Bay of Islands Sailing Week 2022

[Deep Purple 530]

Entries are open for the 20th running of this awesome regatta

https://bayofislandssailingweek.org.nz

 

 

[Cameron 96]

Was considering doing the BOISW again after a few years absence (have done it numerous times previously and thoroughly enjoyed) but disappointed by the demise of C division with so few entries last year. It seems everyone is trending towards the "Island Racing" divisions which I would consider other than the fact there are only 3 races! Seems like a lot of effort to get the boat there and organise crew and then only have 3 races? I would have hoped for at least 2 races a day. Am I alone in this thought or do others think the same?

[CarpeDiem 527]

Two races would be better.

I think they should combine C divisions. 1 w/l and 1 Island race each day.  And do separate prizes. We don't do w/l at boi cause we never do w/l races, but if it was part of our series we'd have a good go at it and have some fun. 

This year some island divisions had boats that took 5hrs, so they probably would not be able to do this for every division. 

[Cantab 341]

5 hours ago, CarpeDiem said:

have some fun

That's pretty much the reason I don't do windward leeward.

My crew and I really enjoyed the Island racing last year, would not be interested in doing a W/L

Why come to the Bay and then do a W/L, you can do that anywhere. Those Islands were made for sailing around.

I actually found the races a little short but its really hard to know what wind your going to get during the day up there at that time of year, better to finish than not. 

 

[The big T 45]

Was on a larger boat doing island racing last time - from memory our total sailing time was less than 6 hours for the whole regatta. A great week and I wouldn't miss it but a lot of effort in getting boat and crew up there and a big expense by owner for the time spent sailing.

 

[armchairadmiral 411]

We've done the last 4. Big effort getting boat up there.Unloading for racing,putting it all back together, delivery crew/race crew,accommodation....and so on. Well worth the effort and we enjoy the format. It's not broken so don't fix it ! p.s. we do Island racing

[Ex Machina 390]

Email the organisers about Div C  , if you can round up 5 boats they will probably do it .

They did have it this year but the numbers weren’t high enough . 
 

 

[DrWatson 382]

How’s it gonna work out up there with the new dolphin rules?

 

[CarpeDiem 527]

Cancelled.

That was one of, but definitely not the only, reason given for the cancellation.

There was a smorgasbord of reasons...

[Psyche 794]

Can anyone school me on the reason for these dolphin rules with regard to yachts, everyone has had countless dolphin encounters with zero contact. They seek us out for a play if anything. Are we "bycatch" in an effort to solve a problem caused by other water users?

[CarpeDiem 527]

Just now, Psyche said:

Can anyone school me on the reason for these dolphin rules with regard to yachts, everyone has had countless dolphin encounters with zero contact. They seek us out for a play if anything. Are we "bycatch" in an effort to solve a problem caused by other water users?

According to some research papers I found on the topic of dolphins and yachts specifically... 

• Some become addicted to the bow surfing
• These dolphins then become separated/lost from their pod because they go surfing great distances alone
• They then struggle to obtain food and protection because they are alone and lost in the ocean 
• Worst case these dolphins don't survive alone, best case they find a pod that accepts them

That was from dolphin marine scientists published in an overseas paper. It was referenced in the Information pack that DoC published as part of the consultation. 

The last time I posted the above on Crew, it was amazing the number of dolphin marine scientists that came out of the woodwork in disagreement with there colleagues.

[Psyche 794]

"Some" papers does not sound very convincing and while anything is possible, Ive never had a dolphin hang around for more than a few miles if that. The peel off from a pod, play then disappear again. This seems an overkill, and impossible to police. In all seriousness who is going to drop a kite and slow to a few kts to rid themselves of dolphins?

[CarpeDiem 527]

10 hours ago, Psyche said:

Ive never had a dolphin hang around for more than a few miles if that. The peel off from a pod, play then disappear again.

During the 2019 Hobart we turned into Storm Bay in 40knot winds and a pod of dolphins joined us.

There would of been easily 20 dolphins around us. After 10 minutes all but two were gone...

These two juvenile dolphins stayed on our bow for the next 2 hours riding our bow wave.  We didn't even know the dolphins were there until we were scratching our head trying to figure out why the helicopter was going around and around and around and around and around taking photos of us.... Usually the photographer takes two snaps and pisses off.  And given we'd broken two stanchions and had no port life lines we weren't very photogenic... 

