True voyagers: the Eric and Cathy Gray story
While world circumnavigations are seemingly routine these days, the challenge of obtaining a suitable yacht and funding a voy...
The OK Dinghy: The New Zealand dominance
For nearly 70 years, the OK Dinghy has been one of this country’s most popular international classes. New Zealand sailors hav...
A true Kiwi navigator: The John Mansell story
John Mansell has lived his life intimately connected to the sea. John Macfarlane spoke with this celebrated solo sailor, mast...
Industry trailblazer: the Russ Bowler story (Part 2)
For many of those involved in
the 1987 New Zealand Challenge,
not least Michael Fay (later Sir Michael), the 1987 America’...
The Russ Bowler story pt1: By Design
Russ Bowler was Bruce Farr’s partner for over 40 years. A skilled designer/sailor in his own right Bowler brought an enquiri...
The Peter Lester Story
Peter Lester
1954 – 2025
The worldwide sailing community was shocked to hear of the unexpected death of sailing legend Pete...
Attitude is everything: The John Morrison story
Sailor and entrepreneur John Morrison’s story is a real rags-to-riches one. Growing up in Lyttelton in the 1960s, he built a ...
Formula 4000 restoration: Total reform
The immaculate Formula 4000 slid slowly past me down the fairway, stopped, spun neatly on the spot and backed into its Gulf H...
A free-spirited talent: The Graeme Woodroffe story
The late Graeme Woodroffe was one of New Zealand’s best-performing helmsmen/skippers, competing in OK dinghies, IOR ton keele...
Simply the best: the Jo Aleh, MNZM, story
In a sailing career that’s
been short on financial assistance and long in determination and mental fortitude, Jo Aleh has c...
Kokoru: A Phoenix from the ashes
Some boats are just born lucky.
Kokoru is one of those boats.
Designed and built in 1960 by legendary Picton boatbuilder ...
The Robert Brooke story
Role model
From the ashes of a cut-off boatbuilding career, Robert Brooke reinvented himself as an educator and, over a 40-y...
Dynamic duo: The John and Linda Parrish story
Race management is one of those critical jobs that has to be done just right and where accuracy is everything. With more than...
excel-lent refurbishment
It’s glorious powerboat weather and ideal for an impromptu speed test
of the Upfold 40 launch, Excel. The launch’s owner/dr...
Ragtime – the ‘Black Box’ returns
One of the most famous New Zealand keelers is Ragtime, designed and built by the late John Spencer and launched in 1965 as In...
Terrance (Terry) Cookson 1932 – 2024
Born in 1932 in Merseyside, England, Terrance (Terry) Cookson completed a shipwright apprenticeship in nearby Liverpool. Afte...
Chris Robertson 1927-2024
Many in the marine industry were saddened to hear of boatbuilder Chris Robertson’s passing on December 9, 2024. A long-time, ...
Farr reaching success: The Farr 1020 story
One of the most successful one-design keelers in New Zealand has been the Farr 1020. Designed by Bruce Farr and his team in 1...
Motoring ahead: The Hugh Stewart story
On December 20th, a 73-year-old will retire from a company and brand he’s been associated with since 1981. The man is Hugh St...
THE Richard (Dick) Jones story: Sharp as a tack
Born in 1935 to a Papamoa farming couple Kingsley and Gwen Jones, Richard didn’t know his father as he served with the Second...
Katoa, a Given 14.5m Sailing Catamaran
The Katoa project began 15 years ago in a 18m x 10m shed on the couple’s Dairy Flat property. Most catamarans are built as se...
Sailing Away: The Brett Bakewell-White Story
Bakewell-White’s boating story begins with his grandfather, the late Richard (Dick) Bakewell.
A lifelong sailor, in 1961 he ...
The Alastair Shanks Story – Fun-loving sailor
Alastair Shanks was born in Scotland in April 1940, towards the end of the so-called phoney war. Then aged 60, Alastair’s fat...
Thrills without bills (the JT 8.5m racing catamaran)
Introducing John Tetzlaff – full time sparmaker and part-time multihull designer/builder; by nature, quietly spoken and unass...