O.Y.C. News.

Updated April 2008. LM

WCC Pyrotechnic handling- Saturday 12 th April
The Marine Flare Handling Exercise listed in the programme of events is to take place as follows:

Briefing for all participants at Whangarei Cruising Club, Kissing Point at 1630hrs 12 April 08 (alternate day 1050hrs 19 April 08).

Participants should bring their out-of-date flares to the exercise. After a technical inspection, those flares that are condemned will be collected and disposed of on behalf of the participant. Flares that are cleared will be used during the exercise.

The decision to proceed/postpone can only be made on-the-day and will be dictated by weather conditions.

Call Merv Fair 027 294 1945 AFTER 1300hrs 12 Apr 08 (0900hrs 19 Apr 08) if you are unsure.

RFD, who are assisting with the technical aspects of the exercise, have said they will provide new flares to participants at a very favourable rate.

Marine North Closing Day on Sunday 13th April
For the keel boat fleet the will be a harbour race starting at 11am, chosen on the day from the Whangarei harbour sailing courses.  This will be notified from the tower prior to the start, a buoy will be set to mark the outer distance of the start line.
For the centreboard fleet there will be a briefing at OYC at 10.30am.  Racing may consist of 2-3 windward leeward races followed by a race around Limestone Island possibly with a Mark Foy start.
Everyone is invited back to the clubhouse after the days racing for refreshments and a sausage.  hope to see you there

Twilight centrboard Yachting.

A variation to the Onerahi Yacht Club's summer sailing calendar, to include twilight centre board yachting this season, has proved to be popular. A concept idea of organising a budget twilight laser yacht event in preference to a twilight keeler event, was floated by the OYC sailing committee last june. The sailing committee's primary objective was to get people, and boats back on the water, by providing an opportunity for skippers to learn, and practically apply the sailing rules, in a relatively controlled environment.

As part of the controlled sailing environment, the Onerahi Yacht Club operates it's start/patrol boat from 5:30pm each tuesday. As this concept has come to fruition, this objective seems to being realised, based on the renewed interest from the sailing community.

Having initially started in october with a ‘fleet' of four old lasers, it has progressively being increasing to it's current fleet of about twenty yachts. Although, the laser yacht design is still predominant, there has also been a mixture of other designs regularly appearing, such as optimists, starlings, sunbursts, paper tigers, cherubs and jolly boats, and the final format of the event has been modified to ‘regular twilight centreboard yachting'.

Twilight centreboard yachting is open to all boat owners, and will continue until daylight saving finishes, It is held outside the Onerahi foreshore on Beach Road every tuesday evening from 5:30pm, and alternates each week, between a practice, and a race night.

The format is to have multiple short races, which has proven to be appealing both to the enthusiastic group of centreboard skippers, and a regular spectator group, who are viewing from either, the foreshore, or the Onerahi yacht club building.

Based on the current popularity of this event, it is likely to be a permanent fixture on the yachting calendar.

For further details contact Bruce Yovich

Lombardini "Route 66"

The third annual Lombardini ‘Route 66' yacht race was held on the evening of Friday 7 th March, in extremely light conditions. The 66 Nautical mile race from Auckland , to Whangarei was organised as a combined event between the Richmond , and Onerahi Yacht clubs.

A fleet of fourteen entrants, including two yachts from whangarei, were present at the mid afternoon (15:00hrs) Westhaven start. Initial weather conditions had the fleet in eight knots of north easterly, but this progressively diminished to have the fleet becalmed before dusk.

Based on the complete lack of wind, the attrition rate by voluntary withdrawal, was extremely high with less than six yachts still participating by midnight. With Pete Dawson's ‘Kosmic' leading the fleet, but still only managing to pass Tiri Tiri Matangi in the early hours of saturday morning, the possibility of a finish before the eighteen hours time limit expired, looked extremely unlikely.

This proved to be the case, with Cape Rodney being passed at about 4:30 hrs, and the breeze only developing to be a five knot south easterly for the remainder of the trip.

There was only three yachts that made it to whangarei, all outside the time limits, but ecstatic to have made it. Two were our resident yachts “The Butcher” and “Kosmic” returning home, and the third was a Reactor 25 “Wishbone”, of which it's crew became our somewhat welcomed, and distinguished OYC guests.

The format of this race is currently under review, with a likely change of date being forecast, (as it co-incides with the boat show), and potentially, the location of the prizegiving being moved to Marsden Cove marina.

It would be appreciated if any persons with positive ideas, or opinions on the format revision for this race could contact member of the OYC sailing committee.