Tide lines: Sail seminar

A seminar on boating for beginners, providing first-time yacht owners or those thinking about buying a sailboat with some essential pointers, will be held next week. Ben van Grinsven has devised the session as a community service exercise. Topics to be covered include costs, sailing and boatcraft skills, maintenance and boating education. The seminar is from 7 pm on Thursday, May 3, at the Multi-hull Yacht Club, Okahu Bay. Call van Grinsven on (09) 376 3005 or (025) 815 650 for further information.

Get it right


The Auckland Police Maritime Unit is investigating a number of serious boating incidents. Officer-in-charge Sergeant Martin Paget emphasises they are not accidents but incidents that illustrate it is important that people in charge of all types of craft must obey the laws. He says: "So please keep 50 metres or more away from other craft or people and 200 metres or more from the shore when exceeding five knots."

Yard closes

British yachtsman Peter Goss, who built then abandoned the huge catamaran Team Philips in December 2000, before the start of The Race, has put his main companies into liquidation. Former managing director Mark Orr said Goss Composites, which once employed 90 staff, had closed. The company completed a 23.4m hull and deck in mid-March, but had no further orders. Goss abandoned Team Philips in the North Atlantic in heavy seas.

Water watch

The final races in the Transtasman Challenge series today has Cavalier 32s sailing against Stewart 34s. The yachts are crewed by top sailors from both sides of the ditch chasing a trophy that has been contested for 27 years.

Other weekend activity: Today: Transtasman Challenge continues (RNZYS); Auckland Laser Masters, Tamaki (TYC); Squadron Trifecta Race (RNZYS). Today and tomorrow: SOCC Final, North of the Bridge v South of the Bridge (MBSC). Tomorrow: Howick Autumn Series begins, then each Sunday until May 27 (HSC); Richmond Closing Day Regatta (RYC); Panmure Lagoon RSA Regatta (PLSC).

* Organisations planning activities on the Waitemata and Manukau harbours can register with Enviroline on 0800 80 60 40.