Issue date
YNZ Award- better late than never
On June 12th, Alan Garbutt of Ravensbourne Yacht Club received his YNZ Service Award at the Otago Boys High School Senior Assembly.
Left: Allan Garbutt receiving his YNZ Service Award from new YNZ Regional Support Officer Graeme Wall.
Alan Garbutt is the man behind the mask of the Port Otago South Island Secondary Schools Sunburst Regatta. This event was born from Alan’s idea in 2005, and since then every year, secondary schools from the South Island are invited to send crews to Dunedin for a one week sailing camp to build up their sailing and racing skills. This is a much awaited and attended event with 21 plus sunbursts sailing each year.
Alan sailed his youth away in Dunedin, and still remains connected to sailing, and the youth classes in the area. He is the Head of department in Science at Otago Boys High School and is also the Sailing Master at that school. His commitment to youth sailing, especially through schools, has resulted in a deep pool of local talent that continue to achieve good results in local and national regattas.
It is interesting to note that OBHS has a very strong tradition in sailing in the region with it doing very well in the South Island Secondary School Sunburst Champs. Many of its past sailing pupils have gone on to compete at National and International level. One ex pupil in particular has done fairly well in the international and Olympic arena – Russell Coutts. It is at OBHS that Russell’s Olympic Gold Medal is proudly displayed. Allan and Russell were rival sailing mates in their younger days on Otago Harbour.
It would be fair to say that the current success of sailing at OBHS is very much the result of the efforts of Alan and the Schools belief in striving for excellence.
Alan still competes regularly himself too, on keelboats and in the newly revived Z class.
