Welcome to the December edition of Boating New Zealand magazine.

It’s amazing to me that this is the last issue for 2023! The calendar year has flown by. That said, our team must pull together the January 2024 issue before we take a break for Christmas, so there are still some very busy weeks ahead of us!

I am taking an extended break this Christmas, travelling to Europe with my family to visit relatives and explore new places. I plan to produce the February edition of Boating NZ magazine while I’m away, working remotely – in theory no different to working from my home office, except for the time zone. The wonders of today’s digital age! Hopefully all the technology works seamlessly… Fortunately, Lawrence Schäffler, the magazine’s previous editor, has promised to help keep things on track at this end.

But back to the here and now. I’m pleased to announce a new series of Boating New Zealand On Demand video magazine. After a hiatus of a couple of years, Boating NZ and Face TV are again collaborating to produce and screen new series of the show.

Fronted by Sarah Ell, each magazine-style programme features video boat reviews and features from recent magazines, complementing older episodes from Series One and Two, which also screen regularly on Face TV.

Series 3 is now available on Boating NZ’s YouTube channel (scan the QR code to view the first episode), or catch it on Face TV (Sky Channel 83) and Face TV On Demand.

On a more sombre note, Boating would like to acknowledge the tragic death of prominent Auckland sailor Simon Smith. A much-loved teacher at Westlake Boys High School, Simon was an experienced yachtsman whose exploits included crewing a Whitbread Round the World Race in 1981-82. He was critically injured during this year’s PIC Coastal Classic, doing what he loved most – sailing. Despite the best efforts of crewmates, Coastguard volunteers and rescue services, he could not be revived.

A funeral service on Auckland’s North Shore was attended by many hundreds of people, just some of the many lives Simon touched in his 69 years. He will be sadly missed by many, but our thoughts are especially with his family.

John Eichelsheim
Editor