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When Cyclone Tam tore the roof off the Taipa Sailing Club just over a week ago, the immediate future of the small Northland yacht club suddenly looked uncertain.
The family-friendly club, based at Taipa Point in Doubtless Bay, suffered significant damage after half of its roof was lifted and folded over the other during the severe weather.
Nearly 200mm of rain followed, soaking the building’s interior, damaging the floor, and placing the structure’s framing at risk.
“It was a mess,” said Commodore Garth Riddle. “The roof came off, a lot of water got in, and the floor was completely stuffed. Now we’re waiting on the insurance assessor and a couple of builders to inspect the framing and determine what needs to be done.”
Despite the setback, the club remains optimistic about its recovery, thanks to a groundswell of community support and an existing policy through Yachting New Zealand’s longtime insurance partner, Aon.
Dozens of volunteers - more than the club’s active membership base of around 50 - turned up on Sunday (April 20) to help with the clean-up.
“We had to wait for the wind to drop before we could safely get tarpaulins over the exposed roof to protect it from further rain we were expecting,” Riddle said. “It was an amazing response. We had streams of people coming through - parents, kids, and club members. Some experienced builders managed the roof repairs, while the rest of us cleared debris and made tea.”
Dozens of volunteers helped with the initial clean-up. Photos / Taipa Sailing Club
The Taipa Sailing Club has been operating since around 1952 and is a hub for dinghy sailing in the region. It supports classes such as the Optimist, O’pen Skiff, Starling, Splash, and ILCA 6, and runs active programmes for both junior and adult sailors.
The club is insured, but with a high excess, there are concerns about covering the full cost of repairs.
Last Wednesday, club management launched a Givealittle fundraising page to help cover the excess and any expenses not included in the insurance coverage. More than $6000 has been raised in the first five days.
“We’ve always managed to run on the smell of an oily rag, but we realised that for this one, we were going to need help,” Riddle said.
“The response so far has been amazing, and we’d like to thank everyone who has given their time, money, and support since this happened.”
Taipa Sailing Club’s experience also serves as a timely reminder for other clubs to review their insurance policies, Riddle said.
“Ten years ago, what seemed like reasonable cover might not be enough today. We’re only at the start of this process while we wait for assessments and quotes, but we’ve had break-ins and lost motors off chase boats in the past, and Aon has always been brilliant to deal with.”
More than $6000 has already been raised through crowdfunding. Photos / Taipa Sailing Club
Although club activities are likely to be disrupted, Riddle is determined to keep the sailing programmes running.
“We’ve been sailing every weekend for most of the year, and we’ve had two really successful Learn to Sail programmes - one in the morning and one in the afternoon,” he said.
“We’d like to think we play an important role in the local community, as we’ve had a huge number of kids come through our programmes over the years. Traditionally, Taipa has sailed right through winter, and we’re determined to keep it that way.”
Aon provides insurance for over 40 affiliated yacht clubs across New Zealand, with club insurance providing cover for club assets such as buildings, boats, trailers, and equipment - on land, on the water and on the road. Cover also includes revenue protection and liability risk. To read more about the partnership and offerings, click here.
To donate to the Taipa Sailing Club’s Givealittle fundraising page, click here.
