australian sailors, monohulls and multihulls, all drawn to the same stretch of ocean.

Among them are Sharon Ferris-Choat and Samantha McGrath, the two women in the race; returning campaigners like Glen Jeffery and Bill Kidman; and first-time entrants chasing a long-held ambition, such as Peter Bourke.

For some, it is unfinished business.

For others, a lifelong dream.

For all, it is a test.

“The Solo Trans-Tasman is the ultimate sailing challenge,” says Geoff Thorn, who returns to the race driven by the memory of his first crossing.

And presiding over it all is Dickson — who won the 2023 edition in a little over 10 days. He is still refining, still racing, still chasing the edge of what is possible.

“If I wasn’t doing it myself, I’d be cruising with my wife,” he says.

For now, though, he will point Sarau north, round Cape Reinga, and out into the Tasman once more — a race against the fleet, the weather, and time itself.

Kevin Le Poidevin Port Stephens Yacht Club Roaring Forty Category: Monohull Design: 1997 Lutra BOC Open 40 LOA: 12.2m Race number: 14

Samantha McGrath

Mersey Yacht Club (Aus) Star Path Category: Monohull Design: S&S 34 LOA: 10.23m Race number: 2

2026 SOLO TRANS-TASMAN YACHT CHALLENGE

No surprises key to surviving solo challenge

Sharon Ferris-Choat FROM THE SKIPPER

I

have sailed a lot of miles offshore, and I still don’t pretend a Trans-Tasman crossing is simple. It is a serious piece of water, and solo racing makes it more so — not because you are alone, but because you are responsible for everything, all the time.

Getting the boat ready is one half.

Getting yourself ready is the other. And both only work if you treat the basics with respect.

It is not easy to get yourself and the boat ready for the Tasman. Everything has to be right, from paperwork and qualifications to maintenance and safety checks. The boat needs to come out of the water for inspections, cleaning, and antifouling.

The job list is huge: engine and charging systems; mast, boom, locks, and halyards; sails and watertightness; ropes, blocks, and clutches; rudders, steering systems, and autopilots; communications and weather routing; safety gear, signoffs, and compliance. Then there’s the personal

side — nutrition, hydration, and sleep management.

If you ever want a simple lesson in humility, write that list down and give yourself a deadline.

When you are solo, you cannot afford to be surprised. The goal is to minimise surprises by being early, not reactive.

Practical changes I am making before the race are not theoretical ideas, they are direct lessons earned at sea.

The first is a louder alarm, with an off switch in the cockpit. A phone alarm is not enough. When the boat is loud and you are tired, you need something that cuts through everything — and you need to control it without scrambling below.

I also want a simple cockpit checklist for manoeuvres. Before a sail change, reef, or major adjustment, I want a quick scan to confirm everything is set and nothing is forgotten. When you are tired, you do not rise to the occasion. You fall to your systems. A checklist is a system.

No sails in the bow. It is the wrong weight placement. Weight forward changes the boat’s motion, increases slamming, and makes life harder when it is already hard.

This is a simple discipline that improves both comfort and performance.

The J0 should be down at night if it is not deployed, especially as wind pressure builds. The last thing you want is a sail deploying itself and creating a major problem when you are managing everything alone.

I will also run radar alarms for dangerous targets, not just AIS. Some

fishing boats are not on AIS. I learned that the hard way.

Sleeping while the boat is charging along is an unusual feeling. It is necessary, and it is confronting. The rougher it gets, the more you know things can go wrong quickly.

On one sleep cycle, I woke up, went out to check everything, and there was a fishing boat about 100 metres away, right on our path. We must have passed very close.

It was a heart-stopping moment. Am I up for this? Yes and no.

I have wanted to do a solo race for my whole sailing career. Am I ready? As ready as I will ever be. Do I have the confidence I can do this? Yes — if I get the basics right, keep surprises to a minimum, and take one correct step at a time.

I am more worried about my family at home in the current global situation. Are they safe? I do not want to cause them worry. That is part of this too. When you race solo, you carry more than your own ambition — you carry the people who love you.

I am doing this to prove to myself that I can get Vixen — and myself — to Australia competitively and safely.

That is the job. That is the standard.

Do the basics right. Keep improving the systems. Respect the ocean. And earn it, one mile at a time.

Sharon Ferris-Choat is a New Zealand Olympian, ocean racer and the first woman to win a round-the-world yacht race.

For the full article, click here.

Geoff Thorn aboard Catnip.

Photo / Supplied

Peter Nobbs

Opua Cruising Club Smoko Category: Monohull Design: BandG 36 LOA: 11.0m Race Nnumber: 8

Richard Raea

Kerikeri Cruising Club Baker Street Category: Monohull Design: Sweden 340 LOA: 10.36m Race number: 16

Geoff Thorn

Lowry Bay Yacht Club Catnip Category: Monohull Design: Beneteau First 45 LOA: 14m Race number: 18

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AGAINST THE

TIDE

THE REMARKABLE JOURNEY Suzanne McFadden talks to the four-time blind world champion pushing the limits of what’s possible on the water

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herever she sails, Paulien Chamberlain is making history – even without being able to see the racecourse.

A four-time blind world champion under her maiden name, Paulien Eitjes, the 51-year-old now races single-handed against fully sighted sailors, with only a little assistance.

That includes revolutionary audio buoys she and her husband, Richard, are developing – not just to help Chamberlain navigate a course, but to make it easier for other sailors with disabilities.

The couple tested eight of the buoys

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at last year’s Hansa world championships in Sydney, where Paulien – the reigning national Hansa 303 single champion – believes she was the first vision-impaired sailor to compete in the single-handed fleet.

It was a confronting experience for Chamberlain, who has less than 10 per cent vision.

“I really struggle with the starts, and the Sydney fleet was bigger and busier than anything I’ve ever experienced. So I hung back and stayed out of the way,” she says. “I had no idea where I was in the fleet rounding a mark.”

INCLUSIVE SAILING

Paulien Chamberlain (be low) was the first vision-impaired sailor to compete in the single handed flee t at last year’s Hansa world champ ionships in Sydney (main image).

Photos / supplied

Y OF PAULIEN CHAMBERLAIN But in her final race, she made a smart decision – sitting back and starting on port tack, while the others were on starboard – and finished fourth.

“I was absolutely fizzing,” she says.

Chamberlain finished the regatta as the fifth women’s Para sailor, and 30th overall in a fleet of 75. It’s made her hungry for more.

C

hamberlain has a rare form of blindness – juvenile heredomacular dystrophy – that first emerged in childhood.

She describes it like the coat of her late

Dalmatian guide dog: “Lots of blind spots everywhere, and what’s left is significantly fuzzy and out of focus.”

Legally blind, Chamberlain thrives sailing in regular fleets, especially at her local yacht club in Tauranga – but faces her fair share of challenges.

“I can’t find my way around the course on my own, but I still use my residual sight when boats meet – if they’re getting bigger, I know they’re coming towards me,” she laughs.

“But I can’t see what they’re doing – if they have their mainsheet pulled in tighter than mine, if they have more heel on the

boat, or they’re pointing higher than me.

“I really have to sail the boat where I am. It may look like I’m making really dumb tactical decisions, but when I encounter a busy area of the course, I’ll have the right of way and all I have to do is holler to avoid a collision.”

She enjoys sailing in heavier winds when her boat-handling skills come into play, but she struggles on lighter days.

“There’s nothing for me to feel and I can’t see puffs on the water,” she says. “But I was taught to be a thinking sailor.”

Chamberlain, who works from home Continued on p40

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Chamberlain is the reigning national Hansa 303 singles champion. Photos / Supplied Continued from p39

as a medical transcriptionist for Health NZ, met Richard not through sailing but through sequence dancing – a blend of ballroom and folk dancing.

Back then, Richard was a weekend sailor, but his future wife taught him to race.

“We’re pretty much on a par now, but he has to sail his heart out to beat me,” she says.

(For the record, he finished one place ahead of her at last year’s Hansa worlds).

They own an armada of different boats, sailing together for leisure on their Davidson 20 Campbell Bay. But Richard has made a huge contribution to his wife’s sailing career through his work developing audio buoys.

The buoys emit a 10-second sequence of beeps as Chamberlain nears a mark.

Working in his large Tauranga shed, retired electrician Richard is refining their design to make them more stable and less cumbersome.

“I have a dream of being able to pop them in my suitcase and take them to any regatta in the world,” Chamberlain says.

“Maybe I could have a symbol on my sail that indicates I’m vision impaired and allows me to use the audio buoys.”

C

hamberlain began to lose her sight as a nine-year-old, and it continues to deteriorate. Highly sensitive to light, you’ll always see her in sunglasses outdoors.

She grew up with a sailing dad, who had a trailer sailer in the Bay of Islands.

“But we weren’t allowed to touch or do anything,” she says. It wasn’t until 1998, in her early 20s, that she learned to sail.

A horse almost threw her off course.

‘Sometimes, you just prefer to be the same as everyone else. But in saying that, I haven’t had many people hold that against me.’

Paulien Chamberlain

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When the Tauranga Blind and Vision Impaired Sailing Club approached her to join its sailing school, she was riding on weekend mornings (a dressage rider, she represented New Zealand in blind equestrian events across the Tasman).

Chamberlain couldn’t imagine fitting in both sports.

But the sailing club told her to skip the morning ‘knots and theory’ sessions and come along in the afternoons.

“It was great. I wasn’t hooked straight away, but they told me I had a talent for helming,” she recalls.

Sailing soon took priority when Chamberlain realised her horse was “way too talented” for her. She’s never regretted the switch.

When the blind sailing club disbanded, Chamberlain was able to sail keelboats through the Women on Water programme at the Tauranga Yacht and Powerboat Club. The only drawback Chamberlain encountered was telling her crewmates about her lack of sight.

“Sometimes, you just prefer to be the same as everyone else,” she says. “But in saying that, I haven’t had many people hold

INCLUSIVE SAILING

that against me.”

Former TYPBC commodore Gary Smith has been one of Chamberlain’s biggest supporters – and was her sighted tactician when she helmed to two blind fleet-racing world titles.

When she helmed Smith’s Elliot 10.5, Sniper, in Wednesday night racing on the harbour, he often put a hand on her shoulder: “A sign for me not to listen to anything he was about to say,” she says.

“Then he would holler, ‘Go up, go up – you’re gonna crash!’ to the other crew.

At the end of the night’s racing, he’d say to anyone new on the boat, ‘Do you realise Paulien’s blind?’ And they were like, ‘What?

Really?’

“I wouldn’t be where I am now without Gary, and all the others who’ve helped and supported me.”

Chamberlain won the national blind sailing championships four times, the blind matchracing world titles in 2007 and 2008, and the blind fleet racing world champs in 2006 and 2009, in the B2 division (less than 10 per cent vision).

Determined to try her hand at the tiller of a dinghy, she borrowed a Topaz – with

not so much success. “I cartwheeled and damaged it, then thought I should probably have a boat of my own,” she recalls.

