Tidelines: Boating's top 10?

After researching more than a century of boating, and surveying international boating experts, the American magazine Boating Life has named what it believes to be the 10 great innovations that changed boating for ever. They are the outboard motor, the planing hull, forward control, marinas, marine aluminium, fibreglass construction, forward/neutral/reverse gearshift, depth-finder, stern-drive motor and GPS receiver. A surprise omission from the top 10 is the jet propulsion unit that opened a huge shallow-water boating option.

RIVIERA SIGNS

Queensland boat manufacturer Riviera has signed an exclusive dealership agreement for Western Canada with Van Isle Marina, one of British Columbia's biggest full-service marina operators. Van Isle president Mark Dickinson says his company picked Riviera "because of their boats' unsurpassed construction and exceptional performance in ocean waters".

PWCS STILL OK

The American state of Virginia has decided to hold off, at least for this year, legislation that would have banned personal watercraft. Opponents of the proposed bill say it was discriminatory and typical of the sort of legislation being proposed by anti-PWC and anti-recreational boating groups active in several other states.

WATER-WATCH

If conditions are anywhere near decent today there will be a huge fleet of power craft on the water between the inner harbour and Kawau contesting the fifth Auckland Poker Run. Those out for a quiet fish should be aware of the added traffic. Other activity:

Saturday: Three-handed Gulf Rally,(Devonport YC); Cruising race (RNZYS); Cruising race to Man O'War Bay (RAYC); Printing Express series continues (Ponsonby CC); Single-handed series to Kawau (Weiti BC).

Saturday and Sunday: Family cruising event for trailer yachts (Waitemata TYS); Grade 2 match racing regatta continues (RNZYS).

Sunday: Three-handed Gulf rally,(Devonport YC); His and Hers race (Richmond YC).

* Clubs and organisations planning events in or on the Waitemata or Manukau harbours should register well in advance with the Auckland Regional Council Customer Service Centre on (09) 366 2000. The new 24-hour response number for the ARC maritime unit is (09) 362 0397.