Issue date
Later this month the yachting community will come together to celebrate the year’s successes, achievements and contribution to our sport at the 2015 Volvo Yachting Excellence Awards.
Every year Yachting New Zealand receives a wad of nominations in the Service Award category, the calibre of which never ceases to amaze. Restricted to an annual ‘budget’ of just ten Service Awards it can be a tough job for the judging panel to narrow it down.
The short story is that around New Zealand there are dozens of individuals who quietly contribute hours and hours of service to the sport which we’re all passionate about. These are the people that make our yacht clubs, our class associations and our key regattas tick – and without them things would fall apart.
They all deserve a thank you – every time you see them on the beach or at the lake. And it is Yachting New Zealand’s pleasure to say thank you and pay tribute to their efforts, with a Service Award.
In the lead up to the 2015 Volvo Yachting Excellence Awards, on in Auckland on 27 November, we bring you a feature on each of the ten 2015 Service Award winners. Today we focus on Dave Gunn.
Dave Gunn – for services to Murrays Bay Sailing Club
For more than 50 years the MBSC has operated from a former beachside Bach. With few modifications the original club house facility did an admirable job nurturing the talents of its own and visiting sailors. The fact that this was able to happen was due to the long term view the founding members took in establishing the Club, purchasing both the land and building.
More recently (in relative terms!) 7 years ago a group of club members looking to the next 50 years took a similarly long sighted view. Something had to be done before the building collapsed and new demands on the club that were not dreamt of 50 years ago also needed to be accommodated.
So in concert with the then North Shore City a plan was hatched to relocate the club (the only beachfront building) to the house behind. Then modify the house (so it could be the new Club house) and develop the space in front of the club as an open area for sailors and public alike.
Today the 2015-2016 season sees MBSC operating out of the new club house moving from one of the more basic club facilities in the country to one of the best with the objective of producing ever better Kiwi sailors in the future.
A description in those terms however grossly understates the efforts of a small group and in particular the leadership and commitment of one individual in making this happen.
Dave Gunn, Commodore of MBSC 2013/2014 has been the driving force behind the small group of (largely past) members that have turned this dream into a reality. Certainly Dave would be quick to point out it is not just him by any means. The contributions of Dave Barnes, John Cobb, John Olds, Garry Hassall and Kevin Hyatt Brown amongst others are also enormous.
After all Dave has also championed the development of the 29er class, his company Stack has sponsored a number of Winter Champs regatta’s and he has been a very active organiser behind other big events such as the OKI 24 hour race so it’s not like he has a lot of spare time!
But the reality is that without someone with Dave’s vision, organisational skills and passion little often happens no matter how hard individuals might try. Dave has selflessly given up hours of professional and personal time to ensure this project was successful. Whether it was the innumerable meetings with council committees or bending the arm of a supplier to get a better price he has been there making it happen.
Dave led much of the planning for the new club, capturing the various parties’ requirements. He has led the engagement process with the Club and local community, overseen the design and procurement and most importantly helped secure the funding for what has been many times over the largest investment by the club in its history - as well as hammering, painting, digging holes as and when required!
And this is in the context where the only non-negotiable prerequisite the Club had with this project was that Club operations – junior and youth sailing, could not and must not be disrupted in any way and somehow he and his team have achieved it. Even through the major building phase this winter sailors have been able to continue unhindered their focus on sailing.
As such the MBSC General committee strongly recommends that Dave Gunn be awarded a YNZ service award for the service and support he has (and continues) to offer MBSC and the sport of sailing. He and his team have created a greatly enriched asset not just for the MBSC members or the local community but also for sailing and sailors in NZ for which we are very grateful.
When you visit you will be welcomed to a world class facility. Thanks Dave Gunn.
(Extracted from Murrays Bay sailing Club’s nomination)
