The Bay of Plenty Trailer Yacht Squadron is inviting sailors to Lake Rotoiti this Labour Weekend for a relaxed social rally. A raft-up will be held on Saturday 25 October in a suitable bay, giving crews the chance to meet, swap stories and enjoy one of New Zealand’s finest freshwater sailing grounds.
For BOPTYS, hosting such events is second nature. Established in 1974, and based at Okawa Bay, the club has grown into the second-largest trailer yacht squadron in the country and the biggest in the North Island.
Lake Rotoiti itself is a gem of the Rotorua Lakes district. Surrounded by native bush and hot pools tucked into its shoreline, the lake is renowned for its crisp sailing breezes and world-class trout fishing. For many, the appeal is as much about anchoring up with friends at day’s end as it is about the sailing.
The Labour Weekend rally follows on from the successful Easter 2025 event, continuing a tradition of regular social cruising for the trailer yacht community. Notifications about the raft-up location will be posted on the BOPTYS Facebook page and broadcast on VHF channel 64 on Saturday morning.
Trailer yacht owners keen to join can contact Wayne Holdt at wayne@yachtingnz.org.nz or Rear Commodore Darrell Civil at rearcommodore@boptys.org.nz.