So she bought a Starling, lining up in club races with the likes of Molly Meech, Peter Burling and Tom Saunders.

“I was an adult, but I was a bit lighter then,” she says. “I loved the independence of being able to go out and make my own choices, my own mistakes.”

She remembers a club race when she capsized and a young kid circled her in his Opti until she safely clambered back into her boat (that kid was Cole Rippey, who went on to win the Tanner Cup).

Chamberlain created history in 2009 as the first blind sailor to compete with sighted opposition in the North Island P Class and Starling championships off Tauranga, sailing with a VHF radio clipped to her lifejacket to hear instructions.

“I really believe Tauranga is one of the best clubs in the world – for conditions, for culture, and for supporting each other,” she says.

In 2013, London Paralympian Tim Dempsey encouraged Chamberlain to sail a Hansa – a class which champions sailing

for everyone.

“The coach would bang a pan with a wooden spoon so I could find the top mark. It was a super can-do attitude to make it happen,” she says.

And with winning results. In her first attempt, Chamberlain took out the national Hansa 303 single title.

The next Hansa worlds are in France in 2027, and she would love another shot, but the expense and the complexity of new environments – small things like turning on hotel air conditioning – make it difficult for her. But where there’s a will, there’s a way.

Chamberlain is also a strong advocate for getting Para sailing back in the Paralympics, at Brisbane 2032, and being on the startline there.

She recently sailed in the SKUD18 international matchracing challenge in Auckland, with another outstanding female skipper, Sally Garrett, as her sighted helm. They finished fourth.

“We had women power!” she says. “It was an absolutely awesome experience… I did gennaker work which we don’t use in blind sailing. I’d love to do it again.”

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SECOND BEAT RŪNĀ GOES GLOBAL EQUIPMENT • TECHNOLO GY • FITNESS • NUTRITION

South American country first outside NZ to adopt schools programme 44

Photos / Supplied

VISION IMPOSSIBLE?

How to pick the right sailing eyewear 48

42 | YACHTING & BOATING QUARTERLY | AUTUMN 2026

VESTED INTEREST

What lifejacket reforms mean for you 54

ADVERTORIAL

B&G have launched the Nemesis 7-inch and Zeus SRX chartplotters as part of the birthday celebrations.

Photos / Supplied

70 years at the helm B&G celebrates seven decades of innovation and performance.

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&G, the world’s leading sailing electronics manufacturer, is celebrating its 70th anniversary, marking seven decades of technological innovation that have helped sailors navigate farther, race smarter, and explore the limits of what is possible on the water. Since its founding in 1956, B&G has consistently introduced advancements that continue to shape modern sailing.

“Celebrating 70 years is a truly momentous occasion for B&G, one that speaks to the passion, ingenuity, and relentless pursuit of innovation that have defined this brand,” said Yasser Nafei, President, Electronic Solutions for Navico Group.

“For seven decades, sailors around the world have trusted B&G to guide them across oceans, fuel their ambitions, and elevate their performance on the water. This anniversary is not only a tribute to our extraordinary heritage, but also a powerful reminder of the role B&G continues to play in shaping the future of sailing technology. We are incredibly proud of the legacy behind us and energized by the possibilities still ahead.”

The anniversary

celebrations officially began on 5 March in Southampton, UK, with a gathering at the iconic Island Sailing Club in Cowes, Isle of Wight. Around 100 guests attended the event, including Navico Group leadership, Southampton-based staff, valued customers, members of the Gatehouse family—the origin of the B&G brand name—and a lineup of distinguished guest speakers.

The afternoon offered a look back at seven decades of B&G innovation, highlighting the brand’s evolution, breakthrough technologies, and defining moments across each era. Contributions from high-profile sailors, including Dame Ellen MacArthur, Dee Caffari, Pip Hare, and Sailing Florence, brought these reflections to life, sharing personal stories and insights from their time on the water using B&G equipment.

Adding to the significance of the anniversary year, B&G launched the Nemesis 7-inch and Zeus SRX chartplotters

in early 2026. The Zeus SRX, designed for the world’s most commanding sailing yachts, features an ultra-refined, glass-to-edge display and is powered by the NEON operating system. It offers enhanced responsiveness, intelligent system integration, and an intuitive user experience, setting a new benchmark for high-end vessel navigation and reinforcing B&G’s leadership in advanced marine electronics.

Throughout 2026, B&G plans to introduce a series of anniversary initiatives, including a limited-edition 70th-anniversary logo, a brand video celebrating its heritage and innovations, and social content featuring testimonials from B&G ambassadors and customers reflecting on the brand’s 70-year history.

As B&G celebrates this milestone, the company remains committed to leading the next era of sailing technology, continuing to support sailors who rely on its equipment to perform at the highest level.

For more information, click here.

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SECOND BEAT

A CHILE RECE A South American school is the first to adopt RŪNĀ overseas, signalling growing global interest in the groundbreaking education programme

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achting New Zealand’s pioneering schools education framework, RŪNĀ, is charting new international waters, with its first overseas implementation planned at Colegio Puerto Varas, an EnglishSpanish bilingual school in Chile’s scenic Lake District.

RŪNĀ was launched in late 2021 to integrate boating and yacht clubs more closely into their communities and to connect a broader and more

diverse range of young New Zealanders with the sport. The programme integrates sailing, STEM, social sciences, and marine stewardship into three curriculumaligned modules.

Kōrinorino explores New Zealand histories and placebased identity; Kōkōkaha focuses on designing sustainable energy solutions through Science,

Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics; and Moanamana is a marine ecosystem monitoring and restoration initiative that engages students as citizen scientists while contributing to New Zealand’s Blue Belt.

Colegio Puerto Varas, which serves 1,200 students, already runs a strong sailing curriculum for children aged 5 to 11. Interest in RŪNĀ first emerged last year when the school reached out to Yachting New Zealand to explore the programme, recalled Alisa Torgersen, Yachting New Zealand’s Education Lead.

“The school first contacted us in October, and initially I was unsure how our programme could be

Colegio Puerto Varas is an English-Spanish bilingual school in Chile’s scenic Lake District. Photo / Supplied

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EQUIPMENT & TECHNOLOGY

CEPTION implemented internationally,” Torgersen said. “Steve [Armitage, Yachting New Zealand CEO] was keen to explore the possibility, and we held online meetings with Club Deportivo Colegio Puerto Varas and the school’s senior leadership.

They were very enthusiastic about RŪNĀ, as they did not yet have a STEM programme or a structured curricular plan. They could also see how, over time, the programme could help surrounding public schools engage in sailing and

STEM education. From that point, the project began to take shape.”

María Gracia Fernández, General Manager of the school’s sports club, echoed this excitement. “RŪNĀ has truly inspired us. We believe it is one of the most meaningful and forwardthinking educational and environmental initiatives we have encountered. For years, we have sought a programme that connects sailing, learning, innovation, and care for the natural environment — and we have finally found it in RŪNĀ.”

Fernández emphasised the unique opportunity this represents. “This is a project unlike anything we have seen before. To our knowledge, there is no other STEM programme that integrates

sailing in this way. We are very excited.

It represents an excellent investment and an exceptional opportunity for our students and for Yachting New Zealand.”

Ezequías Alliende, one of the school’s co-founders and a passionate sailor, added, “It is exciting to see how RŪNĀ combines science, technology, and sailing into a single, practical, and engaging learning experience for students.”

Kōkōkaha learning experiences are designed for ākonga in Years 5 to 10, focusing on harnessing the power of the wind through science, technology, engineering, and Continued on p46

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Colegio Puerto Varas teachers and sailing coaches are preparing for a phased rollout of the Kōkōkaha module. Photos / Supplied

Continued from p45

mathematics. The programme combines classroom and sailing experiences: in the classroom, students engage in hands-on activities to explore how wind energy works, while on the water, they experience sailing firsthand and interact with resources that demonstrate sailing technologies in action. Learners then apply their knowledge to design a technology that harnesses wind energy. Alongside these STEM-focused activities, students also develop safer boating practices and water skills.

According to Torgersen, the Kōkōkaha kit is en route to the school, marking the first RŪNĀ kit ever shipped overseas.

The school is now preparing to introduce the programme in classrooms and on the water.

“The next step is to connect Colegio Puerto Varas with a New Zealand RŪNĀ club and school to provide ongoing support for the day-to-day delivery of the programme,” Torgersen said. “We look forward to observing how they implement the Kōkōkaha module and commence their STEM journey. Since initiating this partnership, we have seen increasing interest from other countries.

It is tremendously exciting to witness a New Zealand initiative inspiring young learners and sailors on the other side of the Pacific.”

At Colegio Puerto Varas, teachers and sailing coaches are preparing for a phased rollout. The first semester, running from March to June, will focus on teacher training and lesson

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preparation, with classroom and onwater activities scheduled for the second semester, Fernández explained.

“Our focus is on equipping teachers and coaches so that the programme offers a fully integrated learning experience for students. Over time, we aim to extend RŪNĀ to other schools and clubs in our region, becoming local representatives for this inspiring initiative,” she said.

Domestically, the programme continues to grow. Last season, RŪNĀ reached a milestone with more than 7,000 students taking part — the first time the programme has exceeded the 7,000-participant threshold, up from 5,877 the previous year and just over 2,000 in its inaugural year. More

EQUIPMENT & TECHNOLOGY

A record 7000 students participated in RŪNĀ last year. Photos / Supplied

than 20 clubs nationwide now deliver RŪNĀ programmes, with over 800 teachers actively using the RŪNĀ online platform. The success reflects the growing momentum behind RŪNĀ, which aims to inspire young

New Zealanders through a unique combination of sailing and integrated learning modules.

“We’re delighted to see more students than ever engaging with sailing through RŪNĀ and how the

programme continues to be embraced by schools and teachers across the country,” Torgersen said. “It’s a testament to the dedication of the clubs and educators who bring the programme to life.”

Click here to learn more about RŪNĀ.

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AUTUMN 2026 | YACHTING & BOATING QUARTERLY | 47

SECOND BEAT

SUNGLA IN FOCUS Kathy Young looks at what’s worth keeping an eye on when buying your next pair of sailing sunnies

T

he New Zealand sun, intensified by water reflection, creates some of the planet’s strongest light conditions.

Without proper sunglasses, glare off the water and ultraviolet (UV) exposure can strain your eyes, reduce visibility and cause long-term harm. Quality sunglasses are an essential item on any sailor’s gear list.

The polarisation point Polarised lenses are crucial for sailing. They eliminate glare by filtering horisontal light from flat surfaces, like water. This reduces eye fatigue and lets you see into the water, rather than just a sheet of reflected light.

Reading the wind on the water or spotting marks and flags is both crucial and tactical.

As retail owner Mike Pasco from New Zealand Sailing Ltd says: “Polarised lenses are a non-negotiable for sailors.”

The drawback is that polarised lenses can sometimes make it harder to read some LCD screens, which appear dark or completely blank when you’re wearing polarised eyewear.

