The launch of Yachting New Zealand's Moanamana schools programme is a 'proud” and 'epic” moment for top Kiwi sailors and environmental advocates Peter Burling and Blair Tuke.

Moanamana was designed to engage schools, kura and their communities in marine ecosystem restoration projects that will build New Zealand's Blue Belt and follows on from the success of the first two modules – Kōkōkaha and Kōrinorino.

The event, hosted in partnership with Sport New Zealand and Live Ocean, saw local children and parents interact with SailGP athletes from New Zealand through a series of fun activities like discovering the many faces of our marine ecosystems, exploring kāpehu whetū – the Māori star compass, learning water skills for life and testing their abilities with some gutter-boat racing.

It took place at Naval Point Club Lyttelton on Wednesday, March 15.

It also preceded the inaugural ITM New Zealand Sail Grand Prix, unfolding March 18-19 on the Whakaraupō Harbour.

Burling, the New Zealand SailGP team driver and co-founder of the Live Ocean Foundation, says programmes like Moanamana are a big step in the right direction.

'It makes us incredibly proud as a team to be helping Yachting New Zealand launch the Moanamana schools programme. It's amazing to see so many kids going around all these different stations and learning lots about different parts of the ocean,” says Burling TVNZ's Breakfast.

'For us as a team, our purpose is a big part of what we're all about, and it's been amazing to see so many kids get involved in it.”

Natalia Groom, Yachting NZ's RŪNĀ Kaiwhakahaere – education lead, says Moanamana is part of the organisation's strategy to integrate boating and yachting clubs into their wider community, strengthen relationships with schools and kura and create a sense of whanaungatanga.

'Moanamana was developed as part of Sport New Zealand's ‘In Our Backyard' project to provide quality physical activity experiences for tamariki and rangatahi and is aimed at encouraging schools and local communities to understand and get involved in setting up local marine restoration projects to help build New Zealand's Blue Belt."

Sport NZ's ‘In Our Backyard' initiative is an educational project for schools and kura, which provides new opportunities for students to learn about the environment through sport, as New Zealand hosts a series of major sporting events.

Moanamana was recently selected as part of the Government's 'Unlocking Curious Minds' initiative and is supported by Sport NZ's Strengthen and Adapt (S&A) project, which aims to create unique and significant opportunities to assist with driving change and to help create a stronger sector for the benefit of New Zealanders into the future.

The launch also celebrated Naval Point Club Lyttelton becoming Yachting NZ's second tier-one RŪNĀ hub – clubs equipped with the capacity and equipment to run all three modules – following a successful trial at Worser Bay Boating Club.

Moanamana aims to engage schools, kura and their communities in marine ecosystem restoration projects. Photo: Yachting New Zealand.

According to Groom, several other clubs around the country will also become tier-one clubs in due course.

Tuke, who along with Burling won Olympic gold in the 49er, said Moanamana offered a learning experience for everyone.

'To have the chance to learn about so many different parts of the coastline, what the ocean does for us, what they as kids can do – even what we do – it's an awesome opportunity," he said.

'You're seeing it more and more but to have this now as a schools programme getting launched, the kids are going to reach around Aotearoa. It's epic.”