Women on Water Weekend 2025

20. Set a good example and encourage participants to take away ideas they can use at home or in their own clubs.

17. WOWW participants with vegetarian or vegan dietary needs were identified when registering and accommodated through the preparation of special meals.

16. In 2025, 120+ registrants ranging from Beginning Sailors to Advanced Sailors and Skippers arrived from regions near and far, including a crew from Australia, to participate in the Women On Water Weekend. Many local sailors were aware they sail in and around the highly sensitive environmental areas surrounding Gulf Harbour. Dotterels (tuturiwhatu), an endangered shorebird, is particularly at risk during breeding season. They nest in open sites, the low-lying sand or sandbars close to beaches and lagoons, which are characteristic of Gulf Harbour. They need a quiet habitat without people, dogs or cats to keep them from abandoning their chicks. Shakespear Regional Park, adjacent to Gulf Harbour, is a pest-free sanctuary where native birds from nearby islands such as Tiritiri Matangi are known to frequent. With so many delicate wildlife and plant species near the club and GH Marina, all visiting sailors need to be made aware of the impact of their recreational boat activities and guard against excessive noise, plastic pollution, fuel/oil spills and toxic cleaning products.

12. Waste kitchen oil was recycled in the blue bin. (Photo 12a) All food waste was separated (Photo 12b) and disposed of in the small green-lidded “bokashi” food waste bins for pick up (Photo 12c) as were coffee grounds from the morning coffee service.

11. Cardboard boxes housing beverages, food, and supplies were flattened and placed in a designated reclamation bin. (Photo 11a) Smaller WOWW-specific waste bins were created and placed in appropriately-marked baskets in more than one location for transfer to bigger bins for waste management pick up. (Photo 11b) Bottle caps were sorted in the kitchen and at the bar for club recycling or local school fundraising. (Photo 11c)

10. Under the auspices of GHYC, a committee of approximately 12 members plan and implement all aspects of the Women on the Water Weekend with the help of many volunteers and sponsor support. Each WOWW subcommittee includes a Green Team review to ensure Best Practices are followed and documented in keeping with Sailors for the Sea/Clean Regatta specifications for certification.

8. Instructional graphics and Sponsor signage is all reusable.

7. There is frequent cooperation between boating clubs in the Auckland Region. One of the Race Management Boats was on loan with one crew member from Takapuna Boating Club and another fully crewed Race Management Boat was provided by Weiti Boating Club. GHYC does not currently own their own water refill station, but for big events we engage in interclub collaboration to borrow one from nearby Manly Sailing Club, another 1 Star Certified Yachting NZ Clean Club. GHYC utilised a local community group, City to Farm, to pick up and process WOWW’s compostable food waste that came from prepping meals and leftovers. City to Farm is an initiative of Hibiscus Coast Zero Waste, the trading name for The Sustainable North Trust 2007, a registered (CC20456), charitable, environmental education trust in New Zealand. It offers collection services via bins and box trucks and turns food scraps into rich compost to revitalise poor clay soils on farms, create productive soil, sequester carbon, and foster local food resilience in the Auckland area. The programme is run in association with Auckland Council, and Hibiscus and Bays Local Board. Throughout the year we collaborate with our local Coastguard Hibiscus, for WOWW 2025 borrowing folding tables and plastic outdoor chairs to accommodate the large number of participants

6. GHYC is a Certified One Star participant in Yachting New Zealand’s “Clean Club” programme co-developed by Sailors for the Sea, the world’s leading ocean conservation organisation for sailors. The GHYC is recognized on YachtingNZ’s Clean Club website. https://www.cleanclub-yachtingnz.org.nz/ GHYC publishes its club values on its website for members, potential members, and the community at large to read. This includes: “Sharing the fun, protecting our playground! By supporting our club and each other, we’re not just having fun on the water we also look after the environment that lets us play, learn, and explore together.” https://www.ghyc.co.nz/membership/ghyc-values-1

5. At Prizegiving, WOWW gives out one perpetual trophy for each of the three divisions. Each winning skipper got a wet weather jacket and all of the crew got a beach towel. The second and third placed skippers each got a gear bag (left of Photo 5b)) with some goodies inside. All prizes are usable, wearable or consumable (food or drink) so nothing plastic or gimmicky.

4. On the water sailing events require many supplies and pieces of equipment to be tranferred to yachts by boat owners, yacht club organisers, race crew, and skippers. Without reusable totes or recycled bags, waste could easily get out of hand. The WOWW Green Team made sure that reusable bags and totes were available for the multiple trips to boats, vehicles and the club. (Photo 4a) Packed lunches on boats were provided in bags made of hessian with paper labels and cotton strings. Sandwiches were wrapped in wax paper and fresh fruit required no wrapping. Crews were asked to return all waste/rubbish in the bags, to be disposed of appropriately back at the clubhouse. A bonus came with the use of bags marked with the brandname of Evolution Sails, the 2025 Gold Sponsor. (Photo 4b)

3. Gulf Harbour Yacht Club has always used plastic-free beverage glasses, china, and cutlery for its food and bar services.During the 2025 WOWW event, we reaffirmed the club’s commitment to plastic-free food and bar service with caterers and volunteers. Morning coffee service was supplied with china mugs, metal teaspoons, and china cream pitchers. (Photo 3a) China plates and bowls, and cloth tablecloths, were used for all food service. (Photo 3b) Lunches on participating boats were provided in bags made of hessian with paper labels and cotton strings. Sandwiches were wrapped in wax paper and fresh fruit required no wrapping. Prizegiving Night tables were set with linen tablecloths, real glasses, metal cutlery and small paper napkins which were composted after use. Centerpieces were reused. (Photo 3c) Ends of roll paper from printing were repurposed on top of buffet tablecloths to reduce the number of times they needed to be laundered. (Photo 3d)

2. Gulf Harbour Yacht Club, since its inception, has never used plastic straws.

1. The 120+ registered participants for the Gulf Harbour Yacht Club’s Women On Water Weekend (WOWW), held in March 2025, received emailed correspondence to prepare them for the event. Included under “What To Bring” was the directive to bring a refillable water bottle to be serviced by an on-site Water Refill Station. (Photo 1a)