If you rely on instruments when sailing, you will need to test any lenses against your

specific displays before purchasing.

Some brands offer lenses with a slightly angled polarisation axis, to address this problem.

UV protection Polarisation and UV protection are not the same thing. As Dharshie Hughes, optometrist and director and partner of Anstice Optometrists in Christchurch, explains.

“Using a polarised lens doesn’t increase UV protection, but it cuts out shine and glare off the water, making it easier to see clearer.”

Neither polarisation nor style matters if your lenses fail to block UV. “UVA (ultraviolet A) makes up about 95 per cent of the UV reaching the earth,” Hughes said. “It penetrates clouds and glass and is present all day, all year. UVB (ultraviolet B) is stronger but less abundant. It’s responsible for sunburn and varies more with time of day, season and latitude.”

In New Zealand, choose lenses rated UV400, which block 100 per cent of UVA and UVB rays.

Continued on p50

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EQUIPMENT & TECHNOLOGY

ASSES

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EQUIPMENT & TECHNOLOGY

Kitefoiler Lucy Bilger has recently switched from sunglasses to Oakley ski goggles. Photo / IKA Media Continued from p49

The darkness of the lens does not affect UV protection, which is why cheap dark lenses can be dangerous: your pupils dilate in response to the apparent shade while the UV passes straight through. Standards New Zealand sets minimum requirements for sunglasses, but there are currently no regulations requiring sunglasses to meet these standards, including UV400.

“The UV that passes through the internal structure of the eye has a part to play in cataract formation and increases risk of macular degeneration, especially with blue eyes,” Hughes said. “Often people can forget that the surface of the eye can also become sunburnt, just like our skin. And this results in redness, gritty and sore eyes.”

The moral of the story is: protect your eyes like you protect your skin.

Does lens colour matter?

According to both Pasco and Hughes, lens colour is a personal choice.

“However, it’s worth knowing that a brown or amber lens will cut out blue light, which causes haze and increases contrast on the water,” Hughes explained. This means they could be useful in choppy water or when light is variable.

Pasco added that the rose-tinted/amber lenses help spot the differences in pressure of darker and lighter patches on the water, although 50 per cent of his customers prefer a grey lens.

Fit and frame Wrap-around or close-fitting frames will minimise the amount of unfiltered light reaching your eyes and protect the skin around your eyes. “The actual frame itself

acts as protection here,” Hughes said.

Frames that sit away from your face let more wind in, which could cause them to blow off at the wrong angle if not secured.

Frames that float or are attached with a neck leash are worth considering if you’d rather not search underwater after they’ve fallen off.

Most sailing sunglasses use a lightweight nylon-based material, which is resistant to salt corrosion and flexes without snapping.

This is preferable to metal frames,

‘Often people can forget that the surface of the eye can also become sunburnt, just like our skin. This results in redness, gritty and sore eyes.’

Dharshie Hughes

which deteriorate quickly in the marine environment and may cause more injuries if they do come into contact with your face.

If you wear headgear while sailing, check that the frame arms aren’t so thick or high that they don’t sit comfortably under the brim or helmet itself.

Latest innovations Pasco has seen a big move towards integrated helmet and visor systems.

“As boats are going faster and doing more extreme things, sunglasses by themselves aren’t handling the amount of water that’s

50 | YACHTING & BOATING QUARTERLY | AUTUMN 2026

splashing on people.”

Goggles, much like ski goggles, are gaining popularity with foilers and wing sailors.

“Helmet visors offer additional advantages,” Pasco added. “They solve the problem of lost sunglasses and work well for sailors who wear prescription glasses, allowing the visor to come down over the top for sun protection.”

Lucy Bilger, kitefoiler and part of the NZL sailing squad, has recently made the switch from sunglasses to goggles.

“I’ve lost an obscene number of sunglasses on the water,” she said. “Either from them falling off in high winds, or when I’ve fallen into the water and the lenses have popped out from the frames.”

Bilger now wears an Oakley ski goggle with a pink lens and finds that her vision on the water has improved as well: “I can actually see the wind on the water now.”

The only downside, she warned, is that the goggles will occasionally fog up in light conditions when she’s spending more time getting up on the foil.

“I like sunglasses, but I also like these goggles. Function wins out for me,” she said.

Caring for your sunnies Just as you rinse your clothing after sailing, it’s crucial to wash your sunglasses (or goggles) with fresh water afterwards, since salt can strip away the UV400 protective layer over time.

“Suncream can also degrade the lenses over time,” Pasco said. “So, avoid sunblock on your sunnies or visor if you can!”

Continued on p52

MODEL: WINDCHASER SIZE LENS SIZE HINGE TO HINGE GENDER SHAPE

M 5-BASE 141MM UNISEX HALF-RIM SHIELD

STEADY IN THE STORM WITH EXCLUSIVE

TEMPLE

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SECOND BEAT

Product focus WIP GUST EVO POLARISED SUNGLASSES

Price: $120 Modern frame polarised lens to facilitate reading of the water Hydrophobic coating Wraparound shape for aerodynamics Available in a junior small size for $80

KAENON ARCATA SR POLARISED SUNGLASSES Price: $369 Semi-rimless Lightweight frames Coatings to shed water, oil and dirt Designed in California, made in Italy

GILL CLASSIC FLOATING SUNGLASSES

Price: $100 Designed to stay buoyant 7-layer TAC polarised lenses 100% UV 400 protection Hydrophobic coating to repel water and minimise salt residue

52 | YACHTING & BOATING QUARTERLY | AUTUMN 2026

EQUIPMENT & TECHNOLOGY

WIP FLYING MASK 2.0

Price: $140 F irst mask specifically designed for sailing C omes with spare lightly tinted lens for overcast conditions H ydrophobic coating and ventilation system built in

WIP X-OVER HELMET WITH VISOR

Price: $365 Developed in collaboration with several America’s Cup teams Ideal for foil sailing enthusiasts Can be used as a ski/snowboard helmet in the winter Spare lenses available to purchase separately ($109 each)

SHIMANO ANTARES SUNGLASSES

DIRTY DOG KNUCKLE SUNGLASSES

OAKLEY FLIGHT DECK PRIZM GOGGLES

BOLLE SPEEDCHASER

Price: $50 P olarised lenses C lassic shape and style W raparound look

Price: $242 1 00% protection against UVA and UVB light G lare reduction F lexible foam comfort on the face F rameless goggle

Price: $80 Crafted from Grilamide TR90, a thermoplastic polyamide TR90 is hypoallergenic, FDA and CE approved Polarised Polyfilter lenses

Price: $300 100% UV protection High-performance polarisation Enhances colour perception by up to 30% Lightweight at 37g

AUTUMN 2026 | YACHTING & BOATING QUARTERLY | 53

SECOND BEAT

NEW LIFEJACKET What you need to know As Parliament considers wider PFD laws, Auckland Council is consulting on making them compulsory for all on vessels 6 metres and under

A

uckland is set to strengthen boating safety rules with proposed changes to its Navigation Bylaw that would require everyone on recreational vessels 6 metres or less in length to wear a properly fitted personal flotation device or lifejacket while the vessel is underway.

The update follows months of review and has now been approved by Auckland Council’s governing body for public consultation. The governing body — made up of the Mayor and 20 councillors — is responsible for region-wide policy decisions, including rules governing recreational boating safety.

Public consultation will run from Monday, 4 May to Sunday, 7 June 2026, with Aucklanders able to provide feedback online or at in-person sessions.

A ‘Have Your Say’ page will host documents, submission forms, and details for those wishing to speak directly to the Bylaw Panel, chaired by Councillor Alf Filipaina, which will consider submissions before any final decision is made.

Under the proposed changes, the person in charge of a vessel would be required to ensure all passengers wear a correctly fitted lifejacket while underway, while stationary vessels would need to carry sufficient lifejackets for everyone on board. The changes would also remove current “skipper discretion” provisions that allow lifejackets not to be worn if permission is given, a clause safety advocates say can create confusion and

reduce compliance.

The proposal sits alongside a separate national Member’s Bill — the Life Jackets for Children and Young Persons Bill — currently before Parliament’s Transport and Infrastructure Committee. Initially focused on requiring lifejackets for under-15s on small recreational craft, the committee signalled in April it was considering expanding the Bill to all occupants of vessels 6 metres or less, following strong public submissions. The consultation phase for that proposed amendment has

‘The key issue is inconsistent laws across the country, and this is an opportunity to apply a consistent approach nationwide.’

Raynor Haagh

now closed, with the Bill still at select committee stage.

Water safety organisations, including Water Safety New Zealand and Coastguard, have long advocated for a single, consistent national approach, arguing the current mix of regional rules creates confusion. Water Safety New Zealand estimates that clearer

54 | YACHTING & BOATING QUARTERLY | AUTUMN 2026

lifejacket rules could save around 12 lives annually and continues to recommend lifejackets be worn at all times in high-risk environments such as rock fishing and tidal areas.

Yachting New Zealand General Manager Community and Development Raynor Haagh said both the bylaw and the Bill aim to reduce drowning risk and improve boating safety despite operating at different levels.

“The key issue is inconsistent laws across the country, and this is an opportunity to apply a consistent approach nationwide,” she said.

“Yachting New Zealand supports any legislation that helps save lives on the water while respecting personal responsibility.”

Recent incidents have reinforced safety concerns. Nelson Harbour Master Stuart Whitehouse last week highlighted a close call at Monaco, where a person

EQUIPMENT & TECHNOLOGY

LAW

8 tender must-haves Your tender isn’t just a shuttle to shore — it’s your backup plan and everyday workhorse while cruising. Whether you’re gearing up for your next rally or planning future offshore adventures, it’s essential to equip it with the right safety features in case of an emergency. Here, the Safety at Sea team shares eight must-have items for a well-prepared tender safety kit, along with a few additional recommendations: a fire extinguisher or fire blanket, navigation lights, a personal locator beacon for remote travel, and a waterproof case to protect your phone.

1. Engine kill cord

You might not think of this as a safety feature, but it tops the list. Wear it!

2. Grab bag

Including a first aid kit, waterproof torch, VHF radio, orange V-sheet, and a supply of food and drinking water.

3. Personal flotation device Proposed changes to Auckland Council’s Navigation Bylaw sits alongside a separate national Member’s Bill that’s currently before Parliament. Photo / Supplied

fell into the water while transferring from a dinghy to a moored yacht. The individual was able to hold onto the dinghy in calm tidal conditions, avoiding what Whitehouse said could have been a far more serious outcome. Posting to social media, Whitehouse noted Maritime New Zealand data showing fatalities are often linked to lifejacket non-wear, particularly among men over 45 and during dinghy-to-yacht transfers, with around 40 deaths in recent years involving dinghies and yachts — most occurring suddenly and close to help.

Auckland Council says the consultation period will be an important opportunity for the public to shape the final bylaw.

“This is a chance for everyone who uses small recreational vessels to have their say on a measure designed to reduce preventable drowning incidents,” Haagh said.

