Boating NZ March 2021

Depending on your perspective, Kiwi boaties messing around with near-terminal old relics are either hopelessly eccentric, inveterate hoarders – or they’re people who appreciate and celebrate our maritime heritage. Willing to go the extra mile to preserve a bit of history, even if the decisions aren’t always underpinned by financially robust logic. Nautical heroes, in my book. Proofing the pages for this issue delivered a powerful reminder that the restoration/refurbishment ethos runs right across our industry’s DNA – the projects range from modest backyard do-ups involving timber and fibreglass, to professional upgrades using composites and carbon. Whatever the base material, the projects achieve the same objective – they extend (and often save) a boat’s life, cementing her legacy for future generations to enjoy. The best place to see these heroes…

This photo of blacktip reef sharks cruising beneath sea gulls at sunset in French Polynesia has won Renee Capozzola from the US the Underwater Photographer of the Year 2021. Capozzola’s photo triumphed over 4,500 underwater pictures entered by photographers from 68 countries. She is the first female photographer to be named overall winner of the prestigious international photography contest. To shoot Sharks’ Skylight she travelled to the tiny island of Moorea in August 2020. “French Polynesia strongly protects its sharks, it is my favourite place to photograph them,” she explains. “I dedicated several evenings to photographing in the shallows at sunset, and I was finally rewarded with this scene: glass-calm water, a rich sunset, sharks and even birds.” Dr Alexander Mustard, the Chair of the competition judges, said “this is…

Lyttelton Harbour will play host to SailGP action on January 29-30 next year for the penultimate round of the Grand Prix season. The grand final of the series (in its second season) will be in San Francisco in March 2022. The Christchurch regatta will be the first time a SailGP Grand Prix event is held in New Zealand. It will feature eight national teams, including the league’s newest entry – New Zealand – led by co-CEOs Peter Burling and Blair Tuke, both reigning Olympic and America’s Cup champions. “We are proud to represent New Zealand,” says Burling, “and there is nothing better than competing on home waters supported by our country’s sports fans, so we are stoked to bring the global event to Christchurch. “We can’t wait to start racing…

Orams Marine’s new 820-tonne travel lift marked its debut on January 13 by hauling out a 34.8m sailing yacht. The mighty lift is the largest in the southern hemisphere and has been busy since day one. The unit forms part of a major redevelopment of the Orams Marine site, which includes an expanded hardstand area with twice the capacity for marine trades and service. The facility also includes an 85-tonne travel lift and a 600-tonne slipway.…

Coca-Cola Amatil New Zealand, the official soft drink supplier for the 36th America’s Cup, has opened a unique refreshment and recycling hub in Auckland’s Viaduct Basin. The bespoke café-style hub uses a converted shipping container with the interior constructed from a range of recycled and sustainable materials. Coca-Cola Amatil managing director Chris Litchfield says the materials include salvaged railway sleepers, cardboard tubes, old billboard skins, plywood signage, recycled bugle screws and even upcycled Emirates Team New Zealand race sails. “The Drink Stop aims to raise awareness about the importance of recycling bottles so that they can have another life, again and again. Visitors can enjoy a drink in a bottle made from recycled plastic, dispose of their bottle via a central interactive recycling station and learn more about how plastic…

Merkens is renowned for his work Sea Walls: Artists for Oceans. This is an international public art programme that features contemporary artists creating large-scale public murals which address pressing environmental issues facing the oceans. His murals can be seen all over the world. “The ocean is incredibly important,” he says, “and creating this mural has given me a chance to highlight, on a grand scale, what’s so beautiful about it and what must be protected, and its relevance to our people and culture. “It was a pleasure to be able to exemplify the Maritime Museum’s increasing focus on ocean health and sustainability by making the predominant design element of the mural the natural environment of the Hauraki Gulf and the Waitematā.” A life-sized humpback whale and giant octopus along with…