Boating NZ November 2021

Like many of you, I am confused and more than a little disappointed by the stance ETNZ is taking in choosing the host venue for 37th America’s Cup. Although affected by Covid interruptions, the last regatta was a resounding success and, in those heady post-victory days, I naturally assumed the next regatta would also be held in Auckland – it’s now New Zealand’s Cup, after all. That ETNZ should take the defence offshore was inconceivable. But then the shenanigans began: There isn’t enough money for a proper defence; There are better offers on the table; It’s better to hold the Cup offshore; and so on. The reasons given were too many to list. Grant Dalton and Co. were quick to remind New Zealand that the America’s Cup is all about…

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Princess Yachts, the UK’s largest yacht manufacturer, is delighted to announce that Ningaloo Coast-based photographer Aimee Jan has been chosen as the Ocean Photographer of the Year 2021. Aimee’s beautiful image of a green sea turtle surrounded by glass fish was captured on the world-famous Ningaloo Reef in Western Australia. Chosen from thousands of submissions from around the world, it was a unanimous winner among the seven world-renowned Ocean Photography Awards judges. The Ocean Photography Awards has a simple mission: to shine a light on the beauty of the ocean and the threats it faces.…

The Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron (RNZYS) and Defender Emirates Team New Zealand (ETNZ), along with the Royal Yacht Squadron Ltd (RYSL) and Challenger of Record INEOS Team UK, announced initiatives to be included as part of the Protocol for the 37th America’s Cup due to be published November 17th. With the AC75 remaining as the centrepiece of the dramatic America’s Cup racing for at least the next two editions, a new class of boat, the one design AC40 foiling monohull, is being introduced as a new multipurpose class which will help expand pathways into the main event. The AC40 will be a dynamic, powerful, scaled-down version of the AC75 able to reach similar speeds to its big sister at times. The new class will be the catalyst to accelerate…

Saildrone Inc. and the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have released the first video footage gathered by an uncrewed surface vehicle (USV) from inside a major hurricane barrelling across the Atlantic Ocean. The Saildrone Explorer SD 1045 was directed into the midst of Hurricane Sam, battling 50-foot waves and winds of over 120mph to collect critical scientific data. Equipped with a specially designed ‘hurricane wing’ enabling it to operate in extreme wind conditions, SD 1045 braved Hurricane Sam in the open ocean, collecting real-time observations for numerical hurricane prediction models, which are expected to yield new insights into how large and destructive tropical cyclones grow and intensify. SD 1045 is one of a fleet of five ‘hurricane’ saildrones that have been operating in the Atlantic Ocean during the…

Biosecurity New Zealand is placing legal controls on parts of Aotea Great Barrier Island in a bid to contain the invasive seaweed Caulerpa brachypus, while the local Mana Whenua governance group on Aotea are supporting a dual response by imposing a rāhui over the same areas. Caulerpa brachypus, which has been found in Blind Bay and Tryphena Harbour, is an Unwanted Organism under the Biosecurity Act and can spread rapidly and create dense mats. Biosecurity New Zealand’s Director Readiness and Response, John Walsh, says it can be spread to new locations by small fragments and is easily moved by people going about water activities like boating and fishing, including dredging. On 20 September, Biosecurity New Zealand issued legal controls, known as a Controlled Area Notice (CAN), which make it illegal…