The Waiuku Yacht Club has been a presence on our sailing shores for over 60 years.
Now, with the generous support of the Rotary Club of Waiuku, they’re hoping to provide greater sailing opportunities for local teenagers.
Commodore of the Waiuku Yacht Club, Gerard Lelieveld, said the Club noticed a drop off in the teen yachting segment. “We researched the reasons and found teens were wanting a social, team based yachting program, and one that would connect in with their schools.”
The Club’s fleet were all single manned sailboats, so team racing wasn’t possible.
But now, thanks to $6000 donated by the Rotary Club of Waiuku, they’ve just purchased a 420 class, dual crew sailboat. This enables the Club to launch a new teen targeted sailing program. Competing at the NZ Secondary Schools Champs, plus the Regional and North Island 420 Champs, whilst having lots of fun, will be key focus of the program.
“We’ve seen teen teams doing match racing style sailing with these sorts of boats, and they raved about how much fun it was. Now Waiuku teenagers can experience first hand, the fun to be had on the water,” said keen 16 year old sailor Zoe Allan.
The Rotary Club of Waiuku raises funds through its annual Sunset Coast Walk and Book Fair, and donates to a number of deserving causes each year.