Newsletter July 2022

July 2022

Gulf Harbour Yacht Club Commodore's Logbook

Kia ora tatou and welcome to July. I am mindful that we haven't produced a Club Newsletter for some time; and I am appreciative that we have decided to recommence this form of communication. Aligned with our capacity and capability, and the Club's Communications Plan, we will aim to produce a Newsletter on a quarterly basis.

Reflections

After five years at the helm this will be the final time I write to you as your Commodore within this forum. I must say I'm excited to be handing over to a new team at a time when the Club is flourishing in so many ways both on and off the water. Our Club looks and feels great culturally, and that feeling doesn't occur overnight; and so you might ask what is the evidence, for this feeling, oh Commodore? Well read on.

However, our participation extends beyond simply supporting ourselves. One of our strategic goals guides us to be an active player in the community. To be that hub for the various spokes within the Gulf Harbour maritime environment, and we recently delivered community service, when we worked closely with Gulf Harbour Marina (a key sponsor and strategic partner) to support a fund-raising event for a family in need. This is the behaviour of an organisation with a healthy culture, a culture of doing, and in this situation our 'doing' was for the local community, and an excellent example of our organisational agility. If you are not aware, we turned on this effort in less than 72 hours.

Forthcoming Annual General Meeting (AGM)

I'd now like to draw your attention to your AGM, which will be held on the evening of Wed 17 Aug 22. GHYC is a volunteer led and managed Club, and without volunteers, our Club will not be able to realise our true potential and our Members will not be able to enjoy all that our Club has to offer.

Annually, our leadership and management positions are subject to nomination, including the Flag Officer appointments and contribution to the committees and sub committees that make the Club go forward. And so, for GHYC to continue our positive trajectory, for GHYC to be a significant and valued contributor to our community, we do need to encourage and embrace diversity of thinking.

Whilst your Executive has a succession plan underway and making way; that succession plan is voted on by you (the Members) at your AGM; and so, I sincerely offer my encouragement for your active participation in preparation for and at the forthcoming AGM. Nomination forms are available from the GHYC Office. Here is your opportunity to make a positive difference and influence your Club.

Looking Ahead

I am proud to announce a recent 'win'. GHYC has been awarded the opportunity to lead and host a Northern National Women's Sailing Regatta 10 to 12 Mar 2023. The actual title of the event is yet to be confirmed; however, if you think of the event as a northern version of what Waikawa Boating Club are hosting 17 to 18 Sep 2022, you'll be on the right side of the wind shift. This is a fantastic opportunity to work with our strategic partners (including GH Marina), to work with our community and to showcase our Club, and ultimately, to lead and provide a fantastic opportunity for our sailors. Planning is now actively underway to support this event.

Stay safe, stay warm and stay together a winning formula.

Nga mihi nui

Hone B (John B)

Commodore, GHYC

From the Sailing Committee

Safety Corner

Reminder - always attach the kill cord on your outboard motor!

• This summer there were two incidents in Auckland where solo skippers of inflatable tenders have inadvertently fallen/been swept overboard.
• Neither had a kill cord attached to themselves to switch off their outboards.
• Their tenders kept running at speed with no-one on board.
• In both cases persons in the water received nasty slash injuries from the propellers of the runaway tenders. These injuries both required hospital treatment.

Winter Series

Both the Winter Racing and Cruising are underway with great fleets in both series.

Remember day entries are welcome each race - so if you've heard about the fun and feel like having a go please join in. If you need crew, please let the office know, as we have members who are keen to crew.

Race Mark Locations now on Website

The great feature of the Winter Cruising Series is the 'pursuit' with the slower boats starting away up to two hours ahead of the scratch boats. Most of us are used to following the boats ahead but what if you are unexpectedly leading the fleet? Then you do need to know where the next mark is!

To avoid having to frantically search the pages of your SI to find this, Egor, our Sailing Committee IT wizard, has posted "race mark locations" on our website which gives the positions of marks for all courses at a glance with downloadable links. www.ghyc.co.nz/cruising/marks-map.

Entry is now open for the 40th year of the Auckland to Russell Coastal Classic, Friday 21 October 2022

Finally

It is winter racing after all and that means cold and wet, even in Auckland, so do keep warm out there and watch out for hypothermia. Great sailing!

