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They’ve doubled as rescue boat drivers, safety inspectors, and race directors, and are the go-to for funding applications, advocacy issues, policies, and procedures. They are community connectors and a vital link between yacht clubs and Yachting New Zealand, ensuring club activities run smoothly.
Sometimes, they’re simply a sounding board when things don’t go as planned.
Meet Hayden Whitburn, Kelly Mulcahy, Wayne Holdt, and Ian Gardiner – Yachting New Zealand’s regional development managers. They’re passionate sailors, bringing decades of experience to supporting affiliated clubs from Taipa to Bluff and building capability in their regions.
The regional development manager (RDM) network is divided into three geographical areas: Whitburn and Mulcahy cover the Northern region, Holdt oversees the Central region, and Gardiner manages the South Island. The programme is funded by the New Zealand Community Trust (NZCT), one of New Zealand’s largest gaming societies and a major supporter of amateur sport.
According to Raynor Haagh, Yachting New Zealand’s national sport development director, the RDM programme helps clubs deliver quality experiences for their more than 22,000 combined members nationwide.
“The programme exists to make sailing and boating more visible, more accessible, and to help clubs offer better experiences and grow participation as a result,” Haagh said.
“For each club, the support they might need to do that is different, and the RDM’s role is to ensure clubs know there are resources and support mechanisms to help them achieve their goals.”
Theo Muller has witnessed the programme’s value first-hand at his Lowry Bay Yacht Club.
The former race director of the club’s popular 24-hour endurance race has been leading the planning for its new Western Circuit event, set to debut in April next year. He has been working closely with Holdt to bring this 300-nautical-mile, two-handed offshore race to life.
With just over 200 members, finding suitably qualified volunteers has been a challenge, Muller said.
“Wayne’s help has been invaluable. He’s constantly on the road, travelling to clubs around the region, but he’s always willing to help,” Muller said.
“We've never done anything like this [the Western Circuit] before, but we’ve relied on his many years of experience with the Solo Trans-Tasman Yacht Race [run by New Plymouth Yacht Club every four years], especially when it comes to ensuring this is a safe event.”
Refining the notice of race for the Western Circuit is another area where Holdt has been heavily involved.
“This NOR is quite different from a simple round-the-cans race on a Sunday, but Wayne is always available – whether that’s in person when he’s down in Wellington, or over the phone or email,” Muller said.
“There’s no doubt in my mind that without the support of the RDM programme, this would have been far more difficult.”
Jo West agrees.
The manager at Tauranga Yacht and Powerboat Club has worked closely with Mulcahy for several years.
“Kelly helps us with a wide range of things – from organising the annual AIMS Games to MOSS (maritime operator safety system) exemptions and our learn-to-sail programmes,” West said.
“She’s also been pivotal in helping to establish RŪNĀ in the region.”
Yachting New Zealand's groundbreaking schools programme offers sailing and in-class experiences and has shown impressive growth over the last 12 months.
“Kelly comes down and goes through the programme with us. She’s helped us with what we can do to set it up and get the kids involved.
“She’s a sounding board for the club. Whenever we have a problem, she’ll always come up with a solution.”
Further south, Gardiner has been assisting a club with issues affecting its relationship with local authorities.
“We’re quite an isolated little club, but Ian often attends our committee meetings and is our first point of contact at Yachting New Zealand for help or advice,” Glenn Hoban-Watson, the commodore of Pigeon Bay Boating Club on the Banks Peninsula, said.
“He always has helpful insights, and he’s even been on a rescue boat for us a couple of times when we’ve held special events at the club.”
Most recently, Gardiner has assisted the club in preparing submissions to the local council, which plans to remove permanent sites in the nearby campground during peak periods.
With almost two-thirds of the yacht club’s members having permanent campsites, this change could have a detrimental impact.
“If these plans go ahead, it could significantly affect the future of our club. Ian has already prepared a council submission on behalf of Yachting New Zealand, and that support means a lot to us. We only have about 60 full-time members, but Pigeon Bay is much more than a yacht club; it is the heartbeat of our community.”
Without NZCT’s support, clubs like these would face greater challenges, Haagh said.
“These are only some examples of the excellent work our dedicated RDMs do all around the country,” Haagh said. “Thanks to our valued partnership with NZCT, we can continue to provide the level of support we do to all 106 member clubs.”
Is your organisation interested in applying for a grant? Click here.
Click here for more on Yachting New Zealand’s RDM programme.
