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July/August Newsletter 1996

The Annual General Meeting was a great way to spend a very cold, windy, rainy day, although there were a few who were sussing out how good it would be for windsurfing - well it was windy!!!(some South Islanders of course!). We also had representatives from Wellington, Rotorua, and the main Auckland clubs to support our hard-core; treasurer, secretary, vice-president and president. The main focus of the meeting was to examine ways in which the NZWA could economise on resources since our current funding and enthusiasm is running low.

One way could be to form a closer relationship with Yachting New Zealand. Several possible advantages and disadvantages were discussed. The next step is to meet with YNZ to see what a closer relationship could involve. Once this has been established, members of the NZWA will be given an opportunity to vote on whether the NZWA should make the move or not.

Another way was by handing the newsletter over to someone who could inject new enthusiasm and variety into it. I, (Wendy K.) have been creating and circulating the newsletter for over 10 years so would welcome a change! Bruce Spedding was approached and agreed to be the new NZWA Editor. Congratulations Bruce! If any of you ever surf the internet, you may have found Bruce's absolutely amazing home page of Windsurfing in New Zealand. complete with pics, and information about the NZWA - very impressive and no wonder the NZWA has been receiving quite a few E-mailed letters. Bruce has also been editor for the Wellington WA newsletter, and set up a great format for it. The NZWA newsletter should never be the same again! and vastly improved as well! I shall still write an article or two and be involved in the editing. Communication by E-mail will be used wherever possible - a vote for reducing paper resources and saving the environment! So since this is the last issue I (ever?) produce, I would like to say that I have enjoyed keeping New Zealand's (and some of the world's) windsurfers informed of windsurfing matters on all levels - local, national and international.

We are now waiting for our Accounts to be returned by the Auditor, so the 1995 - 1996 Annual Report

and Accounts booklet will be circulated with the September/October issue of the newsletter.

1996 HONORARIUMS: Congratulations to the following for being nominated and voted to become Honorary Members for their outstanding efforts for the sport of Windsurfing:

Arthur Gatland, initiated and is still the driving force behind the very successful Manukau Windsurfing Club in Auckland. He continues to create monthly newsletters, regular racing and training clinics for club members and has organised several excellent major windsurfing events including the International Teams event at Huntly - and all for the love of windsurfing without any vested interests! Well done Arthur.

Barry Biggs, has made similar achievements for the Canterbury Windsurfing Association. He is no longer competing regularly, but still supports and assists the club in special projects - particularly environmental issues. Thanks Barry.

Arthur and Barry are now entitled to attend meetings and receive newsletters and all information provided by the NZWA, and to retain NZL Sail numbers until they no longer need them.

On the subject of declining commitment amongst club and committee members - it seems to be a worldwide

phenomenon in windsurfing, and nationwide for clubs. Articles in both the USA Windsurfing Magazine and the Counties Manukau Sports Foundation newsletter support this: eg. CMSF editorial:

"It is commonly acknowledged that clubs are the foundation of sport in NZ. It is therefore vital that clubs remain robust and viable if NZ sport is to maintain its standing and competitiveness in the international sports scene.

If the information we have been receiving is any indication of the status of clubs then maybe sport in NZ is in more serious trouble than people think. We continually hear of clubs who are struggling financially and cannot get sufficient coaches, administrators, referees or people to play their sport.

These are symptoms of a deeper problem. We have to identify the cause of the problem and then find a solution......"

"There is no quick fix to the problems facing your club. We have established a schedule of seminars that will address some of the causes of declining numbers, lack of finance, loss of key club personnel as part of your club development programme....." Peter Goldsmith, Executive Director for CMSF.

Further on in the newsletter are questions clubs should be asking themselves:

"* What is your club trying to achieve?

* Where will your club be in 5 years?

* What image does your club project?

* How well do you communicate with your members?

* How well are your teams performing?"

There are Fund-raising ideas and a diagram showing the different groups such as Women, Youth, Seniors, Elite, and Emerging Players, whose needs must all be met.

There are also 16 ways in which to encourage ideas:

"1 We'll consider that idea

2 What a challenge

3 It could work this time

4 Let's have a look at the budget

5 There must be a way

6 Change could be just what we need etc. etc."

One reason perhaps, why membership is low for windsurfing clubs is that windsurfers are such free spirits, and few need to belong to clubs to get their kicks. Perhaps it is because of a shift in society towards being individuals. However, there are lots of good reasons to belong to clubs i.e. generating team spirit, getting enthusiastic about your 'addiction', exploring new or different aspects to the sport, meeting new people etc. etc. Perhaps society will realise the importance of 'groups' once again when they realise that individuals gain strength from unity. So tell your mates that belonging is the thing to do!