One properly fitting PFD or lifejacket for each person on board.

4. Bailer or a manual pump

A practical and essential tool for small craft to effectively remove water from your vessel.

5. A secure pair of oars

This one might seem obvious, but having a backup for your engine never fails.

6. Anchor...

... with plenty of chain.

7. Throw bag

Enables fast first contact between the boat and a man overboard.

8. Sound signalling device

Ideal for small boats and emergency kits, a manually operated horn like this complies with requirements for vessels under 12 meters.

For more information, click here.

AUTUMN 2026 | YACHTING & BOATING QUARTERLY | 55

SECOND BEAT

The Future of Coach Boats is Electric.

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56 | YACHTING & BOATING QUARTERLY | AUTUMN 2026

EQUIPMENT & TECHNOLOGY

MASTER THE WEATHER WITH JAMES EVENSON Offshore maestro has teamed up with PredictWind to show sailors how to plan safer, smarter passages

L

eading professional offshore sailor, educator, and author James Evenson, the face behind Sailing Zingaro, has teamed up with marine weather forecaster PredictWind to launch a new YouTube video series aimed at helping sailors unlock the full potential of modern weather technology.

The five-part series, titled “PredictWind Playbook by Sailing Zingaro,” goes well beyond basic forecasting. Instead, it reframes weather tools as a complete decision-support system for those heading offshore. Drawing on years of experience at sea, Evenson shares a practical framework for comparing global forecast models, identifying optimal departure windows, and interpreting routing data to plan passages that are not only safer, but more comfortable.

James Evenson.

Photo / PredictWind

“James is a long-time user of PredictWind, and we are excited to team up with him to create this educational series,” says Jon Bilger, founder of PredictWind.

“This playbook goes beyond simply reading forecasts. Drawing on decades of experience and over 85,000 nautical miles offshore, James provides clear, practical advice on the capabilities of modern weather tools, helping boat owners understand what is possible when planning ahead and making confident decisions on the water.”

The series breaks down the often complex world of marine forecasting into accessible, real-world applications. From building a foundational understanding of modern weather tools to translating forecast data into clear passage strategies, the content is designed to bridge the gap between information and action. He also explores how sailors can route for comfort as well as safety, using detailed graphs and summaries to better predict onboard conditions and reduce the risk of fatigue and seasickness.

PredictWind, the series’ partner, is the

world’s leading provider of marine weather forecasting solutions, trusted by sailors and mariners worldwide. Its technology combines advanced weather data with cutting-edge tools, providing accurate, reliable, and comprehensive marine weather information that underpins the decision-making featured in the series.

Tools like the PredictWind Offshore App allow sailors to preload critical data when bandwidth is limited and conditions are demanding, further enhancing safety and confidence at sea.

Beyond routing, the series highlights the importance of situational awareness, examining how tools such as satellite AIS, GPS, and alert systems can reduce mental load and give sailors valuable extra time to react. Timed with the start of the sailing season, the series is a valuable resource for sailors looking to sharpen their planning and decision-making, whether on coastal cruises or extended offshore passages.

For more information or to access the same decision-support system used by Evenson, click here.

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SECOND BEAT

ALL HANDS ON Nigel Richards

FROM THE SAFETY BOAT

Safety at sea is a team effort where everyone has a job to do

T

oo often, when incidents happen at sea, attention lands almost entirely on the skipper or Person in Charge (PiC), as though safety begins and ends with one individual. It doesn’t.

The PiC does carry the highest level of responsibility and legal accountability for the vessel and everyone on board.

That is not in question. But no skipper can be everywhere, see everything, or do everything at once. A boat is not a oneperson operation — and it never has been.

Safe boating depends on every person on board being engaged, aware, and willing to act.

The formal expectation reflects this responsibility clearly. Under Yachting New Zealand Safety Regulations, the PiC is responsible for the safety of the vessel and its crew throughout the voyage, including ensuring appropriate briefings on safety equipment, emergency procedures, and vessel-specific risks. The Maritime

Transport Act similarly defines the “master” as the person in command or charge of a vessel.

But regulation alone does not make a boat safe. Culture does.

For the PiC, responsibility starts with the fundamentals: a seaworthy boat, properly maintained, and fit for the intended voyage. It includes assessing conditions, checking systems and safety equipment, and ensuring the passage plan matches both the boat and the crew on board. And then there is judgement — the quiet, critical decisions about whether to go, when to go, and when not to go.

From there, the reality is practical: a good skipper does not do everything alone.

Tasks should be shared with competent crew — sail handling, watchkeeping,

‘If something doesn’t look right, or doesn’t match what was briefed, it gets raised. Not later, not after the fact — in the moment.

Silence is not a safety system.’

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navigation support, engine checks, radio monitoring, deck operations. But delegation only works when people understand what they are doing, and when they are given the chance to be properly briefed and prepared.

That is where responsibility stops being theoretical and becomes personal.

Every crew member has a role to play.

It begins with preparation — turning up ready, properly equipped, and honest about capability. It continues with attention: listening during briefings, asking questions, and staying engaged rather than drifting into passenger mode. And it includes looking after yourself — managing fatigue, hydration, food, and health — because individual performance at sea is never just individual.

And then there is the simplest, most important behaviour of all: speaking up.

If something doesn’t look right, or doesn’t match what was briefed, it gets raised. Not later, not after the fact — in the moment. Silence is not a safety system, no matter how experienced the crew.

The skipper’s responsibility is to make that voice normal. Not tolerated, but expected.

Good seamanship also depends on distribution of knowledge. The PiC

EQUIPMENT & TECHNOLOGY

DECK Yachting New Zealand, together with clubs, is delivering a Coastal Personal Safety course designed to give crew the tools and confidence to actively support the Person in Charge and contribute to safer outcomes on the water. Photo / Live Sail Die

must understand weather, navigation, collision regulations, tides, and passage planning. But a safer boat is one where that understanding is not confined to a single person. Crew who know the route, the conditions, and the systems they may need to operate create resilience.

If one person becomes unavailable, the boat does not stop functioning.

That principle runs through every part of safe operation — especially briefings.

A boat briefing is not a formality. It is the first real transfer of control.

It covers the vessel’s systems — engine operation, fuel and power, through-hulls, bilge pumps, emergency shut-offs — because no two boats are the same, and assumptions are where mistakes begin.

It extends to deck work and sail handling: reefing, winch use, line management, sail changes.

These are not abstract instructions; they are the actions that keep the boat moving safely when conditions change.

People need to know them before they are required.

Safety equipment sits at the centre of it all. Lifejackets, harnesses, fire response gear, communications, liferafts, and man overboard equipment must not only be present, but understood. In an emergency, there is no time to search, guess, or learn.

The Person in Charge carries the highest level of responsibility and legal accountability but they can’t be everywhere, see everything, or do everything at once.

Photo / SSANZ

That is why drills matter. Man overboard recovery, fire response, radio calls, abandon-ship procedures — these are not box-ticking exercises. They are rehearsals for the moments when thinking time disappears and instinct takes over.

The passage briefing ties everything together: weather, route, hazards, watch systems, sail changes, and what to do when conditions shift. The PiC sets the plan.

The crew carry it — and adapt it when required.

Because that is the reality of being at sea: plans are necessary, but they are never final.

To support this, Yachting New Zealand, together with clubs, is delivering a Coastal Personal Safety course designed to give crew the tools and confidence to actively support the Person in Charge and contribute to safer outcomes on the water.

Because safe boating is never the responsibility of one person alone.

It is the result of everyone on board choosing to notice, to speak, and to act.

Nigel Richards is Yachting New Zealand’s regional development and safety manager, based in Whangārei.

He has more than 30 years’ experience in emergency management, WorkSafe investigations, and offshore sailing safety training.

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HOME STRAIGHT

MISSION IMPOSSIBLE !

D E H S I L P M O C C A abed 70 e s r u o e v a s The swim to

Photo / Joshua McCormack

CHARTING A NEW COURSE

Review highlights barriers for women 62

TURNING HEADS

Meet Pt Chev’s tiny tug 82

AUTUMN 2026 | YACHTING & BOATING QUARTERLY | 61

HOME STRAIGHT Photo / SailGP

UNEVEN KEEL REVIEW HIGHLIGHTS GENDER IMBALANCE IN SAILING

ure

Victoria Low

FROM THE WATCHKEEPER

Despite significant progress over the past few years, the sport still has a lot of work to do

I

n 2025, The Magenta Project set out to answer the question how much of the dial has moved since the 2019 Strategic Review of Women in Sailing, which highlighted the uncomfortable truth of what it was like to be a woman in our sport. The

result was the 2x25 Review — the most comprehensive study of gender equity in sailing in the past six years, drawing on responses from 2,500 people across 68 countries.

Six years on, the findings still did not make comfortable reading. Sixtyfive per cent of women in sailing report experiencing discrimination, 42 per cent of people in the sport are aware of incidents of non-accidental violence, and 49 per cent do not know how to report abuse. The 29 per cent pay gap in professional sailing exists not because of unequal pay, but because women lack access to high-level roles and elite racing experience.

These are not abstract statistics. They describe the lived experience of women in clubs, on racecourses, and in coaching and officiating roles across the globe — including in New Zealand.

Yachting New Zealand has done more than most. The Women and Girls in Sailing strategy, the She Sails NZ brand, support for women-only regattas,

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and the Starling Girls Accelerator Programme are all evidence of genuine commitment. The early signs from the Starling programme — stronger female representation in the top 10 at class nationals — suggest that targeted investment in pathways works.

But hard work remains.

As the 2x25 Review highlights, the initiatives that tend to work in the early stages of equity programmes are visibility initiatives, creating spaces where women feel welcome, celebrating female participation, and making the sport more accessible at entry level.

Visibility alone does not change the structures that determine who progresses, who gets appointed, and who ends up at decision-making table.

The 2x25 Review is clear on this point: the barriers that prevent women from advancing in sailing are structural, not attitudinal. Women are not absent from coaching, officiating, and leadership roles because they lack ambition or ability. They are absent because the

RETURN TO SENDER pathways are not designed with them in mind. Appointment processes that rely on informal networks, progression routes that do not accommodate caring responsibilities, and a culture in which the people who make decisions about who gets opportunities tend to look for people who look like them.

So, what does this mean at club level, where most of the sport actually happens?

It means moving beyond events and visibility campaigns and asking harder questions. Who is on your committee, and how did they get there? What does your appointment process for coaches and race officials look like, and who does it favour? When a woman raises a concern, does she know what to do and trust that something will happen?

It means making inclusion a condition of how your club operates, not an add-on to it. Clubs that are serious about this do not just run women’s regattas, they examine their governance structures, their coaching appointments, their safeguarding policies, and their culture, and they ask honestly whether any of those things get in the way.

And it means being willing to sit with some uncomfortable data. The 2x25 Review found that 49 per cent of people in sailing do not know how to report abuse. That number should give us pause. Knowing a policy exists is not the same as knowing how to use it and closing that gap is something every club can act on today.

