Enter early to win a Gill Offshore Jacket

Thanks to our good mates over at Burnsco in Opua, we’ve once again got an awesome giveaway for one lucky entrant who signs up before the early entry cut-off. Just make sure you enter AND pay your entry fee by 31 December and you’ll go into the draw to win the Gill OS25 Offshore Jacket worth $499!

This top-of-the-line Gill wet weather jacket is available in men’s and women’s styles, so you can choose your style and size from in-store at Burnsco Opua. Already entered and paid? You’re already in the draw. And if you haven’t done it yet, what are you waiting for?

When you enter by 31 December you’ll also save yourself the $100 late entry fee, so that’s two very good reasons to get your entry in quick.

Plus if you needed any more reasons, your early entry will help our volunteer race management crew plan the regatta better, to give you the best BOISW experience. So don’t leave it any longer – get your entry in now.

BOISW Platinum Clean Regattas certified

We’re once again enormously proud to have achieved PLATINUM Clean Regattas certification for Bay of Islands Sailing Week in 2023 – the highest level of certification in the Sailors for the Sea sustainability programme for on-water events.

This is in large part to YOUR efforts, as well as ours as organisers, so please continue to help us protect and enhance the marine environment we all love and depend on for our sport.

Find out more about how you can help achieve our Clean Regatta goals here.

Clean below? Good to go.

To visit a marina in Northland, you’ll need to provide evidence of complying with the ‘six or one’ requirement: either an antifoul within the previous six months, or a lift-and-wash within one month of leaving an area infected with marine pests.

If your boat is found to be carrying marine pests, you must clean the boat at your own expense, and you may also be subject to a $500 fine, so it pays to make sure you’re compliant. And of course a clean hull means you’ll be faster too.

Visit the Northland Regional Council website for more information on the biosecurity rules to ensure your yacht is up to speed.

Safety spot checks – be prepared!

We take safety seriously at Bay of Islands Sailing Week, and we expect every skipper/boat owner to be familiar and compliant with the safety regulations for your division.

There will be random safety spot checks during the regatta which could take place at any point from Tuesday to Friday, either dockside or on the water with a RIB coming alongside, so please be prepared. A safety officer will present you with a choice of coloured cards, each containing four items that you’ll need to demonstrate compliance with to pass the spot check. We’d really appreciate your co-operation with this process as it is for everyone’s safety – including that of volunteers and rescuers who may be called to help in the event of an emergency.

If you haven’t already, now is a good time to make sure you’re familiar with the safety regulations for your division. All yachts racing must do so under the The Yachting New Zealand Safety Regulations of Sailing 2021-2024. The specific safety requirements for each division are in Section 1. Rules of the Notice Of Race, so please make sure you and your yacht are up to scratch.

Got your PHRF Certificate sorted?

If you’re planning on competing for PHRF trophies at BOISW, you’ll need a valid PHRF certificate so if you haven’t got one already, you’ll want to get this sorted. It takes 10 working days and you can revalidate or apply for certification by visiting the Yachting NZ website.