Sailing Committee

GHYC Joins Yachting New Zealand Clean Club Programme

In December Yachting New Zealand launched a Clean Club programme, which aims to protect and enhance coastlines, oceans and waterways in our country. The Clean Club programme provides a framework for yachting and boating clubs to begin or further advance sustainability in five areas: Administration and Leadership, Waste Management, Resource Conservation, Community Outreach and Education.

The programme is a 3-tier system progressing from one star through to three stars, depending on how many best-practice criteria a club has achieved.

Our club recently registered to become a Clean Green Club and we are currently working to achieve a 1-star rating. The first steps in achieving this rating involve developing an environmental policy for the club and conducting a waste audit.

Gill Waite and I are leading this initiative for the club and we recently met with Isabelle and Scarlett, the two youth sailors who were partially sponsored by GHYC to go on the Blake Inspire Programme. They shared some ideas as to how our club might become more environmentally friendly. We hope to be able to implement some of their suggestions, such as repurposing old sails, in the near future.

We now have a recycling box by the club office for the deposit of old mobile phones, so if you have one sitting around, please drop it off.

We'll keep you posted about our progress.

www.cleanclub-yachtingnz.org.nz/

Diana Bassett

Social Scene News

BOOK NOW to avoid disappointment. Prepayment of $25 pp for the meal (dessert extra) and $5 cash on the night for the Quiz. As this is a 'fun' evening we ask that phones are not used during the quiz

Dust off your boots, get out your checked shirt and jeans and dress to impress for an evening of good old fashioned country hospitality. Enjoy hearty food, great company, light-hearted line dancing and more. Full details to follow soon

An after-dinner presentation by youth sailors Isabelle Booth & Scarlett Crosby describing their 5-day experiences aboard Steinlager 2, and how they plan to apply their new-found knowledge at school, around GHYC and in their future too.

Jazz & Concert Band sounds, you are sure to enjoy listening to the very talented singers and musicians, so make sure to put this date in your diary now

Education Evenings Return - selected Thursdays at 1900

New Zealand gets a lot of weather and the winds in the Hauraki Gulf are incredibly complex. Join meteorologist Georgina Griffiths in a virtual presentation with 'live' information from the Met Service forecast room

Like previous explorers, sailors today planning long journeys across the ocean must anticipate and prepare for numerous potential hazards. Well-known local Astronomer Dr Chris Benton invites you to join him and discover what we need to know for spaceflight to our neighbouring planet and possibly humanity's second home.

Details of further speakers to be finalised soon

Youth Sailor Successes

As a Club we work hard to support the students of the Whangaparaoa College Sailing Club by providing keelboat training and experiences. Apart from finding crew positions on members' boats we were delighted to secure an opportunity that found Isabelle Booth & Scarlett Crosby joining the YNZ/NZ Sailing Trust 2022 Blake Inspire for Sailors programme in May, a five-day environmental leadership development adventure aboard Steinlager 2. Join them after dinner on 5 August to discover more about it.

Later in July Ruby Amkreutz will join the Hine Moana 5-day trip supporting women in the outdoors, a joint programme offered by NZ Sailing Trust & Auckland Sea Kayaks.

These and adventures on Spirit of New Zealand are a great way to give back to the local community at the same time as developing a new generation of young sailors. However we would not be able to offer financial and other support for these life-changing experiences without the generosity of our members and local businesses.

RE:MOBILE phone recycling scheme

Make sure your old mobile gets a new life while helping look after the places we love. There is a collection box in reception for your unwanted mobiles and funds from recycling them supports Sustainable Coastlines. https://sustainablecoastlines.org/

See also Diana's article on the YNZ Clean Club Programme

Advertising in the Club Yearbook

At this time of year we start to compile the new Yearbook for 2022-23. If any member wishes to advertise a business in the upcoming yearbook they can get in touch with Peter without delay! Mobile 027 422 8049

New Rules for Recreational Fishing

For those amongst us who enjoy fishing here is a link to check the new rules for finfish combined daily bag limit.

https://www.mpi.govt.nz/fishing-aquaculture/recreational-fishing/fishing-rules/

Reporting HAZARDS

We encourage any member who perceives a potential hazard in or around the Club or a club boat to report it on a Hazard Identification Sheet. These are located in one of the pockets below the Race Notice Board and once completed should be handed to a member of the Club management.