Te Rongotai had her maiden sail as part of the Worser Bay Boating Club 'start sailing' programme on Saturday 22nd February 2025, with many of our young sailors getting a chance to have a sail on her.
Te Rongotai, which means the sound of the sea, was launched with a karakia at the end of the 2024 school year with the students involved in her building taking her for a shake down sail. It took a full school year to build Te Rongotai which was mostly built by students from Rongotai College during 2024. These students had some help from students from Wellington East Girls' College and a group of Worser Bay Boating Club members. https://www.wbbc.org.nz/post/sailing-waka-starting-to-take-shape-at-rongotai-college
Special thanks go to James Richardson, who is a teacher at Rongotai College and a Boat & Beach Wise Trustee, for driving the project over the last few years. Also a big thanks to the Black Foils Sail GP team who provided opportunities for students to attend the Sail GP in Christchruch to learn about the art of boat building, as well as supplying a jib and a trampoline from Amokura which have been upcycled onto Te Rongotai.
Te Rongotai will now be used in all three modules of the RŪNĀ schools programme as well in our child and adult start sailing programmes.
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