Issue date
On the 6th of September, Pleasant Point Yacht Club in Christchurch opened for our 95th season of sailing on the Estuary and our third season at our new location in South New Brighton Park, about 600m across from our earthquake wrecked Rat Island site beside the South New Brighton Bridge.
The weather gods didn’t come to the party however, as a predicted strong polar Southerly arrived just at race time, causing the Club’s Race Officer to abandon the opening day’s race for safety reasons.
But the Club also had other things on their collective minds as the day marked the official opening of their new, Fulton Hogan built, two-lane launching ramp.
A large crowd of Club members, representatives from the Christchurch City Council, The Burwood Pegasus Community Board, Fulton Hogan, Canterbury Yachting Association and dignitaries from other yacht clubs, heard a short speech from Club Commodore Alastair Burgess, before the ribbon was cut by third generation members of the Club Charlotte and Alice Barrett. The Barrett family trace their membership back many decades with all three generations still active in the club.
Charlotte and Alice Barrett, third generation members of Pleasant Point Yacht Club, cut the ribbon to open the Clubs new launching ramp, while Michael Fulton of the construction company that built the ramp, looks on.
In his speech, Commodore Burgess recognised the significant grant from the Christchurch Earthquake Appeal Trust and contribution of construction company Fulton Hogan, “without whom we wouldn’t have this marvellous facility you see today.”
With the biting Southerly still whipping up the Estuary water, the group moved back to the Clubs temporary container facility for morning tea and hot drinks.
The ramp is stage two in the Club rebuild. Stage one was getting agreement to get into the Park with a temporary container facility... with stage three, the building of the new Clubrooms in the Park.
The one of the Clubs rescue boat Godwit, is backed down the new ramp along with a club member’s trailer yacht on the Club’s 95th season opening day.
The design work for the facilities only need the fine details to be completed prior to going out to tender.
However before that occurs, the Club needs to get agreement from the Christchurch City Council for the lease of an area of land in the park. An application for a lease is now with the Council.
For more information on Pleasant Point Yacht Club, contact Nigel Humphreys on Christchurch 349 2422.
