Welcome to the Otago Trailer Yacht Squadron

The  Otago Trailer Yacht Squadron is a very friendly family orientated  club, with emphasis on trailer yacht racing, cruising and  socializing.Many  families spend their holidays cruising, especially on the  southern lakes, and at Abel Tasman National Park. A lot of boats  take the opportunity to travel out of town for racing events and  some even travel the whole country to attend events.The  Otago Trailer Yacht Squadron is a member of New Zealand Trailer Yacht Association and the Otago Yachting Association.

LOOKING BACK – A brief history of the Otago Trailer Yacht SquadronOn Friday, 9th March 1973 the 'Otago Trailer Yacht Squadron' was formed by 14 interested parties. That was the start of our racing activities on the Otago Harbour. The predominant class of boat was the Hartley 16, & soon a number of boats were also starting to venture further a field, exploring, discovering, and cruising Otago's inland waters. The 1973 Subscription was $2.00.Many of the growing membership consisted of those in the process of building their yachts. By the end of the 73/74 season the membership had swelled to 38.Even in those good old days there were events cancelled by bad weather, but an endeavour was made to hold two events a month. By the third AGM, membership had increased to 43, the boom of Trailer yachting was well underway.

By 1975 the first Noelex 22 owner in Dunedin had appeared, but eventually this class of boat became popular, and started to be raced like a centreboarder, overtaking the '16' in numbers. A much larger variety of boat designs appeared, and the fibreglass moulded boats were beginning to make an impression on the local and national scene. With the advent of larger boats, accommodation was increased and cruising was avidly pursued.Over the years the OTYS became involved in many interesting subjects including, Wildlife Management at Lake Waihola, Power lines at Lakes Mahinerangi and Benmore and also Otago Harbour environmental reports, OYA reclamations, an act of parliament, South Island Championships, boat tax, and the NZTYA Council.

Trailer Yachting still remains a family sport for those so inclined, and is after all a cheap sport. The wind is free, once you have your life savings invested in something to catch it.With the passing of the years, the membership of the club has varied quite a lot, & numbers peaked at 146 in 1983 to stabilise at between 80 & 90 in recent years. As trailer yachts had become more widely appreciated, and their types and size more varied, many sailors who had outgrown centre-boarders turned to trailer yachts to continue their interest, often with their families, in the sport and pastime of sailing. The O.T.Y.S. had created something of a niche for itself in the local yachting scene, being unique in several respects: As a club it catered for only one category of boat; it did not aspire to own land or buildings; it specifically targeted family participation, and, by its affiliations provided its members with links to the N.Z.Trailer Yacht Association and the Otago Yachting Association at modest cost, also with the benefits that accrue from such bodies. Its activities comprise a mix of racing, cruising, social and educational occasions, which probably saw more member interaction than most other clubs could boast. The singularity of the club had, and still has, the added benefit of being able to cooperate with other clubs in their sailing programs without fear or favour.

Looking at past Minutes of committee meetings, one is conscious of the number of times the club has examined itself to try to determine why a greater proportion of its members do not take part in particular races, or cruise, or member's evenings. This continuing review shows that the range of interests of members, their family situations and involvements at any given time and, nowadays, their work patterns, all combine to make a definitive answers to the problem well nigh impossible. However, the fact that membership numbers are somewhat better than just stable, indicates that the program mix that the club presents and the services that it offers, are still appreciated.

Over the years there have been enormous changes in the social structure of the country. No longer is the weekend the work-free recreational time it once was. No longer do central and local governments act generously to the population at large and to sports and recreational bodies in particular. The user must pay! People, must seize their opportunities for recreation whenever they can. Clubs & societies, O.T.Y.S. amongst them, have had to recognise the changes and adapt to it. That there is the will within the Squadron to meet the challenges of the future, there is no doubt, for the great strength of trailer yachting, is its family orientation, and it is certain that it will do all in its powers to preserve that essential ingredient.

To quote from the O.T.Y.S. Constitution, 'The objects of the club are to encourage family sailing, racing and cruising, and to foster the fraternal spirit between members and clubs interested in trailerable cabin yachts. The Otago Trailer Yacht Squadron had a milestone in its history with its 25th Anniversary in 1998.The club has continued with its stated aims right up to the present. There are a variety of members cruising all of the lakes at the Southern end of the country, and also regularly venturing to the cruising grounds of Tasman Bay. The more enthusiastic racing members have attended championships all over the country, in some cases with a great deal of success. As with a lot of specialist sports such as Yachting in general, the Otago Harbour yacht clubs active membership is quite variable. In recent years, there has been a move within the Squadron to steer away from racing and focus on being a 100% social cruising club. The most popular places to cruise are the central Otago and South Canterbury Lakes, with most cruises now being held on Lake Benmore.