Issue date
The Service Awards are all about exemplary or selfless services to the sport of yachting – and this list of ten all truly deserve to be recognised. They’re generally the type who don’t seek fanfare, don’t like a fuss, they just get on and get the job done. Giving year and after year of service, the total collective time given to yachting by this group of Service Award winners is extraordinary.
It was a tough year for the Judging Panel as many more very dedicated individuals were nominated and they were required to select this year’s ten winners. Come November 23rd each will step up to receive a Yachting New Zealand Service Award at the 2012 Yachting Excellence Awards.
This year’s Service Award winners are…
Gary Corkin, nominated by Sailability Auckland
When Gary Corkin joined Sailability Auckland as Head Coach he was tasked with lifting the standard of his sailors to World Class and Paralympic level. Bringing with him a half century of sailing instruction and coaching experience (Gary conducted his first clinic at Torbay Sailing Club in 1960) he applied his thorough and technical approach, and the results started to show. The culmination came this year with a team of eight competing in the 2012 World Championships. With Gary’s support Helena Horswell won the 2012 Access Liberty Servo World Championship, while another three Sailability Auckland sailors, Tim Dempsey, Jan Apel and Paul Francis, represented New Zealand at the Paralympic Games in London.
Derry Godbert, nominated by Kerikeri Cruising Club
Derry Godbert is a name synonymous with Northland yachting, and rightly so. He created the Kerikeri High School’s sailing school over three decades ago and has coached and developed the region’s young people inducting them into the sport instilling in all a passion for yachting and subsequently sending some on their way to international stardom. The Kerikeri High School sailing team has had incredible success with six national championship titles and four Inter-Dominion victories, while Olympians Blair Tuke and Andrew Murdoch both started their careers in the far North. Derry is highly qualified, a huge contributor to Yachting New Zealand’s certification process both dinghy and keelboat and an all round dedicated and delightful gentleman.
John Greenfield, nominated by Heretaunga Boating Club
At Heretaunga Boating Club, it’s John Greenfield that makes the ‘wheels go round’. His most significant contribution is as Club Treasurer, bringing his meticulous skills to the 31 year posting (1983-2012), but his reach is far greater. An eight year stint delivering learn to sail, overseer of maintenance on the club rescue boats, and a working bee stalwart John’s dedication is unwavering and he exemplifies a Club spirit that is rare to find. Now retired from work, John remains an active club racer sailing a Sunburst now his Javelin days are over, and the Heretaunga Boating Club greatly appreciate the dedication and enthusiasm he continues to bring to the club.
Kit Grigg, nominated by Akaroa Yacht Club
Kit Grigg was a founding member of the Akaroa Cruising Club established nearly fifty years ago in 1964 and since that time has played an integral role in the club. He instigated keelboat racing there in the late 60s, actively organised the Lyttelton to Akaroa Races and the inaugural Wellington to Akaroa race in 1966 as well as subsequent editions of this coastal event. Kit was the Club’s official race handicapper between 1964 and 2009, since its inception, and during the 90s introduced safety initiatives and acted as official yacht inspector for the Club and coastal race fleets. Additionally, during the 80s he was responsible for establishing the club house and its facilities sourcing and supplying building materials from his own farm in Hickory Bay.
Ross Markwick, nominated by the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron
Ross Markwick has a passion for yachting, starting as a Sea Scout he later moved into trailer and keelboat sailing, but along the way it’s his commitment to give back to the sport that has set him apart, and for Ross a specialty is Race Management. Honing his skills on the RNZYS Committee Boat his involvement grew through the 90s and he up-skilled to PRO and graduated to Race Management Committee Chairman for the club where he has grown the pool of qualified race officials to unprecedented levels by encouraging others to get qualified. He played key roles during the 2000 and 2003 America’s Cup regattas and earlier this year was PRO for the Volvo Ocean Race Leg Finish in Auckland.
Gerald Martin, nominated by the Napier Sailing Club
Napier farmer and grandfather, Gerald Martin has become a Race Officer extraordinaire. He started sailing in the 1970s when he proved himself a talent in the Flying Fifteen class more recently qualifying as a PRO, around ten years ago, subsequently clocking up a long list of accomplishments as a Race Officer. Since 1995 Gerald has been involved as either RO or PRO at close to sixty significant regattas around the country ranging from Optimists to Olympic classes to keelboats at Bay of Islands Sailing Week. Gerald was selected by the IODA as Principal Race Officer for the 2012 Optimist World Championships staged in Napier in January this year, where his contribution to the regatta was very highly regarded by all involved.
Les McBean, nominated by Port Chalmers Yacht Club (pictured above)
Truly passionate about yachting, Les McBean is the behind the scenes backbone of Otago’s Port Chalmers Yacht Club and a figurehead in the region’s yachting community. Les devotes enormous time and effort to the day to day club business just getting on with tasks like running the Committee, race entries, rescue craft, course setting, results, setting the race calendar and more – you could consider Les a one man band. A special passion for Les is classic boats and the PCYC Classic Boat Day goes from strength to strength with Les at the helm of the event organisation. “He is one of life’s ‘good sorts’ and without him our Club, and the yachting fraternity of Otago would be truly lost,” says the club.
Don McBeth, Don Waterer, Gail Sanders & Peter Channings, nominated by French Bay Yacht Club
When West Auckland’s French Bay Yacht Club was facing dire times this foursome were among those who decided that the Club was worth saving, they argued for it to be preserved and they nursed it through a critical period turning the tide and bringing the club back into growth mode. Don McBeth runs the books, advocates for the club, opens and closes the doors and provides general maintenance. Engineer by trade, Don Waterer has provided extensive services in restoring the historic clubhouse, as well as a three-year tenure as Commodore. While Peter Channings dedicated himself to the Club’s learn to sail programme, and Gail Sanders has worked tirelessly to deliver the excellent hospitality the club is well known for. With help from other club members this group has injected life and enthusiasm back into French Bay Yacht Club.
Joyce Talbot, nominated by the Classic Yacht Association
After joining the Classic Yacht Association in 2000, Joyce Talbot quickly exceeded the expectations of her secretarial role, working tirelessly to ensure all aspects of the Club ran efficiently during her eleven year tenure. She played a major role in race and event management and through her thoroughness and attention to detail provided a strong platform that has enabled the Classic Yacht Association to prosper. Her contribution also extends beyond the CYA having done an enormous amount of work for the Auckland Anniversary Regatta, as well as contributing to the Multihull Yacht Club, SSANZ and the NZL Yachting Trust. The Classic Yacht Association nominated Joyce declaring that they, “could not think of a more deserving or suitable recipient for a Yachting New Zealand Service Award.”
Ivor Wilkins, of the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron
World renowned marine author, journalist and photographer, Auckland based Ivor Wilkins’ contribution to New Zealand yachting is immense. Bringing an impressive depth of knowledge Ivor’s exceptional work is widely published and brings kiwi yachting, our sailors and our marine industry to a huge audience, both in New Zealand and internationally. His regular column in Seahorse magazine profiling New Zealand sailors and yachts, his long-time role as editor of Breeze magazine for the RNZYS and his books on the America’s Cup are among his accomplishments. And the recent release of his remarkable book CLASSIC - The Revival of Classic Boating in New Zealand, is a fabulous celebration of New Zealand’s classic boats.
