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THE NEW ZEALAND WINDSURFING ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER
AUGUST - SEPTEMBER 1997

In this issue...

from the Office.......

.....where to begin?.....there has definitely been a surge of energy towards the coming season......

A NEW COLOUR LASER PRINTER has been lent to 'moi' indefinitely in return for secretarial/administrative services which I now have quite some experience in after nearly 14 yrs!!! keeping the NZWA going. So watch out for quality presentation - just in time for our membership drive! True, things happen here quite slowly, but each small step is building us up all the time, and we certainly aren't going backwards! Now all we need is a big surge of $$$ from all those casual windsurfers out there. We shall be launching the Windsurfing NZ Membership Drive in October this year. It is based on the successful drive that Surfing NZ initiated last year and goes something like this:

* Windsurfing industry and other potential sponsors will be invited to join Windsurfing NZ (NZWA) as a Gold, Silver or Bronze industry member. For a fee and agreeing to offer 5% discount at their shop they can get their logo on: Windsurfing NZ membership cards (plastic or laminated depending on success of bid), the event calendar, all NZWA letterheads, membership forms and newsletters for the year, and probably even a free web page.....

* Advertisements will be placed in NZ Windsurfer, NZ Surfer and any other ocean/action/sports magazines offering membership to all windsurfers. If they join they get: Plastic or laminated membership card with their sail number on giving them 5% discount at 'industry member' retail outlets, glossy poster calendar, rights to enter national competitions, (+ T-shirt maybe). If Surfing NZ still agrees to let us come on board their current drive, all new surfing and windsurfing members will get discounts from windsurfing and surfing shops, plus travel and accommodation benefits already secured by Surfing NZ. Watch the next newsletter for the real thing. Any questions or suggestions on this, phone the office.

The DRAFT WINDSURFING EVENTS CALENDAR for 1997-1998 is enclosed with this issue - so attention all event organisers - make sure you are happy with these dates. If your event is not right (or missing completely!), phone the office straight away before it goes to print at the end of September. This goes for you keen competitors too, now is the time to make sure you will be able to do those events you want to. Any clashes or events missing? - phone the office. It had better be right this year for producing the calendars we will be producing for the membership drive.

Monthly meetings for the executive committee at Yachting New Zealand HQ are proving their value, and shall be the nest for ideas and problem solving as this season rolls on, especially with our big projects - the membership drive and the production of our WINDSURF SAFE CD-ROM. Funding of $17,000, has recently been approved by the NZ Water Safety Council. Bruce Spedding, our technology wizard, is beginning to gather ideas for this 'state of the art' production. It will be divided into two main sections:

1 "Learn to Windsurf"; consisting of basic water safety skills (Swimsafe,), equipment (terminology, rigging, tuning), weather (Wavewatch), sailing theory/terminology, and technique (the NZWA Basic Teaching System) perhaps including a few intermediate skills such as using a harness, gybing on the plane and waterstarts.
2 "Where to Windsurf" the most popular windsurfing locations in NZ including dangers to be aware of, weather, temperatures, travel, accommodation......?????.

The main aim of the CD-ROM is to provide an interactive educational tool for use at schools, training institutes and windsurfing courses, and for access over the internet. It will use as much material as it can from existing programmes developed by NZ Water Safety Council members such as Surf Lifesaving, Yachting NZ, and the Swimming Federation etc., and will promote safety from every angle. We aim to have the CD's completed by October 1998 when they will be offered for sale to all secondary schools, University's, polytechs etc., and at windsurfing retail outlets although it is not the main aim of the project to make a profit from sales. The main aim is to educate as many people as we can about water safety and windsurfing safely.

WINDSURFING NZ YEAR BOOK, due out with the next newsletter. A little late, but we want to present this at the same time we launch our new name, improved logo and progressive image. We also wanted it to be a more useful handbook;
* General information about Windsurfing NZ
* contact lists for committee members, clubs, Instructors, International Associations and other useful contacts,
* certified windsurfing schools and information
* our Strategic Plan "Towards 2000",
* WNZ Instructors Course information
* the 1997 - 1998 Event Calendar
* minutes of AGM

Also, congratulations to the new owners/editor of the NZ Windsurfer magazine, Shane Murrell and Shane Miller, we are looking forward to having them at our next monthly meeting for idea sharing and general gossip! and the Instruction Committee will be meeting later on that day (12th September) also at Yachting NZ HQ for finalising dates and content for the seasons Instructors Courses including the new 'progressive' Instructors course to be introduced this season for teaching how to waterstart, use a harness, carve gybe etc., and for looking at a new handbook for Master Instructors to use when organising and running instructors courses...............
gotto go, I've got lots of work to do........Wendy.

