To commemorate the inauguration of the World Blind Sailing movement at the First International Blind Sailing Regatta sailed from its premises in Auckland in 1992, and the subsequent developments which have resulted in the formation of Blind Sailing International and the First World Blind Sailing Championships, the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, in 1997, donated to Blind Sailing International a trophy for World Competition. The Cup is inscribed:

The Squadron Cup
FOR BLIND SAILING INTERNATIONAL WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
THE ROYAL NEW ZEALAND YACHT SQUADRON 1997

Rules Governing Competition for the trophy
1. The Cup shall be known as The Squadron Cup.

2. The cup is for competition between Blind Sailing Crews at World Blind Sailing Championships conducted under the auspices of and approved by Blind Sailing International.

3. The Cup is for TEAM competition. A Team consists of three crews, one of B1 sight category, one of B2 sight category, one of B3 sight category.

4. Each crew will score points for each race under the Low-Point Scoring System as defined by the Racing Rules of Sailing (RRS) Current Race Scoring Systems, published by The International Sailing Federation, (ISAF).

5. Points scored by the three crews shall be aggregated to form a Team Score. The lowest Team Score shall determine the winner.

6. Teams which enter boats in less than the three categories shall score points for the finishing places of all races designated as counting for the competition one more than the number of boats entered in the category(ies) in which they did not enter.

7. Sailing Instructions for the event shall designate the number of races which will count for scoring for the Cup, as required under current RRS Rules.

8. The Cup is to be accepted by the Manager of the winning team on behalf of his/her team and to be held by that Country/State’s/Organisation’s Managing Committee and held in trust until the next event, when it shall be produced and handed to the host country’s Organising Committee.Should an event not take place the cup shall be returned to its owner, Blind Sailing International.

The Colin Spanhake Trophy

Presented by the Spanhake family 2005 for perpetual competition
in the B1 division of the World Blind Sailing Championship

Kotuku
The feathers of Kotuku were highly prized by Maori and were used to adorn the heads of chiefs both in life and after death. Their feathers were kept in elaborately carved boxes, “Waka Huia.”

In Maori oratory, the most telling compliment is to liken someone to Kotuku. It symbolizes everything rare and beautiful. It was said that Kotuku is an inhabitant of the nether world, the spirit land of Reinga, and that an old funeral chant ends with these words to the departed: “Ko to kotuku to tapui, e Tama - e” “Kotuku is now thy sole companion, O my son!”. So seldom does Kotuku appear in any locality that “rare as the Kotuku” has passed into a proverb among Maori.

Colin Spanhake, Organiser of the First International Blind Sailing regatta and founding chairman of BSI, wished to donate this trophy to Blind Sailing International and asked me to select a suitable range for him to choose from. Colin fell ill and while in bed was presented with a range of photographs of prospective trophies. He, on first choice chose a traditional wood carving that represented the Bird “Kotuku”. Having negotiated the form of the trophy a suitable carver was employed to construct the trophy. On completion Colin was contacted for the initial showing and Blind Sailing was informed that he had passed away the evening prior. He never did get to see the finished trophy.

New Zealand Maori are a very spiritual race and references to the Kotuku in Maori Legend certainly fit the circumstance.

“He Kotuku rerenga tahi”
“A Kotuku’s flight is seen but once”

Rules Governing Competition for the Colin Spanhake trophy

1. The Trophy shall be known as The Colin Spanhake Trophy.

2. The Trophy is for competition between Blind Sailing Crews at World Blind Sailing Championships conducted under the auspices of and approved by Blind Sailing International.

3. The Trophy is for B1 division competition.

4. Each crew will score points for each race under the Low-Point Scoring System as defined by the Racing Rules of Sailing (RRS) Current Race Scoring Systems, published by The International Sailing Federation, (ISAF).

5. The lowest Crew Score shall determine the winner.

6. Sailing Instructions for the event shall designate the number of races which will count for scoring for the Trophy, as required under current RRS Rules.

7. The Trophy is to be accepted by the Vision Impaired Helmsperson of the winning Crew on behalf of his/her Crew and to be held by that Country/State’s/Organisation’s Managing Committee and held in trust until the next event, when it shall be produced and handed to the host country’s Organising Committee.Should an event not take place the Trophy shall be returned to its owner, Blind Sailing International.