Customers learn the ropes

Owner Andy Wilgermein takes the wheel as Jane Pares shows the skipper and his family Alaine, Katrina and baby James, the ropes aboard their new Bavaria 46 Bella Rosa. Picture / Brett Phibbs

Blue-Water sailor Jane Pares is the public face of International Marine Brokers, the Westhaven-based company that is the sole New Zealand importer of the Bavaria range of yachts.

As customer relations manager she gets to do boat tests for yachting magazines, hand-overs for new owners, look after media relations and organise social and promotional functions to build the profile of the company.

Liaison with new owners is the aspect of the job Pares takes most seriously. "Sailing with your whole family on board is a big responsibility and we encourage new Bavaria owners to do a course in boat-handling," she says.

"It is vitally important that everyone aboard knows the rules, navigation lights and marks, maritime regulations, radio operation and emergency procedures. The whole family enjoys the learning experience a Coastguard or RYA course offers and the confidence that comes with greater knowledge."

Pares says that sailing in the sheltered waters of the Hauraki Gulf can easily engender a false sense of security as far as sailing skills are concerned. Anyone casting off from the security of a marina should have an action plan in case of an on board emergency. Even if you never find yourself in a crisis you may find others who need help and you need to be prepared to respond.

Pares began her sailing career in a Mirror dinghy exploring the tidal creeks and salt marshes on the north coast of Norfolk. She recalls experiencing all the challenges of the learner sailor, going aground, capsizing, getting swept into the North Sea, hitting other boats, falling overboard and dragging the boat back after dark against the tide.

After three years of dinghy racing at Nottingham University she discovered yachts and how much more user-friendly they are than dinghies.

"You can visit exotic places and take your friends along too."

A series of ocean passages followed, culminating in going to Sao Paulo to join Pelagic, the steel sloop build by Skip Novak for adventure cruising in the high latitudes.

"Three of us sailed her down the south coast of Brazil and Argentina to Ushuaia in the Beagle Canal. It was a wild trip."

Her sailing journal records it: "We blasted down the waves all night, climbing up one side and sliding down the other, a confused mass of boiling grey and white water. Alone on watch I steered the steel beast, waves and wind making the most incredible cacophony of sound."

Stirring stuff. Pares followed it with some more spectacular cruising aboard Pelagic including the Beagle Canal and the wild and remote islands of the Cape Horn area.

Then came some more sedate ocean cruising which eventually brought her back to New Zealand. She first sailed here 16 years ago from Australia on Woolly Jumper, a 15.2m (50ft) Ron Holland performance cruiser. Today she is sailing on Woolly Jumper again in Squadron events.

International Marine Brokers began importing boats in 1989. It brought 20 new Bavarias into New Zealand in the last year and now has more than 70 sailing in Auckland, Wellington and the Marlborough Sounds.

The Bavaria is not only an ideal cruising yacht, it is also a competitive racer. Quintin Fowler in his B44 Bavarian Wave are regular winners on the RNZYS circuit and in 2004 took first prize for their division in the Auckland-Suva race. Three Bavarias are entered in next year's shorthanded New Plymouth-Mooloolaba race, which is being revived after a nine-year break.

There are also three models of the Bavaria Match-series race boats winning trophies in New Zealand. All in all, enough happening on and off the water to keep Pares busy showing the flag for the brand and staying in touch with the fast-growing band of Bavaria owners.