The NZWA recently made a submission to Yachting New Zealand regarding the use of bouyancy aids at YNZ events. This is the argument presented.

LIFEJACKETS - REASONS AGAINST
A very small percentage of windsurfers in NZ choose to wear life jackets, yet NZ windsurfing has a very good safety record.

A wetsuit often provides adequate buoyancy and is worn at most times for warmth and sun/wind protection anyway. A harness also provides some flotation and is necessary for intermediate to advanced windsurfing. If separated from one’s board in windy conditions the board will drift more slowly than one can swim, and will not sink even if holed, therefore is the best means of flotation and transport to safety. Wearing a lifejacket hinders one’s ability to swim quickly. It is often necessary to swim down to get out from underneath a rig. Wearing a lifejacket would inhibit this ability.

In extreme conditions, many windsurfers wear a helmet which protects them from head injury, cold/wind exposure and possible loss of consciousness, therefore reducing the possibility of needing a lifejacket. If lifejackets were compulsory for windsurfers, this could discourage them from competing in race events. We are attempting to narrow the gap between yachting and windsurfing by following Yachting NZ Rules at all windsurfing events in New Zealand. To add the required amount of buoyancy (to come up to NZ specs) would result in a life jacket too bulky and restrictive to sail with. Provision has been made by the IYRU in their rules (Rule 60) that competitors may have to wear adequate buoyancy at the discretion of the OOD. Our top international and local sailors agree with this ruling.

In many other countries around the world, laws that require windsurfers to wear lifejackets have been abolished. Some states in the U.S.A., are still trying to abolish this law. However, for beginners, extra buoyancy may be necessary especially for those who have poor swimming skills.

OUR RECOMMENDATION TO YACHTING NZ IS THAT THE WEARING OF LIFEJACKETS FOR WINDSURFERS SHOULD NOT BE COMPULSORY BUT SHOULD BE DECIDED BY THE OFFICER OF THE DAY IF CONDITIONS ARE EXTREME.

Aaron McIntosh has his own web pages now and is filing regular reports on the events he’s attending. All the kiwis are making an impact as these reports from Aaron and others show....
http://www.winzurf.co.nz/co/com/aaronmc/index.htm

These are all covered in the news feed, check out the What's New Section

Copies of the Mistral European Championships Notice of Race to be held in Murcia - Spain from the 25th
September to the 5th October are available from the NZWA secretary (Wendy Kendall).

Water Wise - The newsletter of the NZ Water Safety Council.

The NZWA is profiled in the latest issue.

Also from this issue:
3.5 million NZers are at risk from drowning every day
Drowning is the 3rd highest cause of accidental death after road crashes and accidental falls.
On average 150 NZers die each year by drowning, that’s 4 in every 10,000.
NZ has one of the highest rates in the developed world.
58% are from non-recreation accidents where ther was no intention of entering the water.
Since mid 1980’s the average drowning rate has decreased by 40%

The NZWSC has formally approved the money to develop the Learn to Windsurf CDROM project.


from the IFCA Newsletter (May 97)

1997 Funboard Racing Rules - A pre-publication copy was sent out in March, complete with typos. The
final version has been dispatched to organisations that ordered them, and a copy is available on the IBSA
web site <http://www.zagato.demon.uk/ifca/>.

Masters Age - The IFCA Ececutive is proposing a rule change to make sure all Masters are 35, it will
require a 1998 Master to be 35 on the 31st December 1997.

RYA Briefing - the RYA centers it’s effeorts around 250 registered schools, 3000 instructors and 70
trainers. They hold 50 Roadshows, 4 Mega- Weekends, a National Rally and 2 National Exhibitions. The
“Division” is controlled by a committee elected by it’s 10,000 members and controls a budget of nearly
NZ$1,000,000.

The ISAF have moved to the Isle of Man, their business is handled by Sailing International Ltd (SAIL),
email SAIL@isaf.co.uk

The World Speed Sailing Records Council (WSSRC) has moved too, email
101445.1350@compuserve.com.

Canadian windsurfing has been reorganised under the jurisdiction of Windsurfing Canada.

France - A return of the Production Board Championships includes a new Fun Kids class, kids get to buy
their gear under HP and have a buy a buy back arrangement.

Sailing Instructions - Having problems writing your sailing instructions? Download the the BWA’s
instructions covering F25 and Funboard from their web site <http://www.zagato.demon.uk/bwa/racing.html.
Then you can modify them to meet your own needs.

