Club History

Our club was started by Graeme Holmes, a keen land yacht sailor from way back and Blokart owner. In September 2004 Graeme organized an inaugural meeting attended by 25 persons interested in Blokarts. From this meeting the Canterbreeze Blokart Club was formed. In 2009 we changed the name of our club to the Canterbury Blokart Club and in 2010 we became an Incorporated Society.Early meetings were held at the beach when low tide and an Easterly wind combined to give favourable sailing conditions. The usual meeting spot was at the South Brighton Surf Club and by January 2005 the fledgling club comprised ten paid up members and this number has increased slightly each year. The beach provided a reasonably hard surface, a major requirement to achieving good speeds, however waiting for a decent easterly and low water at a weekend could be frustrating and members were always on the lookout for alternative venues. As well, sharing the beach with people, especially children, dogs and other beach orientated sports meant that there was a serious safety issue to consider. Nevertheless, over the next few years club members did enjoy some great sailing conditions with high speeds achieved, usually on cold days when the beach was deserted.

During the summer period there were times when Lake Ellesmere dried out enough to use. A great venue offering plenty of space, and completely deserted, however a decent rain and it would be unusable. We also tried a private airfield but on grass, rolling resistance increases dramatically and strong winds are required to achieve reasonable speed.

Early in 2009 committee member Dave Griffin approached the Air Force Museum at Wigram and permission was gained for our club to use the sealed area in front of the Museum and hangers, also the taxiway. This has been a huge step forward for us and at last we have an ideal sealed area to sail on. There is plenty of room, grassed areas to move onto if someone loses control and we can sail regardless of wind direction. On race day a course is set out using cones, usually incorporating both fast and slow sections.  This is a club only venue; meetings are organized with Museum staff.

December 2011 the Air Force Museum commenced construction of a major extension taking over about one third of the existing apron area. Our club has adapted to the conditions and members now sail along the taxiway directly into an Easterly wind and sailing skills have improved considerably.If the wind is blowing we can usually be found at the Wigram Track on Sundays from midday till about 4.30pm. Anyone interested in trying a Blokart should make contact by email or phone prior to the weekend so that a sail can be arranged.

Age is no barrier, our members range from teenagers through to positively ancient, you don’t need to be from a sailing background and there is always someone to encourage newcomers with advice and helpful tips. It’s a fun sport that doesn’t waste petrol or create noise and you don’t require a driving license.

The Canterbury Blokart Club (CBC) was formed in 2004 and is a registered incorporated society.  It is one of eight blokart sailing clubs in New Zealand.  Check out the other seven New Zealand clubs here. A copy of the CBC constitution is available here. The CBC is affiliated to the New Zealand Blokart Association Inc. (NZBAI).  Members of the CBC pay an annual subscription to the NZBAI.

The NZBAI was formed in 2003 to promote and develop the sport of blokart sailing in New Zealand.  The NZBAI actively encourages affiliated clubs by:

  • Running regional, national and international events, and masters games events
  • Providing opportunities for members to socialise together
  • Interacting with other blokart clubs on a regular basis
  • Helping members participate successfully at events
  • Bringing people together to form clubs
  • Providing resources to clubs e.g. constitutions, race notices, rules
  • Liaising with the International blokart Racing Committee (IBRA)
  • NZBAI carries an insurance policy which is extended to all affiliated NZ clubs and provides cover for all official events organised by the clubs.  The NZBAI is run by volunteers elected onto the committee at the annual AGM, held in August.  The NZBAI is a registered incorporated society, no. 1246824. You can view NZBAI registration details here.  A copy of  the NZBAI constitution is available here.  The NZBAI is a founding member of the International blokart Racing Association (IBRA) and is a Member Association of IBRA.

IBRA has six founding members;  New Zealand Blokart Association Inc. (NZBAI), Blokart International Ltd. (BIL), Australian blokart Association (ABA), North American blokart Sailing Association (NABSA), Japan blokart Association (JBA), and European blokart Association (EBA).  IBRA’s objectives include encouraging and facilitating world-class blokart racing events using internationally agreed rules, and maintaining a set of international equipment and sailing rules. IBRA racing rules can be read here.  NZ uses a modified version of the IBRA sailing rules (the NZBAI rules) at all events including club sailing days.