On a recent trip to New Zealand I was reminded how much we have in common with our fellow sailors when I visited the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron and had a personal tour with Commodore Andrew Andrew Aitken. There’s always so much to share and so much to learn from our reciprocal clubs. The squadron has close to 3,000 members and is all keel boats. The marina is owned by the Auckland City Council so the club depends on their functions for revenue. Some of the berths are very expensive so it’s challenging for the membership to keep their boats, particularly in these tough financial times. Although the club currently is the proud home of the America’s Cup their race in the series is actually being held in Dubai which has naturally disappointed some members. Nevertheless I couldn’t resist having my photo taken with the cup!
Sailing on our beautiful Port Phillip is again in full swing and the second race in the Port Phillip Women’s Championship Series was held last weekend. Congratulations to Brighton boat Serious Yahoo owned by Vanessa Twigg and James Heywood. The team came in second on performance handicap in the Val Hodge trophy. I look forward to jumping on board again soon.
Enjoy your sailing and our beautiful club. See you on the deck sometime soon.