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THE NEW ZEALAND WINDSURFING ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER
JUNE - JULY 1997

Welcome to the winter issue!

There’s actually quite a lot to get in to this issue so some of will have to wait until the next one. I enjoyed meeting the rest of the team (finally) in Auckland , and there’s some exciting projects on the way!

Check out the NZWA reports, the Strategic Plan, suggested changes to the NZWA constitution, the draft EVENT CALENDAR (get those events in people), and what about the name change? Overseas event reports from Aaron and others, just about everyone is high scoring at present! There’s a few local tales too, Geoff’s Orca and Matt Woods epic trips (with Steve Macris), and misadventure in Singapore - the reason why windsurfing schools need standards.

I’m also making a plea for material in the form of photos and videos for use on the CDROM we’re producing, get in touch!

Don’t forget, if you’re a member of the NZWA you can advertise your gear here, if your commercially involved it pays (costs) to advertise!

Finally, don’t forget the web site, all incoming news is posted there within hours, with automatic notification if you want. There are free classified ads too that really work!

hang loose - Bruce

From the Office.....
The weather gods must know that the NZWA AGM is a good day for real cold, wet weather, except this year there was no wind. This didn't stop the real die-hards from coming to the Pt Chevalier Sailing Club just in case a windsurfing race was held!!!!! Again we had representatives from Wellington, Rotorua, Christchurch to balance out the Aucklanders with a surprise visit from Nicola Sinclair who was persuaded into the Women's Committee. We also welcomed Ben Corrigan, fresh from the top of the RYA Teaching System, who is now our Youth Development Officer - a new position which will be concentrating on the promoting windsurfing as a recreation for school kids (not to be confused with Yachting NZ's role of encouraging Olympic Class windsurfing for our youths).

Most of our objectives set at the last AGM were accomplished such as completing the introduction of National Standards for Windsurfing Schools, and establishing a closer relationship with Yachting New Zealand. Monthly meetings are now held at Yachting NZ which means closer communication and better integration with our Olympic 'Foster Parent'. The newsletter is now being superbly handled by Bruce Spedding who has been a valuable 'high tech' addition to our team, and Anthony Wrigley is now handling most of the membership work, as well as helping develop a more advanced series of skills to be taught at our 'Level 2' Instructors Courses scheduled for this season. This has freed me up for special projects and the increasing day-to- day business.

Congratulations to Roger Tweddel for being elected into Presidency! Roger's enthusiasm for and experience with the many aspects of windsurfing will be a bonus for the NZWA. Geoff Hardy has finally stepped down after four years as president into a role which will continue to benefit the NZWA - Honorary Solicitor, and Mark Killip, another long time Executive Committee member has agreed to continue in a less demanding position overseeing publicity and promotion for which we are sooooo grateful. Mark has put heaps of effort into the NZWA from way back which has taken us a long way, now he has many other huge commitments including a young family so we appreciate any donations of his time even if brief!

A big welcome to Scott Elliott, our new treasurer. We are very lucky to find Scott as he has a perfect mix of knowledge; not only is he a hard-core windsurfer, he is also a varsity student in accounting and marketing, and has various contacts in the film industry. I'm sure he will have heaps to contribute.

Major projects for the coming year will be developing intermediate - advanced windsurfing courses,
a membership drive to increase funds and profile of the NZWA, and the development of a windsurfing programme on CD-ROM with "How to" for beginners including equipment, weather, and technique, and a "Windsurfers Guide to NZ" for the tourists with a big emphasis on safety to be marketed to all educational institutions such as Uni, Polytechs, maybe even libraries as well as being available over the internet.

On top of all the other stuff we usually do such as organising the Events Calendar, keeping our members informed, seeing that the public can get decent windsurfing tuition, replying to every question under the sun about windsurfing, and making sure you don't lose your freedom, hopefully we will still have time to go for a blaast on those wonderful sunny windy days......
signing out, Wendy.