Western Australia Boardsailing Association Inc. News

First up is the winding up of the WABSA and the formation of Windsurfing Western Australia, sound familiar? Big events over there are of course the World Windsurfing Titles from 6-23rd December, but also the National Wavesailing titles Jan 30 - Feb.5 1998 and the WABSA State Slaloms 22-23 November, plus a very full calendar starting late October. More info on www.worldwindsurfing.com.au.

FREE WEB PAGE

Remember, if you run an NZWA certified windsurfing school you qualify for a free web page, or if you have one already, then you will get a banner ad and a link to your page. If you are in industry then support the web site, get your own page and links at a low rate , it pays off and it’s cheap. If you run a school then you qualify for a discount on the other services. This site gets 1000 visitors/month (that’s about 35,000 hits) - all reading your ads for about $5/month! Contact Bruce (04) 4759236, Fax (04) 4756235, email Bruce@winzurf.co.nz for details.

As always, news is posted to the Internet web site as it arrives, in particular Aaron’s reports, PWA press releases and other overseas news. The free classified ads section has been so successful that it’s been closed! And replaced by a whole new area called rec@nz (Recreation New Zealand). This area recognises that most people are interested in more than one activity, especially travellers visiting New Zealand. Two main services are offered, both databases essentially owned and operated by the users.

The rec@nz database contains information about recreation in New Zealand, not only Internet resources such as web sites, guides and email contacts, but also non-Internet resources, clubs, associations etc. with phone or postal contact info. Information can be added by anyone with access to the Internet, and is maintained by that individual through a password system. To use the database just type in or select a few keywords ( like “mountain” and “Nelson”) and all the entries with mountain biking or mountaineering in Nelson should be listed.

The second database is the classified ads database rec@ds. The previous system allowed users to submit their own ads but required me to delete them ( the result of programming under time constraints). The new system allows users to submit and remove their own ads, as well as searching using keywords again. It will also allow ads to expire after a given date to keep the content fresh.

Both these services are open to all recreational activities and I hope you make use of them. Remember, you don’t need to be connected to net, just find someone who is.

Starting point for all these is http://www.winzurf.co.nz/recnz

The Inland Revenue has issued the Rule Book - Tax and Sportspeople , if you are making money from the
sport you should read this, even if you are regarded as amateur by your governing body. Payments include
income tax, ACC premiums and possibly GST.

Yachting New Zealand News -

Winners of the Youth Trials to represent NZ at the ISAF World Championships in Fukuoka, Japan from 25
July to 3 August include Mistral Imco Boys - Neal Hooper and Mistral Imco Girls - Sheena KcKinnon.
Also going are coaches Hamish Willcox and Barbara Kendall. (Hopefully a report on this elsewhere - See
Manukau News)

Grant Beck received a special award for his role in helping Bruce and Barbara Kendall win four Olympic
medals (2 golds, 1 silver, 1 bronze), as well as Aaron McIntosh to a world title.

A full page was devoted to the issue of declining membership, keynotes from a talk by Dr Dai Gilbertson,
Prof. of Management at VUW included these pitfalls.
* The gap between the elite and the grassroots becomes too large.
* Sports ignore changes in the market and cpmpetition for disposable time and dollars.
* There is structural tinkering but no real changes in thinking or behaviour.
* Trust and cooperation give way to parochialism and power-grabbing.


Club News

Manukau
MWC Winter Series Day 2 - (22 June) , Quite a few international names here, Aaron McIntosh led for the first 2 races, but the wind came up and Shayne Bright and Brohn Torkler took over as the short boards appeared.
Top 5 were: Shayne, Aaron, Bron, Barbara and Arthur Gatland.

Interclub - 29 June. manukau/Mistral/Pt.Chev contested the interclub event. Mistral with sailors such as Aaron, Barbara and Jon-Paul took 1st with 93, manukau followed with 125 and Pt Chev. with 136. Vaugn Clark was particularly noted, beating Barbara and national Youth Champ Neal Hooper a couple of times.

WORLD YOUTH CHAMPS

At the World Youth Champs in Fukuoka, Japan, our NZ youth represenattives did well. Neal Hooper finished in 5th place, and Sheena McKinnon ended up 6th overall in the womens fleet. A very good effort by both, but particularly by Sheena who has been windsrfing for a relatively short time. Following on from a couple of tropical cyclones, the event was marked by big seas and flukey winds.

Rule Changes - Arthur notes some significant changes the ISAF racing rules, especially tacking after passing head to wind, and luffing. Check these out.


A bit of Southland news about a coming event.

The Labour Weekend event at Awarua Bay, Invercargill will be held as usual but with more emphasis on participation, fun, fun and more funl. That is lots of racing for everyone, maximum enjoyment, maximum participation, lots of tolerance and repect, and minimum aggro, especially for the organisers. Recreational sailors who aren't normally into racing are encouraged to attend.