Yachting New Zealand is well placed to lead this next phase. The foundation is there. The strategy exists. What is needed now is a shift from programmes that invite women to structures that ensure they can stay, progress, and lead.

The 2x25 Review is not a verdict on what sailing has failed to do. It is a map of where the work still needs to happen.

New Zealand has always punched above its weight in this sport.

There is no reason it cannot do the same on this.

Victoria Low is the CEO of the Magenta Project and former Head of the World Sailing Trust, where she led global work on participation, gender equity, and authored World Sailing’s strategic review on women in sailing.

Click here for the full 2x25 Review.

Behind the boat name Rehab

Before

After

In the latest instalment of her series on the origins of quirky boat names, Kathy Young explores the story behind Rehab.

And then life handed them the answer.

“I had recently broken my hip in a skiing accident,” Sanderson explained. “When we saw that the boat’s original name was Rehab, we had a good chuckle. It almost felt like fate – I was in rehab on my busted hip, and we’d bought Rehab. It was a no-brainer really.”

Rehab is now owned by a four-person syndicate, including the boat’s designer, Shaw, himself. “We were in the process of discussing modernising Rehab when Rob came on board – wings on at deck level, a reshaped transom and a chine on the bilge – all aimed at speed. It was quite a relief and a great endorsement when Rob wanted to buy in.”

Between experimental sails from Doyle (Graham Clarke, senior executive at Doyle, is another co-owner), and lock developments from co-owner Rick Hackett from KZ Marine Group, Rehab is as much a working test platform as a weekend racer.

According to Sanderson, this experimentation and rework are a great contrast to his highperformance sailing work, where gains are microscopic. “I call it painting with a wide brush. It’s big-picture problems, and big-picture solutions for Rehab.”

It seems the boat name fits on every level: the boat is in recovery; her owner is on the mend and the design is getting the extra treatment it deserves.

Some boats find their people by accident. Others, it seems, find them by fate. For Volvo Ocean Race winning skipper (2005-06) and current President of Doyle Sails International, Mike Sanderson, the story of Rehab includes a TradeMe auction, a broken hip and a name that had been waiting more than a decade to come home.

The Shaw 35 was originally launched as Rehab in 2012. It later came under New Caledonian ownership, and was renamed Keel Bill, a French play on Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill movie. It was painted yellow, with blood splatters across the name.

Some years later it returned to New Zealand. In 2023, Sanderson spotted it listed on TradeMe. “I was already connected to Rob Shaw’s boat design work,” Sanderson said. “A decade earlier, I acquired a small Shaw-designed hull and decks that we named Orbit. It had been sitting around for a few years so we finished the build and sailed her for six months or so before selling her to an Australian owner.”

But the experience had stuck with him, and with his children in Optimists and 29ers at the time, he wanted to offer them some keelboat sailing. But the old name, Keel Bill, never really landed. “You can imagine with a French accent it would probably be cool, but it didn’t really work with the Kiwi dialect.”

The name had to go.

If you have any fun or quirky stories about your boat’s name, please send them through to eduan@yachtingnz.org.nz

AUTUMN 2026 | YACHTING & BOATING QUARTERLY | 63

HOME STRAIGHT

RAGNAR RISES Kathy Young retraces how a last-minute crew conquered New Zealand’s biggest offshore challenge

KEY MOMENTS

W

hen their owner pulled out weeks before the start, Brett Elliott and James Glidden took the helm of Ragnar — and proved that consistency and grit can conquer New Zealand’s toughest offshore race.

The Round North Island Yacht Race (RNI) has been testing offshore sailors since 1977, when Sir Peter Blake, inspired by the Round Britain Race, and Martin Foster, drawing on his own New Zealand

circumnavigation aboard Truant, launched the inaugural event. Fortyfour boats started, with 39 finishing, and Blake and Graham Eder on Gerontius taking line honours.

The standard was set for what would become a bucket-list challenge for sailors nationwide.

This year, sponsored by Doyle Sails, 26 yachts sailed anticlockwise across four legs totalling more than 1,250 nautical miles. The two-handed race takes about

28 February, 10am

2 March, 9am

Leg 1 of the 2026 Doyle Sails Round North Island Two-Handed Yacht Race starts from Victoria Wharf, Devonport.

1 March, 00.47am

Explore Racing crosses the Leg 1 finish at Mangōnui in 14h 47m 38s.

1 March, 2.07am

Motorboat III tops Leg 1 PHRF (14h 52m 24s).

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Leg 2 starts from Mangōnui, Doubtless Sound.

5 March, 2.31pm

Explore Racing finishes Leg 2 in the Charlotte Sounds (3d 5h 11m 32s).

5 March, 5.16pm

Kick takes out Leg 2 on PHRF in a time of 2d 19h 6m 46s.

2026 DOYLE SAILS ROUND NORTH ISLAND RACE

Brett Elliott and James Glidden were a last-minute entry for this year's Doyle Sails Round North Island.

Photos / Live Sail Die

two weeks, with boats ranging from eight to 15 meters and crews from hardened racers to casual cruisers. It’s this diversity that fuels tight racing for both line honours and PHRF handicap prizes.

Run by the Shorthanded Sailing Association of New Zealand (SSANZ) since 1996, the RNI has become the pinnacle of New Zealand offshore keelboat racing outside harbour regattas.

“The race is considered the pinnacle of New Zealand keelboat sailing outside

of any intense harbour-based regatta,” said RNI Race Director Garry Jolliffe.

Just reaching the start line is an achievement. Each yacht must hold a category 2 safety certificate from Yachting New Zealand, complete a 250-nautical-mile qualifying passage with both co-skippers, and demonstrate advanced first aid and sea survival skills.

Medical clearance is also required.

This year, the fleet faced calms, galeforce winds, fog, choppy seas, heavy rain,

and sunshine. While some crews aimed for a hard-fought contest, others were simply intent on finishing.

Xxxxxxxxxxxx. Photo: “Everyone is helping everyone to Xxxxxxxx get around the country,” said one of the winners. “You become a team, and you certainly make friends for life.”

R

ace officer Geoff Herd, stepping up from safety officer just months before the event, described the challenge of managing a race with

CONTINUED P66 >>

9 March, 1pm

Leg 3 starts from Tory Channel, Queen Charlotte Sounds.

10 March, 10.57am

13 March, 1pm

Leg 4 begins from Napier to Waitematā.

15 March, 6.45pm

Explore Racing finishes Leg 3 near Napier (21h 57m 36s).

Explore Racing finishes Leg 4, claiming four line honours from four starts (2d 5h 45m 21s provisional).

10 March, 1:23pm

15 March, 9.07pm

Motorboat III wins Leg 3 PHRF (22h 29m 31s corrected).

Motorboat III (pictured right) tops Leg 4 on PHRF (2d 3h 45m 5s corrected).

Continued on p74

AUTUMN 2026 | YACHTING & BOATING QUARTERLY | 65

HOME STRAIGHT Continued from p65

relentless weather transitions instead of a single defining system.

“We weren’t staring down the barrel of fronts coming through with gale force conditions,” he said, “but there were a lot more weather transitions, which I think made it a lot harder for the competitors.

Legs two, three and four all required ‘whatif’ conversations among the committee before we confirmed start times.”

For Ragnar, the approach paid off.

Elliott and Glidden finished second on all but one leg, securing the Overall PHRF prize — a remarkable achievement for a crew brought together at the last minute.

“It’s very rare to see such consistency of a boat across all conditions, especially for a duo that came together really late in the piece,” said Jolliffe. For Elliott, the win

carried extra meaning: his father had won the overall in 1989.

The Line Overall prize, for the shortest elapsed time, went to Jesse Turner and Will Goodfellow on Explore Racing, while Josh Tucker and Damon Jolliffe on Motorboat III won Division One and the overall PHRF points trophy. For seasoned competitors like Tucker and Jolliffe, who have completed the RNI 11 times between them, variable conditions demand preparation and adaptability.

“Getting to the start line is always the hard part. Once you’re at the start line, all you have to do is go sailing,” said Tucker.

Damon Jolliffe added: “Everyone thinks the more you do it, the easier it is. Actually, it’s harder, because the more you realise you’ve got to do.”

MEET THE FLEET ĀKONGA

HIGH 5

PHYSICAL FAVOURS

Focus.

Crew: Nick Roberts and Max Livingstone Boat: Dehler 41 Leg 1: 26th (ret.)

Leg 2: 4th Leg 3: 20th Leg 4: 15th Elapsed time: 10:6:14:00 Corrected time: 8:3:51:25 Corrected overall: 23rd

Crew: Ryan McCready and Andrew Child Boat: Ross 9.1 Leg 1: 14th Leg 2: 23rd Leg 3: 14th Leg 4: 20th Elapsed time: 10:5:07:19 Corrected time: 8:8:30:35 Corrected overall: 20th

HIGHER GROUND

Crew: John Seely and Matthew Wilson Boat: Ross 1066 Leg 1: 22nd Leg 2: 21st Leg 3: 18th Leg 4: 18th Elapsed time: 9:8:08:54 Corrected time: 8:4:34:41 Corrected overall: 19th

Crew: Bernie Hyde and Thomas Hyde Boat: Cookson 47 Leg 1: 16th Leg 2: 13th Leg 3: 22nd Leg 4: 24th (ret.)

Elapsed time: 10:2:16:12 Corrected time: 8:3:12:45 Corrected overall: 23rd

KOKOMEA

Crew: Geoff Faulkner and Stu Morgan Boat: First 40.7 Leg 1: 21st Leg 2: 26th (ret.)

Leg 3: 26th (DNS) Leg 4: 24th (DNS) Elapsed time: 10:10:22:14 Corrected time: 8:5:05:41 Corrected overall: 23rd

Crew: Ben Sinton and Shaun Grigg Boat: Ross 8 Leg 1: 15th Leg 2: 19th Leg 3: 24th Leg 4: 21st Elapsed time: 10:9:57:21 Corrected time: 8:2:57:56 Corrected overall: 18th

Crew: John Power and Richard Power Boat: Farr 1020 Leg 1: 11th Leg 2: 22nd Leg 3: 17th Leg 4: 24th (ret.)

Elapsed time: 10:4:11:22 Corrected time: 8:4:44:16 Corrected overall: 23rd

M

id-fleet stories were equally compelling. Ryan McCready and Andrew Child, on Physical Favours, inherited a boat from McCready’s late godfather with one condition: do this race.

After rounding the top of New Zealand, a broken anchor lashing damaged the main bulkhead, yet they repaired it and completed the leg — and the race.

“For them to turn around, go back,

HIGHLINE

CATNIP

KAYIMAI

GENERAL LEE RACING

Crew: Andrew MacMurdie, Jen Haliday Boat: Dufour 455 GL Leg 1: 24th Leg 2: 25th Leg 3: 25th Leg 4: 22nd Elapsed time: 11:13:36:24 Corrected time: 9:3:51:52 Corrected overall: 22nd

Crew: Geoff Thorn and Katie Mathison Boat: Beneteau First 45 Leg 1: 25th Leg 2: 24th Leg 3: 23rd Leg 4: 23rd Elapsed time: 10:8:44:00 Corrected time: 8:23:39:06 Corrected overall: 21st

Ākonga.

