Mahurangi & Days Bay Fun Sails

Mahurangi & Days Bay Fun Sails

Four owners and their families turned up for a fun sail day from the Mahurangi regional park. A beautiful place to catch up and have a chilled out sail!

Geoff Durham on the Mahurangi Sail

A fleet of 4 Weta stirred considerable interest amongst the visitors to Sullivan's Bay last Sunday (13th), Sullivan's bay is in the beautiful Mahurangi West Regional Part (just 30 mins from the north shore). After a leisurely rigging session - with Roger on hand to provide very helpful hints and advice as ever! - we enjoyed a picnic on the beach with a stunning view on a beautiful spring day.

There was plenty of wind which was matched by the enthusiasm of those aboard as we set sail on pretty flat water which meant conditions were pretty good and everyone enjoyed themselves. One experience which we should share from a 'safety at sea' point of view: Roger and Geoff sailed past the reef at the northern end of Saddle Island only to notice an hour or 2 later - when it was fully low tide - that they had, in fact, sailed over the other, submerged half of the reef with goodness knows how little clearance! Although Geoff had checked the chart at home he hadn't appreciated how far the reef extended - so hopefully this confession will serve as a reminder of how important it is to get these things correct......

It was great to be able to sail in such beautiful surrounding so close to Auckland - we could well be organising another outing there fairly soon!

Michael Kerr on the Wellington Sail

A first for the Weta fleet in Wellington, a destination sail.  These have been popular in Auckland over the last few years.  A destination sail is essentially a chance for a casual fun sail with a group of other boats.  It is a good opportunity learn off others, compare notes and tips, and to be honest, just a good excuse to get out on the water.  We haven’t done one in Wellington in the past, but with a  few more Wetas turning up in Wellington it seemed like a good time as any.  

So, late morning last Sunday three Wetas headed out from Heretaunga Boating Club on Petone Beach across the harbour to Days Bay.  Three skippers headed off with crews made up of 6 kids aged from 2 to 8 – some call that a form of handcapping!  A good steady 10-12 knots southerly in a lumpy sea.  While it was a tad on the cold side, it was a great sail.  The picnic on the beach was a good reward following the beat up the harbour in the chop.  After a warm up on the beach, and a hot coffee (every good destination should have a café), we headed back to Petone.  The trip back was a case of tacking out of the bay and then throwing up the gennaker for a blat down the harbour.  As is usually the case, there were some big smiles as the sailors got things sorted and got a bit of pace under their kites.  

We have two more programmed over summer and I am keen to see a few more Wetas on the water.  It is a great way to learn a bit more about your boat, how to rig it, and how to sail it a bit quicker, as well as a good day out.  

If you are interested in joining us next time check the Weta Association Website

Rigging at Heretaunga Boating Club