>
I’ve always liked boats, but having lived in landlocked Germany for the majority of my adult life, it’s been a fairly remote attraction.
The closest I’ve got in recent years was drinking rosé on my mate Houghton’s lovely 80 year old 30′ cruiser “Raindance” at the marina in Bayswater.
So the Antique & Classic Boat Show on Lake Rotoiti last weekend was a definite must-do.
It’s a good hour’s drive south of Nelson on the way to pretty much nowhere and the location is just stunning.
Pristine parklands (with people reminding smokers to pick up their discarded cigarette butts…) surrounding a lake of utter purity.
Yacht races, a Le Mans start for a Seagull-powered race, rowing races (slower rowers had a shorter course), steam-powered boats, an exquisite antique Chris-Craft, recently imported from the States and the Royal Kerr Bay Motor Yacht Club, who turn up with their private jetty, wheel it into the lake and sit around drinking all day.
And Richard Shepard, our friend and future builder, with “Phoenix”, a restored 1960 R-class yacht with which he won the Saturday race and came in a close second on Sunday.
A good day out.
More over at Classic Yachts, courtesy of Houghton
Mainz Daily Photo 
>It's a great place to visit I used to live there
>Love the photos! And, why wouldn't you catch the bug? Being on or near the water is a fantastic feeling…almost primal. The top photo is spectaclar, and its beauty is truly breathtaking!