Photos: Live Sail Die

C U LATER

L’AVANTI

Competitors faced several weather transitions. Photo / Liv

START ME UP

Crew: Harri Wren and Peron Pearse Boat: Ross 930 Leg 1: 8th Leg 2: 15th Leg 3: 19th Leg 4: 17th Elapsed time: 10:2:21:33 Corrected time: 7:13:17:05 Corrected overall: 17th

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CARPE DIEM

Crew: Rowan Smith and Lydia Boyd Boat: Elliott 10.66 Leg 1: 13th Leg 2: 11th Leg 3: 12th Leg 4: 19th Elapsed time: 9:14:57:55 Corrected time: 7:12:36:53 Corrected overall: 16th

Crew: Karen Selway and Kevin Smith Boat: Azuree 46 Leg 1: 20th Leg 2: 16th Leg 3: 21st Leg 4: 9th Elapsed time: 8:13:48:41 Corrected time: 7:10:26:19 Corrected overall: 15th

Crew: Cam Thorpe and Tim Holgate Boat: Bakewell-White 37 Leg 1: 9th Leg 2: 18th Leg 3: 6th Leg 4: 13th Elapsed time: 8:3:34:02 Corrected time: 7:10:21:26 Corrected overall: 14th

2026 DOYLE SAILS ROUND NORTH ISLAND RACE

anchor up, effect repairs, and then complete the leg and complete the whole race,” said Herd, “I think that’s a pretty awesome thing to do.”

Other crews showed similar perseverance: Hotdogger (Nigel Bish and Sin Grujicic) finished leg two with a broken D1 stay holding the mast together, while Highline (Andrew MacMurdie and Jen Haliday) demonstrated remarkable

endurance.

At the front, Explore Racing was blistering on legs one and three, while Motorboat III won three legs but missed the overall major prize — according to Garry Jolliffe, “both mathematically possible and emotionally brutal”.

Preparation is key, as Elliott and Glidden know. Their late start didn’t stop them from achieving peak performance, while Tucker and Damon Jolliffe undertook months of modifications to Motorboat III, including new sails, rigging, foot chocks, and internal systems.

The race also highlights the volunteer backbone of offshore sailing. Doyle Sails travelled with the fleet, repairing sails at every stopover and transforming the Napier Sailing Club into a makeshift sail loft.

“It doesn’t really matter what stickers are on your sail when you get into port,” said Garry Jolliffe. “The Doyle team were there to help.”

Inspiring the next generation, Sharon Ferris-Choat from Vixen Racing spoke to junior sailors at Queen Charlotte Yacht Club, where 15 aspiring sailors toured race boats. With young talent like Ben Roff on Kick and Lydia Boyd on Carpe Diem, the pipeline of offshore sailors remains strong.

For those willing to brave New Zealand’s coastal waters, the next “lap” of the North Island is scheduled for 2029.

For Brett Elliott and James Glidden, Ragnar proved that even a last-minute crew, when paired with skill and determination, can write their own offshore legend.

EXPLORE RACING

PERFECT STORM

MOTORBOAT II

ve Sail Die

Crew: Jesse Turner, William Goodfellow Boat: Elliott 50 Leg 1: 5th Leg 2: 20th Leg 3: 3rd Leg 4: 11th Elapsed time: 7:0:02:17 Corrected time: 7:8:36:29 Corrected overall: 13th

HOTDOGGER

Crew: Nigel Bish and Sin Grujicic Boat: Ross 930 Leg 1: 6th Leg 2: 17th Leg 3: 9th Leg 4: 6th Elapsed time: 9:12:41:20 Corrected time: 7:6:29:23 Corrected overall: 12th

Crew: Ken Ormandy and Lori Ormandy Boat: Stomp 38 Leg 1: 23rd Leg 2: 9th Leg 3: 13th Leg 4: 14th Elapsed time: 8:1:14:26 Corrected time: 7:5:54:59 Corrected overall: 11th

Kayimai.

FOCUS

Crew: Craig Fraser and Rob Croft Boat: Elliott 1350 Tourer Leg 1: 17th Leg 2: 6th Leg 3: 16th Leg 4: 5th Elapsed time: 7:21:29:13 Corrected time: 7:0:04:30 Corrected overall: 6th

WHICHWAY

Crew: Bruce Gault and Craig McMillan Boat: Davidson 52 Leg 1: 19th Leg 2: 14th Leg 3: 7th Leg 4: 7th Elapsed time: 8:4:03:10 Corrected time: 7:5:30:24 Corrected overall: 10th

Crew: Alan Quere and Vincent Trinquet Boat: Elliott 10.50 Leg 1: 7th Leg 2: 5th Leg 3: 8th Leg 4: 16th Elapsed time: 8:0:21:09 Corrected time: 7:4:57:15 Corrected overall: 9th

Crew: Steve Newcombe and Craig Parker Boat: Pogo 36 Leg 1: 18th Leg 2: 8th Leg 3: 15th Leg 4: 4th Elapsed time: 8:5:05:33 Corrected time: 6:23:55:22 Corrected overall: 5th

KICK

Crew: Brendan Sands and Ben Roff Boat: Elliott 1050 Leg 1: 10th Leg 2: 1st Leg 3: 5th Leg 4: 8th Elapsed time: 8:3:22:31 Corrected time: 6:19:20:01 Corrected overall: 4th

Crew: Andrew Benton and Andrew Hall Boat: Sun Fast 3300 Leg 1: 3rd Leg 2: 10th Leg 3: 11th Leg 4: 12th Elapsed time: 8:17:40:05 Corrected time: 7:2:02:27 Corrected overall: 8th

VIXEN RACING

Whichway.

PIPI

INDIS

Crew: Sharon FerrisChoat and Taylor Edwards Boat: Verdier 40 Leg 1: 4th Leg 2: 12th Leg 3: 2nd Leg 4: 10th Elapsed time: 7:14:02:12 Corrected time: 7:0:44:53 Corrected overall: 7th

NIKSEN

Crew: Logan Fraser and Marc Michel Boat: Dehler 30OD Leg 1: 12th Leg 2: 3rd Leg 3: 10th Leg 4: 3rd Elapsed time: 8:5:54:37 Corrected time: 6:19:04:41 Corrected overall: 3rd

MOTORBOAT III

Crew: Damon Jolliffe and Josh Tucker Boat: Thompson 1150 Leg 1: 1st Leg 2: 7th Leg 3: 1st Leg 4: 1st Elapsed time: 7:6:20:54 Corrected time: 6:16:44:57 Corrected overall: 2nd

RAGNAR

Crew: Brett Elliott and James Glidden Boat: Sunfast 3300 Leg 1: 2nd Leg 2: 2nd Leg 3: 4th Leg 4: 2nd Elapsed time: 8:1:53:49 Corrected time: 6:15:11:22 Corrected overall: 1st

AUTUMN 2026 | YACHTING & BOATING QUARTERLY | 67

HOME STRAIGHT

‘FAIR & SUSTAINABLE’ FOCUS Yachting New Zealand is looking at its membership and affiliation fee structure, with a newly appointed advisory group set to help shape a model that reflects the realities facing clubs

T

he review of Yachting New Zealand’s national membership model and club affiliation fee structure is well underway, with a 16-member Membership and Affiliation Advisory Group now in place and work progressing at pace.

The review aims to ensure the current system continues to meet the evolving needs of the organisation’s more than 100 affiliated clubs nationwide. It follows a commitment made at last year’s AGM, where the review was identified as a key priority for 2026.

“This is an important piece of work for the sport,” said Yachting New Zealand

CEO Steve Armitage.

“The landscape for sailing and boating clubs is changing, and we want to ensure our membership and affiliation model reflects the realities clubs are facing while supporting the long-term health of the sport.”

The advisory group was formed at the end of March, bringing together representatives from small, medium, and large clubs, youth members, and Yachting New Zealand staff.

It is co-chaired by Armitage and Milford Cruising Club Commodore Andrew Robertson.

The group met virtually for the first time in late April, focusing on finalising a survey to be completed by all affiliated clubs.

“We want to ensure our membership and affiliation model reflects the realities clubs face every day, and this survey is the first critical step in achieving that,” said Robertson.

“The Yachting New Zealand Membership Profile and Affiliation Survey is designed to build a more complete and accurate picture of who

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‘The landscape for sailing and boating clubs is changing, and we want to Continued from p75membership ensure our and affiliation model reflects the realities clubs are facing while supporting the longterm health of the sport.’

Steve Armitage

makes up the membership of affiliated clubs and the activities they participate in. The information gathered will directly inform the Advisory Group’s work and help ensure any future affiliation model reflects the full diversity of clubs across

MEMBERSHIP AND AFFILIATION

AS REVIEW GATHERS PACE New Zealand.”

The advisory group will assess the strengths and limitations of the current model and explore potential reform options before presenting recommendations to the Yachting New Zealand Board ahead of the 2026 AGM. Any decisions taken at the AGM will come into effect the following year.

“We continue to see shifts in participation, pressures on volunteer capacity, and changing expectations around how people engage with sport,” Armitage said.

“This review is about making sure our systems are fair, transparent, and financially sustainable while continuing to support grassroots clubs.”

Areas under examination include the membership proposition and classification system, the current affiliation fee structure, non-competitive and social participation, digital and reporting systems, and how valuesled membership and contribution models might operate in the future.

The advisory group will also consider broader factors shaping participation in

A 16-strong Membership and Affiliation Advisory Group is leading the work. Photo / Supplied

sailing and community sport, including youth development pathways, the rise of non-competitive and social sailing, and the need for more flexible and inclusive membership models.

With the advisory group now confirmed, meetings are scheduled through to the end of June.

“Even for those who haven’t been

appointed to the advisory group, there will still be opportunities to provide feedback and contribute to the review as it progresses,” Armitage said.

“We’re keen to get a diverse range of voices involved, particularly from clubs themselves. The aim is to build a model that genuinely reflects participation in sailing and works for clubs of all sizes.”

The review aims to ensure the current system continues to meet the evolving needs of affiliated clubs nationwide.

Photo / Supplied

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SUSTAINABILITY

Jono Ridler finished his epic swim of almost 1400km in April.

Photo / Joshua McCormack

In April, Jono Ridler completed the longest unassisted, staged swim ever attempted – along the east coast of NZ. He spoke with Kathy Young about what drove him to action for an ocean under threat Continued on p72

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Ridler spent 600 hours in the water (above) and many more campaigning (far right).

Continued from p71

I

t’s before dawn somewhere off the coast of Ahuriri, Napier. The water temperature is 19 degrees, the swell unforgiving, and Jono Ridler is already hours into his shift.

