Auckland

As in the previous year the 2009 Auckland Freestyle Champs was run again on stand by to get the best conditions possible so the stand by period was set for the whole month of May with each Saturday and Sunday being a possible event day.

The weather systems during that time of the year are normally a bit windier and consistent - but what is normal in these days anyway? The first weekend in May had a terrific forecast, 30+ Knots for 4-5 days in a row but it became quickly apparent that the direction was SE, which is the most unreliable of all for the Auckland area. After a bit of gambling the decision was made to postpone the event to the following weekend. As it turned out the wind never arrived for the first weekend – luckily!

MetService have closed their enhanced MyWeather services on the public website, however in the interim they have created a public login to their business site www.metconnect.co.nz (Login myweatherplus/weather4u). Most of the information is not new, but the Animated Wind Model shows 3 hourly wind forecasts for the Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch recreational marine areas for the next 48 hours. http://www.metservice.com/default/index.php?alias=mwp_notice

The parents of one of the engineers on board the Air New Zealand Airbus flight which crashed into the sea off the coast of France say their son enjoyed family pursuits and outdoor activities including windsurfing and blow-carting. Full article http://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/newsdetail1.asp?storyID=148829

The New Zealand RS:X National Championships will boast an impressive starting line-up when racing starts this Friday off Takapuna Beach, North Shore City. Plenty of top international windsurfers are already in the country for the RS:X World Championships in January and will compete in this weekend’s Nationals as preparation. Over 60 windsurfers are already entered and with international competitors arriving into New Zealand daily, organisers of the National Championships are anticipating that around 80 windsurfers will take part. Just 20 to 30 of the expected total are New Zealanders with the majority being internationals here early for the World Championships.