New equipment - The SpeedMate Surf knotmeter attaches to the fin and is the ultimate way to measure distance and speed events. This instrument is made in the USA and is a big improvement over the old Speed watch. It offer more features, speed(average and current and peak) elapsed time, and distance travelled.

Any enquiries ph 703 759 0511, Fx 703 759 0509. Email spdtech@dc.infi.net * http://www.infi.net/~spdtech

1996 - 1997 NZWA EVENTS CALENDAR - Draft copy enclosed. Events application forms included in this newsletter. Please return full club calendars and complete forms for your major events you wish to have included on the NZWA calendar.

OLYMPIC TEAM REPORT:

Barbara, Aaron and Bruce have been in Savannah now for a few weeks. Grant Beck has joined the team and so has Janice, the team masseuse. This is the first time the NZ team has had their own masseuse, and is really paying dividends for the teams' physical well-being. Barbara won the recent regatta in USA.

FORMULA 42 NATIONALS:

Yes, it was a while ago now, the thing is that sometimes these race reports come in just a day after the newsletter goes out, so the news ends up being two months or more old......anyway, better late than never?

This event was held on the 13 - 14 April in the Tauranga Harbour and hosted by the Mount Ocean Sport Club, Mt Maunganui. Although three days were allowed, only two days were needed as the wind was good despite the fact that the power boats took over the harbour for half of Saturday and only one race was completed. This had the added bonus that large crowds of spectators gathered for the boat races, and stayed to watch the windsurfers since spectating conditions were ideal.

Although numbers were down on previous years, particularly in the Youth Class, the standard was very high, and most of the best were there. This resulted in top action racing, and the starts and finishes were right off Pilot Bay where the large crowds were gathered. Results were:

Formula 42 1. Shayne Bright Ladies: 1. Barbara Kendall

2. Glen Bright 2. Julie Worth

3. Jon Paul Tobin 3. Tracey Harrap

Masters 1. Glen Bright Raceboard 1. Aaron McIntosh

2. Arthur Gatland 2. Clark Maddren

3. Paul Page 3. Blair Hannay

IMCO 1. Jon Paul Tobin Youth 1. Karl Mygind

2. Aaron McIntosh

3. Julie Worth

CLUB NEWS

CANTERBURY WINDSURFING ASSOCIATION

* But why were those trucks driving down the ramp at the Estuary at night onto the mud?.....no-one saw them, but the tyre marks were obvious.......Investigations were made by some of the CWA's members and it seems that some overseas company had contracted a local company to collect seaweed which they used for a gelling agent in some of their foodstuffs. Sounds awfully suspicious...especially since the trucks were collecting it from the profilerous patch which grew near the sewage works!!!! Not to mention the damage the trucks were doing to the shellfish beds. Heavy compression would make the beds uninhabitable to shellfish for years. Anyway, three cheers for Murray and Sandra Sparks for getting onto the case and saving the shellfish, the weed and perhaps even those who were going to be eating it.

* Mid Xmas dinner - 29 June - a great way to spend a cold dark winter evening - eating comforting food and fantasising about those windy warm windsurfing days of summer.

* The club patrol boat's outboard motor is to receive a free service since as it (and all others of it's kind) have been recalled by Suzuki because the whole batch received faulty gaskets - a 'stroke' of bad-turned-good luck!

MANUKAU WINDSURFING CLUB

* And as ever, the reliable 'Training and Have-a-go Day's' continue at the club organised by Arthur Gatland throughout the winter.

* Also on the winter calendar is the ETA Ripples Manukau Winter Series - next and last of the three race once-a-month series is on 21 July. Sponsored by ETA of course = free packets of chips (and t-shirts)

* Safety Tip: The HELMET, serves 2 useful purposes. Apart from the obvious i.e. protecting the grey matter, it keeps you remarkably warm in winter. The majority of heat loss on cold days is through the head. Especially if you are wet on a windy day (which applies to all shortboard sailing days...). And when you are totally cranking up to top speed, a helmet will give you confidence to get just that much further knowing that, if you lose it and get flicked! your head will be protected.

TARANAKI WINDSURFING CLUB

* The Annual Mystery Bus Tour took off on the 6th July - watch this space for the surprise destination.

* The club has sponsored an exchange student! She is from the USA and is here to study wind patterns at Oaonui, close to the windsurfing mecca spots of Kina Rd, and Pungarehu. She's 18, tall, slim, blonde and very friendly. She has agreed to remain on the beach in her bikini with a wind-meter in one hand and a phone in the other so you can talk to her day and night on 06 761 8234 to find out how her project is going but prefers to talk to club members - an incentive to join so tell your mates. (or is she just a recorded voice on the Windtalker IV which consists of weather sensors, phone interface, outgoing message and computer which controls timing and maths calculations.)