PRESIDENT’S REPORT, NZWA ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING, 1 June 1997

At the last AGM the prospects for the NZWA did not look very bright. The same old faces were trying to cope with an ever increasing workload on a steadily dwindling funding base. We needed some rejuvenation and some new direction. Fortunately, we achieved it.

The move towards a closer association with Yachting New Zealand was the first step in our resurgence. The monthly NZWA Committee meetings at Caltex House, with guest spots from Mike Brown and Barbara Kendall, not only enabled us to share ideas and experience with a larger body facing similar challenges, but also gave us a more formal platform from which to conduct business. My thanks not only to Mike and Barbara, but also to Wendy for organising and facilitating them and to Mark Killip, Roger Tweddell and Mike Cross for regularly turning up. The next logical step is to develop a standard agenda so the business end of the meetings can become more focused.

It is also very gratifying to see some new blood volunteering to help out. Bruce Spedding has done a superb job with the newsletter and the web site and Tony Wrigley is making a similar contribution with the membership list. With the exception of Wendy, no-one has done as much for the Association over its lifetime than Mark Killip, so it is with deep regret that we see him go. We will miss his enthusiasm and his insight, particularly in relation to marketing and promotional activities.

Amazingly for an organisation that survives on a shoestring budget, the NZWA continued to perform its important functions of disseminating information, training and certifying windsurfing instructors, coordinating national race events, lobbying for windsurfers, and managing the NZL number system, with hardly a hitch. It was our most successful season for the instructors courses, thanks to Wendy, Ken Kingsbury, Matthew Wood and Paul Tuck, and it was good to see so many schools meeting the NZQA standards.

We have some exciting projects ahead. Wendy’s proposal for a membership drive based on the proven Surfriders scheme looks very promising, and the NZWSC-sponsored scheme to produce a "Windsurf Safe" CD-ROM is a major undertaking. We are very grateful to the NZWSC for their support and to the Hillary Commission for continuing to contribute towards Wendy’s secretarial fees. Yachting New Zealand’s appointment of Barbara Kendall as boardsailing coach should give a much needed shot in the arm to youth boardsailing.

While YNZ fosters our international competitors, the NZWA performs a lower profile function. It promotes windsurfing at the grass roots level, which is so essential both for recreational sailors, and for budding racers. We are going from strength to strength at the moment. I urge us all to maintain the momentum, and to encourage all active and inactive windsurfers to support the NZWA, to enable us to help promote and build the sport in the years ahead.

Geoff Hardy.

Your story in the March edition of the newsletter about the orca encounter reminded me of my own brush with them a couple of Christmases ago at Whangapoua, Coromandel peninsula. I had just sailed off the beach on my Imco when I saw some commotion further out to sea. A couple of inflatables were circling around some disturbance in the water, so I sailed over to investigate. By the time I saw the dorsal fins (which stood one and a half metres out of the water, as Wilbert Knol said) it was a bit late to retreat, so I hung around. There is nothing quite as attention-focusing as standing on a wobbling Imco in big swells and little wind, earnestly scanning the horizon for signs of life, when a killer whale silently surfaces a few metres behind you and blows its nose. I haven't jumped so high since Hurricane Dora hit the east coast. Talk about free willy. There was dad, mum and the little kid, cruising through the bay (presumably) in search of tasty morsels. They really are beautiful creatures when you see them in their natural habitat - gracefully and effortlessly gliding through the water. They're reasonably inquisitive, too. After mum surfaced behind me, she swam under my board and as she did so, she rolled over onto her side and looked me over. Presumably recording my NZL number for posterity. Obviously Imco wasn't on the menu that day because she passed on. I followed them along the bay for about 20 minutes before they moved out to deeper water. I dined out on that experience for a while; I'm just glad the orcas didn't dine out on it too.
Geoff Hardy.

