Issue date
Some people are freaked out by change. The slightest alternation of routine can throw them into a tailspin, sending them out of control like a capsized M-Class.
When change is misunderstood, facts are replaced with assumptions, and thus rumours are born.
Royal Akarana Yacht Club is about to undertake one of the biggest changes of its 121 year history. Once a freestanding yacht club, like thousands of others around the world, RAYC was stuck in a rut, determined to maintain the way of life it knew and trusted for generations.
But then came Sunday trading.
Then women began working.
Smoking went out of fashion.
Women started sailing on a regular basis.
The legal alcohol limit diminished to just .05.
The world began to change.
RAYC had a choice. Keep following the same version of normal, or bang a different corner, and take a risk. Split from the fleet. Sail their own course.
The committee chose the latter, and after years of hard work, dedication, slaps in the face, and questions of “will they won’t they”, the Akarana Marine Sports Charitable Trust was created.
Royal Akarana Yacht Club, with the approval of it’s members, handed over their assets, and took a risk like no other. They gave their blessing for the Trust to create the Hyundai Marine Sports Centre, the future home of the Royal Akarana Yacht Club.
But the new facility will be more than just a yacht club. It will be a place for the people. A place for the community. A place for anyone who loves being by the water. The doors will be open, seven days a week in fact, and the future Akarana Bar and Cafe will be the perfect destination between the city and Mission Bay, to sit back, leave the hectic pace of Auckland traffic behind, and chill out so close to the water, that you may as well get a SUP and paddle around with your coffee.
“Akarana” will always be known as “Akarana”. And people will still relate to the site as “Akarana”.
But it will be so much more.
University of Auckland. Waka Ama. Surf Ski Paddling. Stand Up Paddle Boarding. A gym. A bar. A cafe. Venue space. And most importantly, a place for all the historical Royal Akarana Yacht Club memorabilia, trophies and everything that connects them to their past. Royal Akarana Yacht Club will remain.
And so with the word Royal. There will be no abdication. The crown remains. And while the building may change, the people inside will remain the same, but with the chance to grow, to develop, to evolve. Because the new club will be open for anyone and everyone.
Memberships will still remain with exclusive offers, discounts and access to specific areas for those with a current membership card.
So what’s going on then? Not much really. They’re just building a new home, where Her Majesty reigns, and the crown is proudly displayed.
