Napier Sailing Club

So far the experience has been great in that the Kiwis have been very accommodating host. Tonight is our first dinner and for the first time there will be a girls only activity…

Dec 29

Dec 29

Dec 29

Dec 29

Dec 29

Dec 29

Today, 30 December 2011, marks a day of practice team racing with Canada,
Swiss, and Ecuador. Although the conditions aren't too good, the racing will
go on. It is currently rainy with light breeze coming out of the NW the
temperature is in the mid sixties.

Below are a few photos taken of the team as well as a few photos of Napier and
the surrounding area.

Day 2 of training..kids getting their bearings!

It was a long day of sailing for the kids..Zizi had them cracking! There were unusually large wind shifts (almost 140 degrees!) and our sailors found it challenging. Michael had the lone capsize of the day! We all had some fun for the evening, though, with the kids dancing the night away at the club! Michael and Makai were chosen as the 2 top dancers by a lonely older women who wanted to hit the dance floor!! Enjoy the pics!!

First full day of training!

The kids and their fearless leaders are just back from their morning exercise and Zizi has organized a quick football match before heading out on the water. Spirits are high even though some stomachs are a little sensitive after eating the dinner prepared by Anthony and Hugh!! The kids were exhausted by 9pm and asleep by 9:30..up at 7:15 for their run! Here are some pics...

Pre Worlds Regatta Starts (Team BER not entered)

It was a challenging first days' sailing for many of the international sailors competing in the Harken Invitational Regatta for Optimist sailors today due to the changing wind and wave conditions.
The provisional results show that Chilean male Francisco Ducasse was the overall leader after the first four races.  The sailor holding the second position overall is a female, Justina Pacheco from the Dominican Republic with Rodrigo Luz from Brazil third overall.
It is expected that confirmed results for the first days' sailing will be released early tomorrow morning.
After a slight delayed start due the last minute sign up from a large number of sailors, the weather was perfect for a good day sailing, between 8 - 10 knots sea breeze. After race 2 the wind picked up to 15 - 18 knots, as predicted, and made some rough sailing with a nasty chop at times.
As a result, many on the race committee boats suffered from seasickness delaying the processing of results and testing the race processes in the lead up to the OptiWorlds.
Four races were held today with two races schedules for tomorrow. 214 sailors from 33 different countries headed out to sea for the first day of the regatta.
Tomorrow promises some interesting races with strong winds predicted again around 1300 (1.00 pm) when the first race will start. It is also expected that racing will be tight amongst the competitors as they become familiar with the local conditions.

Bermuda Team on the water...finally!

The rest of the Bermuda team arrived in sunny Napier yesterday. The Barits were the only ones to lose luggage, but it all has arrived now and training has begun! There is a strong SE breeze (20-25 knots) and Zizi has them working hard. Two more days of training, a practice race on the 31st and then the regatta starts on the 1st. We have a great group of five racing this year. Everyone is getting along well and looking forward to the competition. They will be running every morning (much to their dismay!) and playing lots of football. The Fairely Motor Lodge is quaint and comfortable! Here are a few pics!

Article on Bernews today

Bernews article 12/22

Pre Departure Team Photos

Napier Info

In Napier we have a world class sailing venue with a great club, open water, good winds and negligible currents. The Yacht Club and its facilities are as good as you will see anywhere in the world, and the experienced race management will ensure a superbly run regatta. New Zealand has an abundance of great sailing venues to choose from to host a World Championships, and we have selected Napier as the perfect choice. Napier has hundreds of hotel and motel rooms within walking distance of the Yacht Club, and the airport is just a 3 minute drive away.
Weather Conditions
Hawke’s Bay has arguably the best weather in New Zealand.

• Air Temperature Minimum 18C, Maximum 28C
• Water temperature 19C
• Prevailing wind NE/NW 5-21 knots
• Tides 1.6m
• Currents Slight

Message from Des Brennan

Message from Des Brennan
CEO Yachting NZ
The Optimist Class is one of the largest in the world, and its World Championship is one of the most keenlycontested regattas. Usually around 250 sailors from over 50 nations compete. New Zealand has enjoyedrecent successes at the Optimist Worlds - most significant of these was in 2007, when Chris Steele won the open fleet and Alexandra Maloney took third place and first woman. Those who succeed internationallyin the Optimist are often destined for even greater glory in the future.
New Zealand is one of the most successful sailing nations. Its sailors have won and defended the America’s Cup, won Round the World races, won the Admiral’s Cup and One Ton Cup, won Olympic medals, won the ISAF Youth World championships and won an Optimist World Championship. No other country in the world can tick all of these boxes. Yachting New Zealand enthusiastically supports this bid for the Optimist World Championships, and is confident in New Zealand’s ability to organise an outstanding event in exceptional sailing waters.