After 2 hours we'd of covered 18miles.  Apparently dolphins can communicate up to 2km. 

10 hours ago, Psyche said:

The peel off from a pod, play then disappear again. 

As I said... The crew.org Marine Scientists know way more than their colleagues in the industry.   I'd take your knowledge over theirs any day.

10 hours ago, Psyche said:

In all seriousness who is going to drop a kite and slow to a few kts to rid themselves of dolphins?

Anyone with a bit of respect, decency and integrity.

[Psyche 794]

I am definitely not a comments scientist 😅 just surprised at the findings. Dolphins come and go, its always a pleasure to see them and they do not stick around or least not that I notice for more than a very brief spell. I am not sure that decency has anything to do with it, more like practicality. Need to get somewhere before dark or before weather or if racing is a hotly contested series and by extension should we apply this attitiude to other marine animals, snapper for example are quite intelligent fish but we still eat them. Not mammals so we dont really care?

Have the studies given any indication of actual harms, I am still inclined to think of yachts as a bycatch. Big Riv's on the other hand we all love to hate them!

 

DOC says;

For dolphins:

• you may gradually increase speed to outdistance dolphins
• do not exceed 10 knots until more than 300 m away
• do not swim with dolphin pods containing juveniles. Juveniles are half the size or smaller of an adult.

 

 

so to me its common sense, dont harrass them or circle them to entertain the guests.

[CarpeDiem 527]

5 hours ago, Psyche said:

I am not sure that decency has anything to do with it, more like practicality. Need to get somewhere before dark or before weather or if racing is a hotly contested series

For someone who is a site Mod and until very recently was tagged as the Site Owner, (so I can only assume you still are the site owner), your position on this legal requirement is quite deplorable. 

Wether you accept it or not you're in a position of leadership in what is arguably the best sailing/yacht racing forum in NZ.  Your comments reflect badly on the entire community. A community that's increasingly being tagged with the #privileged tag

[Black Panther 1,765]

So is it stop or slow speed?

[CarpeDiem 527]

15 minutes ago, Black Panther said:

So is it stop or slow speed?

Within the BOI... 

Full guidance document provided as a result of the legislation is here:

BOI MMS User Guidance - DOC-6818995.pdf

[Black Panther 1,765]

Hmm, still trying to think of a sensible safe way to stop a 20m schooner within 300m

[CarpeDiem 527]

11 minutes ago, Black Panther said:

Hmm, still trying to think of a sensible safe way to stop a 20m schooner within 300m

You don't have to stop within 300m you just have to stop. Take as long as you need to stop safely, part way through your stopping process the mammals might of left anyway.

DoC's position is that every skipper should know how to stop their boat safely. 

If it helps, I know from experience, that an abrupt course change, (tacking or gybing), generally causes dolphins to instantaneously vanish....

 

[Psyche 794]

4 hours ago, CarpeDiem said:

For someone who is a site Mod and until very recently was tagged as the Site Owner, (so I can only assume you still are the site owner), your position on this legal requirement is quite deplorable. 

Wether you accept it or not you're in a position of leadership in what is arguably the best sailing/yacht racing forum in NZ.  Your comments reflect badly on the entire community. A community that's increasingly being tagged with the #privileged tag

Hey CD you have definitely got the wrong end of the stick and I have as well, I was a bit confused that these rules extended to all coastal areas not just the Bay. Nonetheless there remains a discussion about practicalities. I'm certainly  not going to ignore the rules in a marine sanctuary nor do I advocate anyone breaking them!!

I am referring to my own experience seeing dolphins in the Gulf and the practicalities of a powered up yacht or indeed a yacht racing  in fresh conditions or seeking shelter stopping because a dolphin is riding on the bow if indeed these rules are extended more broadly and not just in a relatively small area.

BP sailing solo for example, by the time he depowers etc they are long gone, and the underlying concern behind all this that I am raising is safety. Its all well and good for a powered vessel to slow or alter course on a nice sunny day but quite another for a shorthanded yacht.
 
Correct me if i am wrong in my assumption; that this has been brought about by people deliberately engaging with marine mammals and causing distress. I have observed this behaviour many times while in the bay and it must only have got worse with peoples fascination with dolphins etc. and the huge increase in boats