No wetsuit. Unassisted. Just togs, goggles, a swim cap (sometimes), on a singular mission to swim the entire east coast of New Zealand’s North Island – from North Cape to Te Whanganuia-Tara Wellington – to ask the motu to listen up about the state of its ocean.

What Ridler is attempting has never been done before. It’s an unassisted, staged swim across more than 1350km of open water. He rests ashore, then gets back in, and does it all again. Day and night, with GPS markers logging every point so that each new shift starts exactly where the last one ended.

Ridler first got into the water as part of the Swim4TheOcean initiative with Live Ocean on 5 January 2026, to urge the Government to end bottom trawling on all seamounts by the end of 2027, both in our Exclusive Economic Zone and the South Pacific high seas. They also demand an immediate shift away from bottom trawling.

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SUSTAINABILITY

A petition with over 73,000 signatures was delivered to the Government, calling for a ban on bottom trawling (above left). Photos / Supplied

'It wasn't until my early twenties that I stumbled into open-water swimming in what became an unlikely passion.'

Jono Ridler

Eighty-nine days later, Ridler arrived at his destination in Wellington after spending approximately 600 hours in the water and has just handed over a petition with 73,647 signatures to the Government.

“It wasn’t until my early twenties that I stumbled into open-water swimming in what became an unlikely passion,” Ridler said. “To that, I owe a debt of gratitude to my brother and dad, who together introduced me to this world through a local ocean swimming event. It was three kilometres of pain, fear, anxiety, relief and joy that made me feel unbelievably alive and set me on a collision course with fate.”

The mission pushed his limits, Ridler admits.

“I was swimming around the clock, coming ashore only to rest and refuel.

It was incredibly challenging, but I feel strongly that we can and must do better to care for the ocean.”

Spending long stretches in the water took a clear toll on Ridler’s body, particularly due to constant salt exposure. At times, the back of his throat and tongue became raw and irritated, while he

also experienced widespread strain through his upper body, with ongoing soreness and fatigue affecting his shoulders, arms, and back.

Ridler travelled with a small support crew who helped him manage these physical challenges and provided an essential layer of safety throughout the journey. Their presence was especially reassuring during encounters with marine life, including jellyfish, turtles, dolphins, penguins, and whales. Early in the swim, he was even joined briefly by a shark swimming alongside him — a striking reminder of the

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'Bottom trawling is Continued from p75 wiping out ecosystems that may be thousands of years old.'

Karli Thomas

Continued from p73

unpredictable environment he was navigating.

At 36, Ridler was already one of New Zealand’s most extraordinary open-water swimmers before undertaking this latest adventure.

He completed the Triple Crown – swimming the Cook Strait, Lake Taupō and Foveaux Strait – becoming only the 14th person to do so. Then, in May 2023, he smashed the national record for the longest unassisted continuous open-water swim, covering almost 100km non-stop from Karaka Bay on Aotea Great Barrier Island to Campbells Bay on Auckland’s North Shore. That effort was completed in partnership with the Live Ocean Foundation to raise awareness about the declining health of Tīkapa Moana te Moananui-ā-Toi Hauraki Gulf.

“My Hauraki Gulf swim showed me

how endurance sport can bring real attention to ocean issues, and that people care,” Ridler said. “That purpose gets me through the tough moments.”

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ven within the sailing community, bottom trawling remains poorly understood.

The fishing method involves dragging heavily weighted nets across the seabed, indiscriminately flattening everything in its path. It doesn’t just catch fish, it wipes out ancient corals, sponge gardens and fish nurseries that are found on our undersea mountains. Entire marine food chains rely on the sea floor.

Karli Thomas, Aotearoa Deep Sea Campaign Lead with the Deep Sea Conservation Coalition, is unequivocal about the damage being done.

“Bottom trawling is wiping out ecosystems that may be thousands of years old,” she said. “Our deep-sea corals grow extremely slowly and can easily be destroyed by a heavy trawl net. Bottom trawling on seamounts is like ripping pages out of our history books – damage that will last well beyond our lifetimes.”

Seamounts, the underwater mountain ranges that rise from the seafloor, are among the most biodiverse and ecologically

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vital habitats on the planet. They serve as feeding grounds, spawning sites, and migration waypoints for species across the ocean. When a trawl net destroys a seamount ecosystem, recovery can take decades or even centuries. Some say it never fully recovers.

“In the deep sea, it’s as if life happens in slow motion. Even the fish are ancient – orange roughy can live to well over 200 years old. And bottom trawling orange roughy on seamounts is a double catastrophe – destroying their habitat but also targeting them when they have gathered to reproduce.”

New Zealand is still bottom trawling seamounts in its own waters. It’s also the only nation that still bottom trawls seamounts in the South Pacific high seas (beyond 200 nautical miles offshore).

According to research conducted in 2025, 78 per cent of Kiwis are in favour of a ban on bottom trawling in the South Pacific high seas.

“New Zealand once had the world’s largest orange roughy population. It has since crashed to just 8 to 18 per cent of its original size,” Thomas said.

“For a nation of innovators, particularly in the yachting world, we are seriously lagging in this area.”

SUSTAINABILITY

Ridler travelled with a small support crew who provided an essential layer of safety throughout the journey. Photos / Joshua McCormack

Jono's journey 'call for collective action' Jono Ridler’s extraordinary effort to swim the full length of the North Island’s east coast reflects a growing commitment within New Zealand’s sailing community to protect and better understand the moana.

At Yachting New Zealand, that commitment is taking shape through people and programmes, embedded within a broader framework of support, education and development for affiliated clubs.

“Initiatives like Jono’s Swim4TheOcean don’t exist in isolation, they’re part of a wider movement within our sailing communities to better protect our moana and to keep learning,” said Hayley Dawe, who leads the organisation’s sustainability work alongside her regional development role.

Her position links grassroots club activity with national initiatives, ensuring environmental thinking is integrated across club services.

A recent example came through a partnership with SailGP and Live Ocean during the Auckland SailGP event, where Swim4TheOcean was showcased

alongside Yachting New Zealand’s RŪNĀ programme. The activation gave tamariki and rangatahi opportunities to engage directly with the marine environment through hands-on learning.

RŪNĀ encourages young people to become citizen scientists by exploring voyaging heritage, understanding wind-powered sailing, and building connections with their local waters.

“It sits alongside other initiatives such as the Clean Club programme, currently under review to ensure it remains relevant,” Dawe said. “Together, these programmes reinforce that environmental responsibility in sailing requires collective action.”

While sustainability is a growing focus, it is one part of a wider member services ecosystem, including safety and compliance, governance and advocacy, coaching and club programmes, and work across education, events and sailing administration.

“Together, these efforts reinforce the same message at the heart of Jono’s journey: protecting the ocean requires collective action,” Dawe said.

Hayley Dawe is Yachting New Zealand's regional development and sustainability manager.

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A graceful stingray glides through the clear waters off the Tutukaka coast, captured in November 2025.

Photo / Grace Farrier

Seahorse among the tanks at The National Aquarium in Napier.

Photo / Jayen Hira

Australasian gannets perform their courtship dance at Cape Ki colour among the colony. Photo / Stans van den Burg

Dolphins surfacing off Caroline Bay, Timaru.

Photo / Melissa O’Connor

Seaweek 2026 10 moments of marine magic The winners of the 2026 Seaweek Photo Competition have been announced, showcasing the beauty and diversity of Aotearoa’s marine environment.

The competition attracted 36 entries from locations spanning Tutukaka to Dunedin.

First place went to Grace Farrier of Whangārei Girls’ High School for a

striking image of a stingray off Tutukaka.

Second place was awarded to Matti Raven from Nelson Intermediate School,

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whose photograph of a black-billed gull highlights one of New Zealand’s most threatened bird species.

Third place went to Stans van den Burg of Dunedin, who captured Australasian gannets at Cape Kidnappers.

Supported by Smart Marine, each winner received a voucher of up to $150.

SEAWEEK COMPETITION

idnappers, Hawke’s Bay, a striking display of movement and

Fish on display at The National Aquarium in Napier. Photo / Jayen Hira

A large-bellied seahorse photographed at Te Ana Marina, Lyttelton. Photo / Sally Stewart

Orca spotted in Tory Channel.

Photo / Karen Knofflock

A black-billed gull soars above Tahunanui Beach, showcasing one of Aotearoa’s most threatened coastal birds in flight. Photo / Matti Raven

Jellyfish drifting in the clear waters of Chalky Inlet, Fiordland. Photo / Oonagh Daly

A red-billed gull chick exploring near the Royal Albatross Centre, Dunedin. Photo / Sian Crowley

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HOBSONVILLE’S H

obsonville Yacht Club, established in 1934, has taken many guises over the years.

With the completion of the Upper Waitematā Marine Centre in April, a partnership with a traditional Pacific sailing programme, and a strong community focus in recent years, it is now entering an exciting new era of getting West Aucklanders on the water.

The club has its roots in the Royal New Zealand Air Force. It was established to serve military personnel on the RNZAF bases in Hobsonville and Whenuapai, and this heritage remains very evident in membership and in the stories told around the bar!

In 2020, with the base long gone, the original clubhouse was taken down to make room for more development in the Hobsonville Point area and operations were moved to temporary quarters nearby. Despite this challenge, the club endured and broadened its focus from primarily keelboats to inspiring the next generation of sailors.

After a successful Have a Go Day in 2015, there were a lot of kids wanting to learn to sail and very few resources.

An array of affordable wooden Optimists was sourced from TradeMe. Current Commodore Gill Moore, who was a driver for the LTS programming, remembers that “teaching rigging was a nightmare, because they were all a little bit different.” Funding was eventually found to acquire a fleet of SailQube plastic Optimists, two Quest dinghies, and later, some O’pen Skiffs with the help of Trillian Trust. RIBs for safety boats

Some of Hobsonville Yacht Club’s dinghy fleet on the water in front of the new Upper Waitematā Marine Centre. Photos / Supplied

have been collected or donated over the years, with support in this area from Yachting New Zealand.

Keelboat owners often race in a summer series hosted by the neighbouring Clearwater Cove Yacht club, and in 2025 a traditional rivalry between the clubs was renewed when HYC hosted the Golden Rivet competition. The fleet for this event included everything from 40+ footers to a two-hander Quest.

With limited facilities and funding, the removal of the old clubhouse, and Covid lockdowns, growth has been slow for the club. However, the recent completion of the Upper Waitematā Marine Centre is renewing energy and opportunity.

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A partnership with the Moana Wayfinders Trust, led by Sonny Natianelu and aimed at restoring traditional voyaging knowledge, sailing skills, and water confidence to Pacific communities, has also brought new faces and enthusiasm. Experienced adult and teen club members have completed Yachting New Zealand coaching certification and put this to use both with club juniors and the Moana Wayfinders group.

Currently led by Moore, vice commodore Hamish Littin, an experienced executive committee, and a core group of volunteers, the club has big plans to make the most of the new space. They will provide the

AROUND THE REGIONS

HOMECOMING Early-morning learn-to-sail sessions with the Moana Wayfinders Trust group.