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

The French Olympic Sailing Week
Kiwi’s dominate UK Windsurfing National Championships
Merit Cup Windsurf World Festival , Sicily May 26-June 1 1997
Namotu - The O'Neill Fiji Wave Classic 10 - 19th May 1997
THE FUNDOLE PWA 1997 LYON INDOOR 27-28th March 1997
Plimmerton to Wellington Epic (Matthew Wood)
Matthew Wood completes double Cook Strait crossing
Matthew Wood completed a double Cook Strait crossing on Saturday in 24 hours on an IMCO, completing the trip in light winds and pumping.
According to national newspapers and TV he set off about 8.30am for the South Island and was going ok until he became becalmed for an hour while still about 30 minutes from the South Island.
Finally a breeze kicked in and he touched land before starting the reurn in the dark. He lost contact with his support boat half way back and was surrounded by dolphins - "it was quite frightening because it was so dark".
He arrived back about 9pm that evening, and raised about $1000 in sponsorship.

Western Australian Circuit calendar includes the ISAF World Windsurfing Championship.

The 72 page 1997/8 Circuit Guide will be available in mid-September. If you would like a copy posted to you please send me your postal address to Quentin Little at quentin2@ozemail.com.au.
The Circuit Home Page is best reached through the 'Worlds' home page at www.worldwindsurfing.com.au

Businesses interested in advertising in the Circuit Guide should
contact the Publishing Director, Alene Ivey, at wink@iinet.net.au

ATTENTION ALL EVENTS ORGANISORS.
Enclosed is another events application form - your last chance to place your event on the calendar. It was suggested that we place a proposed calendar in this newsletter based on last year. The idea is that all annual events such as nationals, South Island Cup, the Sirrocco Expression Session etc. be held at about the same time each year to help everyone with organising their circuit.

Last year there were a bulk of major events right at the end of the season. Holding National events at the end of the season is good as that is when most competitors are at their prime! However, because most of the major events were in succession last year, any sailors who were injured or could not get much time off work would have been disadvantaged.

Also, the dates for the Slalom and Wave Nationals ended up being confirmed very late in the season which meant they missed the calendar and many didn’t know about the events in enough time to prepare. However, we are still grateful that the events were held for we know how much planning and organisation it takes. So thanks to all who held events last year, we are looking forward to receiving your dates BEFORE THE 31 JULY!

PROPOSED WINDSURFING EVENTS CALENDAR FOR 1997 - 1998
27 - 29 SEPTEMBER Youthsail MURRAYS BAY
EARLY OCTOBER NZWA Instructors Course, AUCKLAND
7 - 9 OCTOBER Secondary School Girls Champs, AUCKLAND
END OCTOBER Manukau Team Races, AUCKLAND
MID NOVEMBER Sirrocco Expression Session, TARANAKI
END NOVEMBER KIlwell Friendlies, ROTORUA
EARLY DECEMBER Harbour Blaast, CHRISTCHURCH
EARLY DECEMBER NZWA Instructors Course, ROTORUA
LATE DEC - EARLY JAN, Southern Lakes Series
MID JANUARY NZWA Instructors Courses - South Island
LATE JANUARY Wave Nationals?, TARANAKI
Late January (Wellington Anniversary) Harbour Blaast.
EARLY FEB Masters Games? Dunedin
5 - 9 FEB (Waitangi Weekend) National Slaloms
LATE FEB Canterbury Champs
EARLY MARCH Mistral Nationals
21 - 22 MARCH The Wellington Wind Festival Ditch Derby.
MID MARCH Secondary Schools Champs
10 - 13 APRIL (Easter) Olympic Sail, BUCKLANDS BCH, AUCKLAND
EARLY/LATE APRIL F42 Nationals

Nationals 1998
We plan to hold the nationals in Christchurch in 1998.
Location: Lyttleton Harbour
Dates: 5th to 9th February (Waitangi weekend)
Entry Fee: $120.00 (approx)
Contact person:
Adrian Roper (025) 363 115 or (03) 388 6913
Darryl Malloch (03) 323 8913
Hamish Bailey (03) 384 3788
No sponsors as yet - will let you know

Could it happen here? Windsurfing lesson from Hell

I am female , 28 yrs old and had enrolled for a weekend ( Saturday / Sunday ) windsurfing course at the Europa Sailing Club In The Republic of Singapore.

