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Seven individuals have been honoured with Yachting New Zealand Life Membership in 2013. The recognition will be celebrated at the 2013 Yachting Excellence Awards gala dinner on Friday November 29th at the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron.
Click here for a list of Yachting New Zealand Life Members.
Derry Godbert MNZM – Derry has made (and continues to make) an enormous contribution as a volunteer to the sport of yachting in New Zealand. Derry has been involved in all aspects of yachting locally, in the Northland community, nationally, and internationally as a volunteer for more than 35 years. Derry is an incredibly dedicated supporter of yachting and unquestionably a pillar of the Northland sailing community. Derry has also contributed greatly to Yachting New Zealand.
Janet Watkins - Janet has given service to yachting for over 50 years. She is a multi-talented, extremely dedicated, hardworking volunteer and has given great service to Yachting New Zealand for many years. Janet became involved with the Wakatere Boating Club in the 1950’s and remained with the club untill 1996 when she joined Takapuna Boating Club where she continued to teach people to sail, coach and in race management. Janet has set the benchmark for regatta shore based and on water planning and documentation for major events in New Zealand, including numerous world championships and major events.
The recent America’s Cup again captured the New Zealand public and while Emirates Team New Zealand did not win the Cup they brought sailing to the forefront in New Zealand and raised the profile of the sport. The following five individuals have contributed over a long period to sailing in New Zealand and to our international profile.
Dean Barker - Dean first sailed with Team New Zealand in 1995 but he opted for an Olympic campaign instead, before returning to the team for the successful defence in 2000. As skipper for the 2007 challenge, he led the sailing team through the pre-regattas of 2005 and 2006, and the victory in the Louis Vuitton Cup in 2007 which earned the team the right to face off against Alinghi for the America’s Cup. In his last year racing monohulls in 2010, Barker and the sailing crew won the three Louis Vuitton Trophy regattas (Auckland in February, La Maddalena in May and Dubai in November). Dean launched himself into multihull sailing in 2011 to take Emirates Team New Zealand into the new America’s Cup era. The team was second overall at the end of the ACWS 2011-12 season and can look back on successes in the Extreme Sailing Series, victory in the Louis Vuitton Cup in 2013 and an incredible performance in the 2013 America’s Cup against Oracle.
Grant Dalton OBE - Grant was appointed to Team New Zealand after its loss of the America’s Cup in 2003. Under his leadership, Emirates Team New Zealand has thrived in uncertain economic times. With the hiatus in America’s Cup world, the team designed, built and campaigned a TP52 on the MedCup circuit in 2009 and 2010, winning the season championship in both years. Grant led the team to victory in the Louis Vuitton Cup at Valencia in 2007 and then to the heart-stopping showdown with Alinghi in the America’s Cup match. In 2013 Grant once again led the team to victory in the Louis Vuitton Cup.
Matteo de Nora CNZM - Matteo joined Team New Zealand after the 2000 Cup when he founded the Mates Group of supporters. Over the years he has increased his involvement and was active in the planning and implementation of the team’s participation in the 2011–2012 Volvo Ocean Race and now the 34th America’s Cup. During his association, the team has won the Louis Vuitton Cup twice in 2007 and 2013, the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series and the Louis Vuitton Trophy regattas in 2009–2010, as well as winning the very competitive MedCup season championships in 2009 and 2010. In 2011, the New Zealand Government honoured Matteo with a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for his services to New Zealand’s America’s Cup campaigns and for medical research in neurology.
Kevin Shoebridge - With seven America’s Cup campaigns behind him, Kevin Shoebridge handles the hands-on management of the team’s day-to-day activities – pulling together all the strands that make up a successful team. He is a successful yachtsman in his own right, having skippered Tyco in the Volvo Ocean Race in 2001–02 and twice sailed on the winning yacht in the Whitbread – Steinlager 2 and New Zealand Endeavour. In the 2003 Louis Vuitton Cup regatta he trimmed on OneWorld; his four other campaigns were with Team New Zealand and the New Zealand Challenge. He returned to the round-the-world environment with a hands-on management role with the CAMPER with Emirates Team New Zealand Volvo Ocean Race campaign in 2011–12.
Sir Stephen Tindall - Prominent New Zealand businessman, philanthropist and investor Sir Stephen Tindall has had a long association with Emirates Team New Zealand. Sir Stephen works with ETNZ management on strategic direction and operational matters. He is a familiar figure at the team’s Auckland base and at offshore regattas. Sir Stephen established the Tindall Foundation to focus New Zealand on improving the performance of families and social services; supporting community-based initiatives that create employment and encourage enterprise; supporting the environment and preserving biodiversity; promoting generosity and giving. In 2009, he was made a Knight Companion of the NZ Order of Merit, 2007 Distinguished Companion of the NZ Order of Merit; 2006 Sir Peter Blake Leadership Award.