Boats being moved into the new facility.

Hobsonville Point area (and all of West Auckland) opportunities to learn about and participate in the sport of sailing, get out on the water, and access the broader maritime world.

According to Moore, initiatives are also in place to host and facilitate learning around a wide variety of topics from local ecology to knots and splicing to boat maintenance, as well as running formal learn-to-sail programmes for children and adults.

“The club is ready to welcome kayakers, wingfoilers, and more; any and all community members who want to enjoy the upper Waitematā Harbour in a safe, supportive, and friendly environment,” she said.

“Hobsonville Yacht Club is truly a grassroots organisation, entirely

volunteer-run and community-focused.

The leadership is absolutely committed to nurturing and promoting the talent of the youngsters who sail there, and would love to see their sailors on the world stage.”

However, there is no desire to be solely a competitive breeding ground for Olympians — family, fun, and community outreach are both the voyage and the destination, Moore added.

The move to the new facility was undertaken in true HYC style: everyone pitching in, a lot of problem-solving on the fly, and a BBQ on the deck to end the day.

For more information, get in touch with Hobsonville Yacht Club at learntosail@hycnz.org.nz.

Club focus Hobsonville Yacht Club Established: 1934 Sailing waters: Upper Waitematā Harbour.

Commodore: Gill Moore.

Membership: Approximately 150 members.

Notable current/ former members: Jim Ellis, Colin Rickett, Gary Swain, Kim Admore.

Biggest fleet(s): O’pen Skiff, RS Quest.

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The Anita Dobson & Co Women on Water Weekend (pictured right) at Gulf Harbour Yacht Club in mid-March saw two days of racing in south-westerlies gusting to 26 knots, with Lidgard 35 C McGuire, Sweet Chariot and Enigma 11 winning their divisions.

Manly Sailing Club hosted the inaugural 2026 New Zealand iQFOiL Pacific Championships (pictured left), with Eli Liefting and Maya Gysler winning the men’s and women’s fleets. Youth titles went to Vlad Misescu and Elbe White, and Liam Herbert won the open men’s title.

Wakatere Boating Club is seeking a new head coach following Gauthier Thomas’ departure, with expressions of interest open ahead of a flexible August 2026 start. The club farewelled Thomas after two years as he heads to a coaching role in Hong Kong.

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The PredictWind Girls Regatta at Kohimarama Yacht Club 16 17 (pictured bottom left) featured 129 sailors across nine fleets, with winners including Oak Galbraith (Starling Open), Libby Briscoe (Development) and Bella Jenkins and Jess Handley (29er).

The Waikato Yacht Squadron’s Nog n’ Natter at Hamilton Yacht Club on 29 April saw Yachting New Zealand regional development and sustainability manager Hayley Dawe discussing the organisation’s role in supporting sailing across more than 200 member clubs and classes.

Tauranga Yacht and Powerboat Club (pictured top right) reported 820 children sailed through its RŪNĀ programme over the past year, almost doubling the 414 recorded in the previous 12 months.

The Poverty Bay Championships have been postponed for a second time, with the 2026 event now rescheduled to mid-November at Gisborne Yacht Club after earlier postponements from February to Easter due to bad weather.

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Royal Akarana Yacht Club hosted the Balokovic Cup to close the 2026 Doyle Sails Gold Cup Series, with Sunfast 3300 Indis winning on PHRF, while MOD70 Wraith II took multihull line honours in the 89nm overnight race.

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Wanganui Sailing Club’s Fun Cruise from 8 Motuoapa around the island and back was held over Wellington Anniversary weekend, with local sailors Scott Bullock (Noelex 30) and Linzi Stevenson (Noelex 25) taking the honours after four hours of sailing (pictured top).

Plimmerton Boating Club hosted its Fishing & Diving Competition on 25–26 April, featuring a $15,000 prize pool, with prizes for longest species, averages, and special categories for kids and women.

Heretaunga Boating Club has reviewed its coaching programme after a session with Yachting New Zealand regional development and coaching manager Jenny Armstrong, introducing refinements to coaching structure and record keeping to better support sailors of different levels across junior sessions.

Lowry Bay Yacht Club is hosting the Long Harbour Series 2026 on Wellington Harbour, with four races running to 17 May for spinnaker and non-spinnaker fleets. There are excellent prizes on offer. Enter at www.lbyc.org.nz.

Worser Bay Boating Club and Wakatere Boating Club both marked their centenaries recently, with Worser Bay holding celebrations in Wellington (pictured right) and Wakatere hosting events from 27 February to 1 March.

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Waikawa Boating Club (pictured right) is inviting applications for development and administration manager roles, either as two part-time positions or a combined full-time role, to support

TELLTALES Send your club or class association news to eduan@yachtingnz.org.nz

operations, membership, events and governance at its Marlborough Sounds clubhouse. Contact Ian Gardiner at igardiner.gm@ gmail.com.

Nelson Yacht Club hosted a classroom kaitiaki session on 23 March focused on Little Blue Penguin conservation, with students setting tracking tunnels and learning from former DOC technical advisor Pete Gaze about evidence-based environmental monitoring.

Stewarts Gully Sailing Club sailed with Waimakariri Sailing Club in the annual marathon race in mid-March (pictured right), racing around a rivermouth course in a north-easterly, with Brett De Thier taking victory ahead of Paul Alsop and Nicola Jennings.

One year after a new roof was installed at Christchurch Yacht Club, the club says the building is now weatherproof, with no leaks or wind damage, extending the life of the clubhouse and supporting local sailing events.

Wanaka Yacht Club’s Mt Alta Mulled Wine Autumn Race Series 2026 runs Sundays in May from 12pm, with entry options of $10 per boat per week or $75 to compete in the full series, and free entry for youth sailors.

Vauxhall Yacht Club is now running its winter series, with the first races starting after Anzac Day and continuing through the colder months.

Macandrew Bay Boating Club hosted weekend open water swims in mid-February in Otago Harbour, with 2-4km swims in 16-17 degree water between Macandrew Bay, Company Bay and Glenfalloch, followed by post-swim coffee and use of club facilities.

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TUGGING

AT HEART Zoe Hawkins discovers a pint-sized boat with a big personality, bringing smiles and thrills to one of New Zealand’s oldest clubs

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ven on a quiet day at French Bay on Auckland’s Manukau Harbour, Maximus draws plenty of attention.

No sooner has the tiny tugboat arrived at the ramp than a retired Taiwanese naval captain stops by to admire its stately lines and show a photo of himself in naval dress. Moments later, another local arrives for a closer look, and soon the pair are swapping boat stories. On a busier day,

this interview might never have happened.

This is typical of Maximus: she brings smiles and spreads joy wherever she goes.

At 11 feet (3.35 metres) in length, Maximus is a Candu Jr model tugboat, built from plans by the US-based Berkley

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Engineering Company. The design is described as an adorable vessel with a traditional “salty” look reminiscent of a real tug.

The builder, Peter Fletcher, is commodore of Pt Chevalier Yacht Club, a small club tucked at the end of a no-exit road on Auckland’s inner-city edge. Established in 1919, it is one of New Zealand’s oldest sailing clubs, with a strong adult fleet and a steady stream of young sailors learning the ropes.

When the club needed a committee boat to shelter race crews from sun and rain during weekend races, Fletcher decided to build one himself. He purchased the plans from Berkley Engineering, sourced marine plywood from BBS Timbers in Henderson, and obtained adhesive from local company Adhesive Technologies.

ADVOCACY Maximus builder and Pt Chevalier Yacht Club Commodore Peter Fletcher (left) spent over 900 hours building the tug in his garage, often with the help of club captain Ian Dobson. Photos / Supplied

TSTRINGS Over 900 hours, Fletcher built Maximus in his garage, often with help from club captain Ian Dobson. The boat is named after Fletcher’s 8-year-old grandson, Max, who helped inspire the project.

The result is a jaunty, happy little boat that people love — and one that is surprisingly seaworthy. With a 20-horsepower four-stroke engine and two crew aboard, Maximus can plane at 15-16 knots even in choppy water.

Fletcher admits that in a following sea, it can be a little “spicy,” requiring careful tacking downwind, but upwind, the boat provides fun and excitement, with waves breaking over the cabin at 10-12 knots, generating laughter among the race committee.

The boat is kept ashore when winds exceed 20 knots, conditions that only the

hardiest of the Pt Chev fleet venture out in.

Maximus is also ideal as a start boat.

The club has a small but busy ramp, and Maximus doesn’t dominate the space, making her less intimidating for sailors.

Fletcher even designed a system for

retrieving buoys and anchors without trips to the bow, reducing the risk of swamping.

Although Fletcher has built boats before, he approached Maximus step by step, solving challenges along the way.

The care and craftsmanship are evident in details such as sprayed and sealed Perspex windows, a neatly planked foredeck, and a functional yet attractive helm station.

Features include a forward hatch operable from the cabin, clever side storage pockets, and a ventilation system Fletcher jokingly calls “air conditioning” to keep race crews cool on hot days.

Ultimately, Maximus provides joy to many — and perhaps to Fletcher most of all.

“It’s great to have a boat with a purpose,” he said. “It doesn’t take up much space, and it gives the club some profile.”

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SAVE THE DA Keelboat national championships Royal Akarana Yacht Club 1-3 May

ILCA European championships Kastela, Croatia 15-22 May

29er national championships Royal Akarana Yacht Club 28 May -1 June

Apex Group Bermuda Sail Grand Prix Bermuda 9-10 May

iQFOiL European championships Portimão, Portugal 16-23 May

Mubadala New York Sail Grand Prix New York, USA 30-31 May

Kitefoil world championships Viana do Castelo, Portugal 9-16 May

38th America’s Cup preliminary regatta Cagliari, Italy 21-24 May

Dutch Water Week Almere, Netherlands 30 May-7 June

49er, 49erFX, Nacra 17 world championships Quiberon, France 12-17 May

Pied Piper intergalactic championships Milford Cruising Club 24 May

Moth European championships Costa Brava, Spain 7-13 June

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BOAT PARK

DATE ILCA national championships Farr 1020 national championships Bucklands Beach Yacht Club 13-14 June

Olympic classes regatta Long Beach, USA 12 July - 7 August

iQFOiL North American championships Alamitos Bay, USA 25-27 July

Kiel Week Kiel, Germany 20-28 June

2027 World Sailing Championship Test Event Gdynia, Poland 14-19 July

470 world championships Enoshima, Japan 10-17 August

49er, 49erFX, Nacra 17 European championships Eckernförde, Germany 7-12 July Open Team Racing national championships Royal Akarana Yacht Club 10-12 July

Canada Sail Grand Prix Halifax, Canada 20–21 July Emirates Great Britain Sail Grand Prix Portsmouth, UK 25-26 July

Women’s Day Out Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron 22 August Germany Sail Grand Prix Sassnitz, Germany 22-23 August ILCA 7 world championships Dublin, Ireland 23-30 August

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