2008 Tornado Worlds

Originally posted by Tornado_ALIVE

   Ordered the f-18 a few days ago...... Looks like I may have to sell
it after the 2007 Worlds in Australia..... Or pull some big
sponnsors.

2008 Tornado Worlds to Takapuna, New Zealand

New Zealand has been awarded the hosting right for the 2008 World
Tornado Class Championships. The regatta will be held at Takapuna,
in the heart of North Shore City, which was the venue for the
International 14 World Championships earlier this year.

The regatta will be the first held in New Zealand for an Olympic
class since the 470 Worlds in 1984 - a gap of 24 years! It will also
be the first ever Olympic qualifying regatta held in New Zealand.

Takapuna was the venue of many world championships in the 1970's and
1980's, and also the 1992 World Laser Championships (before it was
an Olympic class), however fell from favour due to on-shore
facilities.

With construction of a new clubhouse, including dining facilities,
last year the club is now a great stadium for sailing. The North
Shore City Council has an aggressive approach to attracting world
championships to the City, and is providing excellent support for
sailing in the City.

The foundation stone for the new clubhouse was laid by Jacques
Rogge, President of the IOC, and himself a competitor in the 1980
Finn Gold Cup which was sailed off Takapuna. In recent years the
club has become the centre for catamaran sailing on the North Shore,
and enjoys good launching off a sandy beach, with excellent sailing
conditions.

Bronze medallist in the 2000 Olympics, Aaron Mcintosh is competing
in the 2005 Tornado World Championships in La Rochelle and led the
NZ bid for the event.

He reported back: 'I have been working hard on a bid to host the
2008 Tornado World Championships in Auckland. I have just returned
from the ITA AGM with news that New Zealand will host the Tornado
Worlds in February 2008.

I would like to thank Paul Dunphy from North Shore City Council for
making the trip to La Rochelle to help present the package and Marty
Watson at Yachting NZ for his great support in the bid. It was
unanimous decision over Melbourne.'

by Richard Gladwell