* Surfing the Internet - Taranaki style. Anthony Stening has put heaps of windsurfing photos, info on the best sailing spots, local legends etc. on a home page at http:/gallifrey.taranaki.ac.nz/wind/windsurf.html

* East-End Beach - sand renourishment scheme: has been carried out successfully with little disruption to windsurfing. Its now a matter of sitting back and assessing the results, i.e. how well the sand stays on the beach.

NATIONAL NEWS

NEW ZEALAND WATER SAFETY COUNCIL

Excerpts from the Water Wise Newsletter.

* "Its winter, they must have nothing to do!" - not so! The NZWSC are currently involved with the following projects:

- Facilitating the education strategy for Coastguard Education Service

- the NZ Underwater Incident and Accident Database

- Planning Lotto take the Plunge 1997

- Preparing for the launch of Swim Safe - the new learn to swim and survive programme

- Public awareness campaign for NZ underwater - devisee

- Preparing for regional roadshow to local authorities

- Recreation boating strategies in conjunction with MS and Coastguard.

And the list goes on.

* Lotto 'Take the Plunge' Story:

Until Lotto 'Take the Plunge', 12 year old David Terrey would rather "die" than enter a swimming pool. If he went into a pool he was sure he would drown - and for good reason. Following the traumatic experience of seeing his toddler sister die as result of scalding from a hot bath, young David Terrey was terrified of water. He would make every excuse to avoid swimming at school and was afraid of activities such as school camps. His parents had tried swimming lessons to overcome his fear to no avail. But, after ten days of lessons at the Westend Aquatic Centre, Palmerston North, David had learnt to swim and his life had changed. Diane Wells, a newly trained KiwiSwim instructor, is also wheelchair bound due to Cerebral Palsy. Able to move freely in the water, Diane inspired David who he says made him believe he overcome his fear and learned to swim." (Much Credit to the NZWSC for organising these programmes for, without swimming skills, learning to windsurf would be almost impossible and certainly dangerous).

* The draft Health and Physical Education curriculum has included learn to swim as a compulsory component. The draft curriculum is currently being analysed by the Ministry of Education. If recommended, 1997 is a trial year before full implementation in 1998. This is a significant achievement for the Council and Swimming Education NZ who have consulted with curriculum writers to ensure 'learn to swim' is represented throughout the primary school years. A new 'learn to swim and survive' programme is to be launched in August. This programme will be managed by the NZ Swimming Federation and jointly delivered by Swimming and Royal Life Saving Society. With the programme content now approved by all parties, the new resource material and seeking of a programme sponsor are being co-ordinated by NZ Water Safety Council.

NEW ZEALAND OUTDOOR RECREATION ASSEMBLY

This is a new organisation headed by Grahame Dingle, the world famous adventurer and mountaineer, which represents 20 outdoor recreation organisations. Sir Edmund Hillary is it's patron. The NZORA is modelled on the NZ Sports Assembly which acts as a federation of national sports organisations and will provide a forum for outdoor recreation groups to debate issues such as access for all New Zealanders to their outdoor heritage.

The NZORA will also work to promote high safety and education standards in the outdoor environment and give an opportunity for all outdoor recreation groups to work together.

Chief executive of the Hillary Commission, Peter Dale, said the Commission would provide initial funding for NZORA and would be looking to it to work for big changes in the outdoor recreation scene. "We have far too many outdoor recreation bodies and anything we can do to create a national voice and eliminate single interest factors can only be good".

NEW ZEALAND SPORTS ASSEMBLY

The Assembly and a large number of its affiliated members have received a letter from Graham Kelly, Labour Spokesperson on Broadcasting, inquiring whether sporting organisations would support legislation guaranteeing free-to-air television for listed events. The NZSA and all it's members support this and are considering responding Graham Kelly as follows:

* by welcoming the policy for all national sports organisations featuring at least one event identified by each

nationals sports organisation.

* all members sports could nominate one event and provide television with dates, venues and a contact person.

* the broadcaster should time the screening so it is not detrimental to the sports ability to market the event......

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

AUSTRALIAN WINDSURFING NEWS:

This excerpt from the NSW Boardsailing Assn newsletter depicts the state of windsurfing in OZ.

"Sailboarding is a small sport. The majority of sailboarders see their sport as a recreation and are happy to keep it that way. Very few wish to compete. The format of racing therefore must be attractive to sail boarders.

There is little argument that the F42/Raceboard/Windsurfer format is hard to beat.