Skippers' meeting at 11.00am Saturday 25 October. Entry fee $20.00.

Sailors are encouraged to camp at the venue either in the clubhouse, vehicle, tent, caravan or whatever. Limited hotwater available. Bonfire on Saturday night.

For those of you who don't know, Awarua Bay is variously described as "paradise" or "the nursery". In other words everyone likes it. The tides are good and the wind will blow so be there. Start planning now!!!

Canterbury

A good contingent of CWA members travelled north to warmer climates for a winter break. Our now ex-treasurer, Barry Owen, spent 3 months in Maui, with shorter trips by Terry Alkemade, Adriane Roper, Dave Griffith, to name a few. Some members went to other destinations for warmer temps and no sailing (can u beleive it !!! ).

We have just had our A.G.M. and the Committe stays very much the same. Only a couple of changes. Darryl Malloch is very happy to remain as President (and we are very please as he is doing an excellent job), we managed to twist Terry Akemade's arm and he was elected Vice-President. Kim Carrie was cajoled into doing her 8th year as our Secretary and keeping us all on the strait and narrow. Barry Owen has stepped down after 7 years of tireless work for the club. He has spent hours filling out forms to get the club where it is today, THANKYOU BARRY. We did manage to get his to 'volunteer' for the general committe and he has said he will help out our new Treasurer Richard Cross. Rene Spijkerman will continue as Membership Secretary, Terry Bennett as Editor/Publicity for Tacks & Jibes and fliers, Teo Janssen will looks after Lakes matters, Rod Jones continues looking after the interests of the Longboarding group and also doing some very good instruction. Hamish Bayliey has got the Racing group very well organised and we are looking forward to a season of well organised and run race events, including the Nationals. Wavesailing has been
taken over by Mike Holland.
* Adriane Roper has parted company with Eastcoast and has setup in full retail as well as building his
boards.
* The 'WindLine' 0900 phone service for the Canterbury region is being revamped for the season and hopefully a couple of new sites will be installed as well. The info is also available on the Internet at http://www.windsurf.co.nz".
* The New Brighton Pier is scheduled to open on 1st November and the organisers have ask if the club could organise a good contingent of windsurfers to be out on the water........
* Our annual Estuary Clean up will be on Sunday 20th Sept to co-ordinate with the World Cleanup Day. We always manage to get a couple of trailer loads of broken glass and general rubbish and sometimes iron rods that people use to hold set lines for fishing. They would really rip your foot apart!!!

Thats it from me for the moment. Here's hoping for a very windy season....Cheers.
Terry Bennett.

Wellington Windsurfing Association (Bob Zuur)

The weather forecasters are predicting an El Niņo this summer. I understand that means plenty of breezy westerlies. I hope that they're right - last summer/autumn/winter was pretty mediocre for wind. The Evening Post reported that in June and July there were only 21 days with winds of more than 33 knots or more [I presume the figures are based on peak gusts as I can't remember many days which were that windy], compared to an average of 30 days. But it seemed to have picked up earlier this month - I had a number of brilliant days out, although this weekend is cold with light winds. Roll on the equinoxial gales!

I'm enjoying sailing my longboard - it has certainly increased the number of days I can sail. Roger Waite and I sailed from Kio most of the way across to Eastbourne, then back again to check out the new frigate. And we had some fun sailing over Evan's Bay in a southerly the next week. Roger was on his AHD 310 - I found that I could point higher and usually make quicker progress up wind, although he left me for dead on a reach.

A number of significant events happened recently. First, Dave and Chrissie (Wild Winds Sail ‘n’ Surf) tied the knot in England. Then some good news: real progress is being made on the Balaena Bay rigging area. But then less positive, with the announcement of a new ferry service passing through Plimmerton.

We have also been advised by Sports Impact that there will be no Wind Festival this year. Apparently Wellington is becoming too popular and there are too many things happening. The Wind Festival will be held every second year (I think alternating with the International Festival of the Arts), so next year (1998) will be a lay year. We will still run the Ditch Derby (which was to receive sponsorship through the Wind Festival), but we will have to do more work ourselves. We have started organising this and the Harbour Blast and we would welcome any assistance. Louise Raphael is leaving Sports Impact to work for Montana Wines - Louise has supported the WWA in the Wind Festival and we thank her for her help.

Important dates

Wednesday 17 September: WWA Committee meeting: 6:00pm at Wildwinds
Wednesday 8 October: WWA AGM: 6:00pm at Wildwinds, starting with a BBQ: be there!

Provisional 97/98 calendar, please contact the secretary or Roger Tweddell about this