Second year of Nelson Summer Regatta

by Zoe Hawkins

The inaugural Nelson Summer Regatta was held during January of this year by the Tasman Bay Cruising Club and it is now to be a feature of the summer sailing calendar.Earlier this year the event attracted a fleet of twenty two boats, with entries coming from as far as Auckland and Christchurch with the bulk of the competitors coming from the Waikawa, Wellington and Nelson regions.

Taking the overall winner’s trophy was ‘Non-stop’, a 9.9m Young design, who was also the Division 4 winner, in the two-handed Round the North Island Race.

The date of the regatta coincided with Royal Port Nicholson Yacht Club’s annual Wellington to Nelson yacht race, with many boats staying on to compete in the Nelson Summer Regatta.

The regatta is now the main event for the club season, and is now included in the Royal Port Nicholson Yacht Club and Waikawa Boating Club racing programmes for 2011.

The regatta has three major sponsors and the organizers and crews would like to thank them for their continued support. They are Dimension Polyant Sailcloth Australia, Gourock NZ and North Sails Nelson. Along with 10 other race sponsors, the financial success of the regatta is guaranteed. To date, thirty yachts have expressed strong interest in next years regatta, including previous race entrants Lion NZ, and John Mead’s Elliot 50, Rant Tan II.

Please check the regatta website for further details.

www.nelsonregatta.co.nz