Venue: Venues are important. Clean water, no weed, sandy beaches are what we would all like. A clubhouse, boats, buoys, a team to run the Regatta etc. are not always available at premier locations. It is much easier and safer to run an event from a club venue rather than off an open beach.

Clubs: Established sailing clubs help to minimise the cost of racing. At Illawarra Yacht Club, costs such as Waterway Authority fees, rescue boat maintenance etc. are covered by the club, not the sailboard division. If clubs did support a sailboard division then it would expect to host regattas from time to time. As for the Slalom Series, I believe that it will also struggle in the future if it does not align itself with Sailing Clubs. At the moment it relies too heavily on individuals.

Elite Competition: The Regatta circuit should be inviting in its format and style of competition. Racing sailboarders at many levels should aspire to and be comfortable with competing. If we cater for the elite racers only, then the regatta series will die. Everyone moves on at some stage, even elite competitors to other competition careers, marriage and so on - it is a fact of life. However, good competitions should still be strived for.

A major ingredient in 'elite' competition is big fleets. Unfortunately our fleets are shrinking. To survive and grow we must cater for the growing edge; i.e. new sailboarders, particularly juniors. this is an area which has been neglected for many years until recently. Lets not live in the past, let us make the future.

Another ingredient in 'elite' competition is wind. The alternative of sitting on our tails waiting for the wind to pick up is not an alternative to sponsor and host clubs. They want to see racing even it if this is only light wind racing.

Advertising: Can always be improved........." written by Nick Nelson on behalf of the Illawarra Yacht Club Sailboard Division.

UNITED STATES WINDSURFING ASSOCIATION

excerpts from their May/June newsletter

* The 12th Annual American Windsurfing Industries Assn. Conference and Trade Show will be September 12 - 14 in the Hood River Expo Centre. Local retail shops will host consumer demo days with all the latest 12997 gear on Saturday and Sunday. Saturday night there will be a big party open to the public with live music. Contact AWIA at 800 963 7873.

* Two weeks, 2,200 nautical miles. Three people in a team; two sailors and a tactician. The mothership ( a luxurious 132m ice breaker) 30 foot support boats with GPS and 200hp inboard diesels for each team, two helicopters for media coverage, communication headsets for everyone, transponders on each board, a meteorological staff............Its a race. Across the Atlantic Ocean. In August 1997. Race legs will be about nine hours but team-mates will "tag" one another. The race promo mentions pain, stress and fatigue. The entry fee? Don't even ask. It should be quite the event.

* US Sailing offers grants annually for schools or individual instructors who wish to run windsurfing instruction programmes and camps for kids. This year there were 14 successful applicants - six more than last year. Some will spread the word about windsurfing in a region where it is not as well known, some are an enhancement to existing tourism, some will introduce local kids to the sport in windsurfing meccas, some will target disadvantaged youths, some use teenagers as assistants, and all target fun, have a low student to instructor ratio, focus on safety and self esteem and have light rigs. The USWA will apply for an increase in funds for 1997.

* The Pumping debate continues: one writer argues that it is the single greatest deterrent to the expansion of seniors racing - except for being used to get out of irons and onto the plane, it should not be the sole means of propulsion. Another writer believes that the efficient skill of pumping is to be learned like any other windsurfing skill, and is necessary for getting around a course on light days which would otherwise be boring. Besides, pumping cannot be fairly policed, since skilled pumping is barely noticeable.

INTERNATIONAL FUNBOARD CUP ASSOCIATION

excerpts from their latest newsletter:

* IFCA and the PBA are moving steadily to establish a clear and easily understood route to the World tour for National association production board competitors as well as IFCA World Championship racers. The PWA has already agreed that the first 5 from IFCA World Championships have a right of entry to World Tour events. This new policy will certainly improve the status of the National Associations and the importance of national ranking tables.

* IMCO has brought out a very comprehensive Championship and Racing Guide. It has to be the biggest book of its kind. If you want one, the book is free but post and packaging comes to $250. Those who want to use the Cash and Carry service will require the optional carbon fibre folding cart for $100!

* The International Yacht Racing Union will change its name to: 'International Sailing Federation' after the 1996 Olympic Regatta. This answers one criticism of those who are windsurfers and sailors, not yachtsmen. Now the IYRU must address the problem of committee attitudes towards windsurfing. Changes that the Windsurfing Committee want to make are still held up by slow moving committees composed almost solely of ageing dinghy and keelboat sailors. Paul Henderson, President of the IYRU wants to see change throughout the sport, but it will not happen quickly enough if we all depend upon one or two IYRU committee meetings a year. We came across an example of those attitudes when we received the official list of Royal Yachting Association Class Measurers. All the National and International Classes were included except Funboard, Mistral, Raceboard and Windsurfer! This has been going on for years despite letters from IFCA.