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The Canterbury Yachtie of the Year Awards were held recently at the Cashmere Club.
Held annually by the Canterbury Yachting Association, the Yachtie of the Year Awards celebrate the Canterbury Yachting Champions who have won a Regional, South Island and National Championships in the past season.
The awards also recognise the efforts of those officials and organisers behind the scenes, with awards for On-the-Water Administrator and Off-the-Water Administrator of the Year and ultimately the overall award of Yachtie of the Year.
This year the Yachtie of the Year award went to R Class sailors, Paul Roe and Malcolm Snowdon who are members of Naval Point Club Lyttelton. Paul and Malcolm won the National R Class Championship in the 2015/16 season, sailing their foiling R class yacht The Virtual. They have been dedicated to this class for some years and have been instrumental in the design developments that see these yachts rise out of the water and sail at high speed on foils.
The On-the-Water Administrator of the Year Award went to Pleasant Point Yacht Club member Alison Rutherford. Alison was nominated by her club and was up against five other nominees from other clubs in the Canterbury region, but recent elevation to the status of National Race Officer by Yachting New Zealand and her work running regattas from as far afield as Lake Brunner, Lake Pegasus, The Estuary and Lyttelton Harbour including regional, South Island and National Championships for a variety of yacht classes, sealed the win for her.
The Canterbury Yachting Association’s Off-Water Administrator of the Year was won by Trevor Kite of Christchurch Yacht Club for his sustained and dedicated efforts as CYC member for 20 years, he is a past Commodore and a committee member for 12 years and his commitment to the Club has seen him apply his skills to fund raising, and management of a number of the Club’s major infrastructure projects, while all the time continuing to sail competitively. Trevor was one of three nominees for this award.
A special Canterbury Yachting Association Life Time Award was presented to Margaret Park of Christchurch Yacht Club for her 50 plus years as a Club member and the endless work she has done behind the scenes at the Club and on the water as a race time keeper, often in support of her husband Jim, who for many years was a National Race Official and International Judge.
Jim Park, Patron of the Canterbury Yachting Assn., presents Alison Rutherford with her certificate for winning On-Water Administrator of the Year.
Jim Park, Patron of the Canterbury Yachting Assn., with Trevor Kite of Christchurch Yacht Club, winner of the Off-Water Administrator of the Year.
Ross May, President of the Canterbury Yachting Association, Presents Margaret Park with her Life Time Award.
Ross May, President of the Canterbury Yachting Association, congratulates Paul Roe on winning the 2015/16 Canterbury Yachtie of the Year Award with his crew Malcolm Snowdon (absent).
