Issue date
The date for the 2025 Barfoot & Thompson Yachting Excellence Awards is fast approaching, and the winners in four categories have already been announced.
In the final of a three-part series, meet the winners of the Service Awards supported by Yamaha Motor New Zealand and the cruising category supported by Kiwi Yachting and Baltic Lifejackets.
The major awards will be handed out at a celebratory event at the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron on Friday, 28 November 2025.
Click here to buy your tickets.
Click here for the Appliances Online Youth Performance Awards winners.
Click here for the Radix Nutrition Performance Awards winners.
Yamaha Motor New Zealand Service Awards winners
Graham Catley (Royal Akarana Yacht Club)
Catley has been part of New Zealand skiff sailing since the 1970s, racing 18-foot skiffs himself before switching to 12-foot skiffs in recent years. For many years, he has been the driving force behind the continued racing of the 18-foot skiff class, owning most of the fleet, funding the class for over 20 years, supporting sailors under 30, and covering costs to send boats to world championships. Catley also serves as a trustee of the Akarana Marine Sports Charitable Trust.
Aevril Hibbard (Taipa Sailing Club)
Hibbard has been a dedicated volunteer at Taipa Sailing Club, supporting the Learn to Sail programme and coordinating club activities during the busy summer months. She previously ran the club for five years before working with other clubs, and returned three years ago to rebuild Taipa's junior membership in a small rural area. Under her guidance, the Learn to Sail programme has been highly successful, achieving excellent retention and fostering a strong base of young sailors.
Grant Innes (Port Chalmers Yacht Club)
A former competitive sailor with decades of experience, Innes has been a dedicated supporter of sailing across Otago and Southland. He has volunteered at club regattas, secondary school championships, and national events, while serving as a club race officer, custodian, and committee member at Port Chalmers Yacht Club. Twice named Administrator of the Year and once Yachtsperson of the Year by the Otago Yachting Association, Innes continues to contribute his time and expertise to grassroots sailing, supporting clubs and nurturing the local sailing community.
Gwenda Johnson (Waimakariri Sailing Club)
Johnson has been a dedicated member of Waimakariri Sailing Club for 29 years and has served as secretary for the past 21 - supporting successive club commodores and managing administrative and social activities. She has played a leading role in organising the club's annual fundraising Quiz Nights and generously hosted committee meetings at her home following the 2010 earthquake. An accomplished sailor, Johnson has competed in Sunbursts, won the Dorothy Cup Ladies Skipper Trophy, and crewed on Noelex 25 Enterprise, winning the club open class championship in 2003.
Kevin Lidgard (Richmond Yacht Club)
Blair Park (Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron)
Park is a highly respected figure in New Zealand yachting, qualified as a national race officer, mark layer, umpire, judge, and event organiser. Known for his meticulous, conscientious approach, he has contributed across multiple clubs and classes, including the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, Bucklands Beach Yacht Club, and the Mastercard Youth Training Programme. Park's involvement spans national events such as the Farr 1020 nationals and New Zealand Schools Keelboat National Championships. He mentors youth sailors, volunteers extensively, and brings exceptional skill, versatility, and leadership to the sailing community.
Larry Paul (Classic Yacht Charitable Trust)
Paul has been a key figure in preserving and racing the country's classic yachts for nearly two decades. As chair of the Classic Yacht Charitable Trust, he has overseen the restoration and maintenance of iconic vessels including Waitangi, Ida, Gloriana, Ethel, Francis, and Thelma. A skilled skipper and mentor, Paul introduces new sailors to classic racing and leads maintenance crews. He also project managed the 2018 rescue of the 1863 schooner The Daring and actively promotes New Zealand's maritime heritage nationally and internationally.
Paul Pearson (Manly Sailing Club)
A long-time member and committee volunteer at Manly Sailing Club, Pearson played a leading role in delivering the 2024 Moth World Championships. Partnering with Harold Bennett, he oversaw all aspects of the event, dedicating significant personal time to ensure a world-class experience for international sailors and their families. The regatta received outstanding feedback from participants, with many describing it as one of the finest they had attended. Pearson's commitment made a major contribution to yachting in New Zealand and the international sailing community.
Wayne Radford (Pigeon Bay Boating Club)
A lifelong sailor who first took to the water in 1953, Radford has devoted decades to the Pigeon Bay Boating Club as commodore, life member, club patron, and long-serving club captain. Known as "Mr Fix-it", Radford has led countless maintenance projects, from rebuilding the clubhouse balcony to installing a new kitchen and heat pump. Even in his 80s, he continues to sail and care for the club's boats, facilities, and equipment with tireless dedication and skill.
Brett Willcock (Charteris Bay Yacht Club)
A long-serving member of Charteris Bay Yacht Club, Willcock has dedicated decades to the sport as an accomplished race officer, official, and sailor. He has officiated at national and regional events including the Sunburst, Starling, and P Class nationals, ILCA championships, and Canterbury trials, while also serving on the club committee for over 20 years, including as commodore. Willcock's expertise, reliability, and generous volunteer service continue to underpin race management across the South Island.
Kiwi Yachting and Baltic Lifejackets Cruising Award
Bruce Maunsell (Island Cruising NZ)
Maunsell has recently completed a remarkable circumnavigation of the Pacific aboard his Tashiba 42 Bob, sailing mostly solo with friends and family joining for parts of the journey. Departing Whangārei in April 2023 as part of the Island Cruising Rally to Japan, he has now "closed the circle", arriving back at Vuda Marina after nearly 27 months at sea. His near-daily PredictWind blog has chronicled the adventure, capturing the challenges, discoveries, and lessons of an extraordinary voyage.
