Wakatere Boating Club is located at Narrow Neck Beach in Devonport on Auckland's North Shore. The club has been operating for 75 years. Main classes include Optimists, P Classes, Starlings, Sunbursts, Frostbites, 3.7s, OKs and Lasers. We will provide races for any classes that choose to race at the club.Racing is on each Sunday at 1.30pm. Visitors are welcome.
A highlight of past seasons were the Optimist National Champs held at Wakatere over Easter 2002 and the 2003 Sunburst and 3.7 Nationals held at Wakatere over Easter 2003.
Sailing canoes drawn up on Narrow Neck beach before the first Wakatere Canoe Club sailing race.
HistoryIn 2002 the club celebrated its 75th anniversary having been started in 1926 as a sailing canoe club. In fact, Wakatere means fast canoe.
Around the mid 1920's canoes were all the rage, their bright reds, blues, greens and yellows were all over the North Shore beaches. It was therefore inevitable that John Brooke and 20 other foundation members should form a club in Devonport and call it the Wakatere Canoe Club. Several canoes soon appeared in January 1927, and by February the same year some of the paddling canoes were fitted with lee boards, masts and sails, so that when the First Annual Regatta was held in March 1927, in a lively northeaster, the main event was a sailing race, which drew nine starters. The end of this first season was celebrated with a picnic at Rangitoto, a tradition which continues to this day. Then, five years later, the Wakatere one design skimmer was introduced,from this the Frostbite, Sunburst and Sabot were designed and introduced as the backbone of the club. Many top New Zealand sailors started their sailing at Wakatere in these classes.
The Frostbite
Wakatere's first clubhouse, 1932
Over the years the club has been a stronghold of the Sabot, Frostbite and Sunburst classes. More recently the Optimists have increased in popularity to become the main junior class at the club, along with the P Class and Starling.
Recently the Auckland 3.7 and OK Dinghy fleets have chosen to make Wakatere their home, the Laser fleet has increased over recent seasons, allowing the club to cater for all levels of centreboard racing.
Contact details
Contact Name : Marc Michel, Commodore, ph 4453342
Email Address : michels@clear.net.nz
Postal Address : Box 32-288, Devonport
HALL HIRE Ann Robins PH. 445-7349 annandjohn@xtra.co.nz
SECRETARY Roger Wanless
TREASURER Jennifer McIndoe PH. 445-9073
class representatives
Optimist
Andrew Copeland
021 665 085
P Class
Ian Swinton 376-2013
Starling
Christine Hansen
445-2061
Frostbite
William Grieve
445-2881
Sunburst
Mike Long
09 427 4223
Lasers
Pete Thomas
445-7050
3.7
Chris Hawkins
478 5219
OK Dinghy
Alistair Deaves
021 423 504
