BoI Wrap Up

Saturday January 28, 2012

Perfect timing – a few showers graced our shores at 1700 hrs Friday evening January 27,2012; boats were safely back in harbour at the end of four days of on-the-water rivalry in the Bay of Islands. The final race day was just about perfect with 12-15 knot winds gusting 20 or more.

As ‘Bicky’ from North Sails commented “Getting all nine races completed over the four days is fantastic; even arranging a perfect weather pattern with the Beach Party at Roberton Island on Thursday when the wind dropped off. That’s what I call organisation”.

There were nine protests overall, but perhaps that shows the intensity of competition on the water. Peter Montgomery, our presenter at Prize giving made this point when he said “The Bay of Islands Sailing Week is special to New Zealand yachting. Where else can you sail to a tropical island for a Beach Party during a race week; where else can the some of the ‘biggest and best boats” competing in the same regatta as such a variety of yachts in C,D and E Divisions, the Sports Boats, Cruising boats, Young 88, Elliott 5.9s , need I say more.”

Generous Spot prizes were donated: A Cotton Blossom Cruise – Great Escape Charters x 3 – Tanoa Hotel Paihia accommodation at the luxury Russell Cottages – and a pack of goodies from Burnsco. Not to forget the Westpac spinnaker won by Bandit (Elliott 5.9).

And so it’s time to pack up; take down the tents on the Opua Marina, return the race huts to store at Carters; toilets, trash pickups all organised, dismantle the bar and the stage. Fold away sponsor banners - and it’s time for the committee and volunteers to go home. First Committee Meeting is in June 2012 to prepare for Bay of Islands Sailing Week 2013 – see you there.

All results – photos (still being loaded Saturday) – video link etc on the website: www.bayofislandssailingweek.org.nz