On the second and final day of our course , about 10 of us were rounded up to be towed , back to shore all at one go. Some surfboards were attached to the boat with ropes of different lengths while some boards were just hooked on to other boards. As the boat was circling to retrieve the last student , my board was flipped over by the was generated by the motor boat. All the time I was lying flat on my belly with my entire self on the board , holding on as tight as possible to a wet and bouncing surfboard. Boards were hitting each other and the ropes were hitting / pushing us , sometimes going under our surfboard if the boat slowed down and caused the ropes to slacken. My board flipped so suddenly and I was thrown into the sea. As there were so many boards being towed by that one boat and I was the one nearest to the back of the boat, I failed to avoid all the boards behind me and was struck across the face by by a skeg. I suffered full thickness laceration across my peri-orbital region, my eyelid, nose and lip.

The problem I face now is this :-
The Club have hired lawyers to maintain that I was negligent and failed to grasp the side of the board firmly. They mentioned that the surfboard flipped but it was due to strong and choppy waves and wind.
How many boards can safely be towed together at a go? Any rules and/or guidelines on that?
Are there any guidelines as to the state of a club’s first aid kit or emergency protocol and procedures? The club’s first aid kit was sorely lacking - lotions that were discoloured, no gauze ( I had to use serviettes from the club’s restaurant ) and club officials / members were just panicking all over the place, not knowing what to do , where to send me .
Can somebody help? Or perhaps if you could pass this on to someone who can? I definitely cannot afford to hire big gun lawyers to fight a multi - million dollar club.
Thank you very much for your time and I apologise if I have inconvenienced you in any way.

could it happen here?

PICTURES and VIDEOS WANTED -
YOUR 15 minutes of fame!
As you may have gathered, we are embarking on a project to develop a CDROM to promote windsurfing and water safety. Also coming up is a new edition of the Windsurfing Guide to New Zealand. To do both these projects this we need resources, photos and videos, of windsurfing. Not just the hot shots, we need images of all aspects of windsurfing, beginners, family fun, scenic, holiday, racing, and spectacular. We are unlikely to be able to pay for this material but we can offer some incentives:
Acknowledgement - Any material used will be fully acknowledged.
Digitising - send in your photos, and if we use any we’ll send you a disk with digital (scanned) copies on, you’ll be able to use these as screen savers etc. Send $2 with your photos to cover post and disk and we’ll digitise some anyway, even if we don’t use them.
Videos? well, we’ll have to see, maybe a good deal on a copy of the CD, but certainly something. Don’t want to part with them? Send photocopies and/or descriptions of videos (lacation, content etc.) so we know what’s available and we’ll be in touch. If you’re on the Internet then get in touch that way, email your stuff even! contact Bruce - 56 pembroke Road, Northland, Wellington. Ph (04) 4759236, Fx(04) 4756235, email Bruce@winzurf.co.nz .
Remember - this could be your chance at fame, preserved forever on silicon (well polycarbonate actually)

Other Items/News ...

Westrays Travel Insurance for Sports People - contact Westrays N.Z. Ltd., P.O.Box 11-174, Ellerslie, Auckland, or fax (09) 525 2250.

From MAY the PWA will have it’s own weekly TV programme. WORLD WINDSURFING produced by SSM Freesports will be on air May to November (Sky?). They are looking for video content - contact Wendy for details.

AirBag are marketing a self rescue appliance for smallboard/no wind situations, an inflatable bag that straps to the nose of your board to give extra bouyancy, stows as bra on your boom clamp. Contact AirBag, 739 Wantagh Ave, Wantagh, NY 11793.

MDC Maori Sports Awards are coming around again - nomination forms etc. availbale from Wendy.

ACC Stats 1996 - Windsurfing, new claims = 20, cost = $26,578 : Ongoing claims = 27, cost $78,000 (totals 21,940, $26.5Million, 14,729, $55.5Million respectively)

YNZ News Trivia - Which boardsailor recently trashed her mobile phone with the lawnmower?