2025 - 2026 Newsletters
PORT OHOPE YACHT CLUB NEWSLETTER – September 2025
CLUB PROGRAMME September/October 2025
Our sailing season starts on Sunday 7th of September so come on down to the club for a catch up from 12.30pm and brush the cobwebs off your boat and come for a social sail. Don’t forget to collect your club hoodie if you haven’t already done so.
The sailing program for the 25-26 sailing season will be coming out with this newsletter and going up on the website soon. Thanks to Vincent for putting the programme together.
Thursday and junior sailing will be starting on 9th of October at the start of school term 4 and daylight saving
KINGS BIRTHDAY REGATTA -
Thanks again to all those who helped with the Kings Birthday Regatta. With 63 boats registered and challenging sailing conditions it made for a full on weekend and one of the biggest regattas our club has run.
Please support our sponsors, NZ Sailing and Burnsco who help make this event possible
Ben Morton at AIMS Games
Hi five to Ben Morton who competed at AIMS Games earlier this month. Ben has competed at only two previous regattas and is already stepping up to a national competition. He has been traveling to Tauranga over the winter for training. His mum Vanessa had this to say….
It was quite challenging for him, with the first two days of wild weather of 30 knots, wind and rain, but no hesitation to just give it ago. He was in a good mindset to just learn and made the most of it. Lots of bailing and “falling off your horse and getting back on again” scenarios. He even ripped his sail on the first day but nothing that tape couldn’t fix. But to watch and learn he said was great.
Tauranga Yacht Club members and coaches were great support for him, giving him guidance and checking on him and his Opti to make sure he was okay. So we are super grateful for that. He finished the games with a rippa of a day though, sunshine and 10-15knots. He knew there was no competing against the NZ teams that he was up against so it was just getting out there and testing himself.
Ben got nominated twice for kindness and finding lost property, he didn’t get a medal for it but got mentioned which was nice.
He says there plenty to learn and really looks forward to this summer with Port Ōhope Yacht Club.
Well done Ben and family, POYC is proud of you.
MEMBERSHIP SUBS for 1st April 2025 – 31st March 2026 – Now due – Thank you to most of you have paid your subs but there are still a few subs outstanding. Please fill out your membership form on-line http://www.sailingohope.co.nz/membership.html and pay by bank transfer to Port Ohope Yacht Club Inc. 03 - 0490 - 0208241 - 00
VENUE HIRE - The club rooms are very well appointed for accommodating weddings and other functions. With excellent commercial kitchen facilities and comfortable for a group of up to 80 people with competitive rates. Enquiries and bookings: Sally Reid - [email protected]
YOUR COMMITTEE 2024 - 2025 Commodore - Graeme Reid, Club Captain - Graeme Tee, Vice Club Captain - Vincent Masse-Denicourt, Secretary - Heather Hourigan, Treasurer - Graeme Tee. Committee Members - Ric Carr, Bruce McDonald, Sue van Enter, Peter McKenzie.
For more information on Port Ohope Yacht Club http://www.sailingohope.co.nz Contact email - [email protected]
Above Ben Morton sailing in the Aims Games - September 2025
MORE ABOUT THE CLUB
LEARN TO SAIL / SOCIAL SAILING -
(Report Graeme Tee - March Club Newsletter) Thursday Social Sailing. The 4.00 pm start time for an evening sail proved a winner again this year with the average attendance of 6 - 9 optis and a couple of Lasers on the water most evenings. I think the best turnout was 9 optis and 4 Lasers. By enthusiasm, beats Sunday sailing hands down judging by the smiles on faces after the sessions. A huge success.
Now it’s up to the club to build on the this success for the rest of the season and ensure that a good number return next season. One swallow doesn’t make a summer, and so it is with sailing, that one summer doesn’t make a sailor. Most of these kids are 9 years old, so hopefully we have a couple of years to turn them into competent sailors and maybe have enough for a school 420 teams racing squad. We can only do this with the active support of club members. We are planning another 4 Sunday sessions from 16 April to 9 May from 11.00 to 1.00pm ish. These are timed so we can give the kids some advanced lessons and still go sailing ourselves.
(Report Graeme Tee - March Club Newsletter) Thursday Social Sailing. The 4.00 pm start time for an evening sail proved a winner again this year with the average attendance of 6 - 9 optis and a couple of Lasers on the water most evenings. I think the best turnout was 9 optis and 4 Lasers. By enthusiasm, beats Sunday sailing hands down judging by the smiles on faces after the sessions. A huge success.
Now it’s up to the club to build on the this success for the rest of the season and ensure that a good number return next season. One swallow doesn’t make a summer, and so it is with sailing, that one summer doesn’t make a sailor. Most of these kids are 9 years old, so hopefully we have a couple of years to turn them into competent sailors and maybe have enough for a school 420 teams racing squad. We can only do this with the active support of club members. We are planning another 4 Sunday sessions from 16 April to 9 May from 11.00 to 1.00pm ish. These are timed so we can give the kids some advanced lessons and still go sailing ourselves.
REGATTA - KINGS BIRTHDAY WEEKEND
Our club runs a very successful regatta annually. Our regattas attract sailors from a much wider
Bay of Plenty and Waikato reach including Taupo, Tauranga, Rotorua and Hamilton.
Our club runs a very successful regatta annually. Our regattas attract sailors from a much wider
Bay of Plenty and Waikato reach including Taupo, Tauranga, Rotorua and Hamilton.
HIGH SCHOOL SAILING
Our volunteers coaches make themselves available to coach High School students from diverse backgrounds and abilities. They focus on team building and improving sailing skills for interschool sailing in 2 person boats.
WAKA REREMOANA PROJECT
Our club gives support to a local initiative called Waka Reremoana project where High School students build traditional Māori waka and learn about the History and traditions of Māori navigational systems.
Our volunteers coaches make themselves available to coach High School students from diverse backgrounds and abilities. They focus on team building and improving sailing skills for interschool sailing in 2 person boats.
WAKA REREMOANA PROJECT
Our club gives support to a local initiative called Waka Reremoana project where High School students build traditional Māori waka and learn about the History and traditions of Māori navigational systems.
