Issue date
With the Yachting New Zealand 2014 Annual General Meeting just a few days away we welcome the start of the ‘sailing season’ and it is great to see plenty of Clubs celebrating this with Opening Days. The longer days are here already and we can all look forward to some great time on the water over the coming months regardless of where your passion in sailing and boating lies.
During winter we have been busy here at Yachting New Zealand….
- Our Annual General Meeting is on this coming Saturday and I urge each and every Club to take part in voting. I remind you that Delegate/Proxy Form are to be completed by any Club wishing to exercise voting rights and must be received at the Yachting New Zealand Office no later than 10:45am on Thursday 9 October 2014.
- Yachting New Zealand is working on a membership card concept. We know that it has to provide tangible and enticing benefits to individuals and Clubs and I am delighted with some of the offerings either confirmed or in the pipeline and I believe that sailors around the country will find the card of value.
- Over the past twelve months close to 250 individuals around the country have taken a Yachting New Zealand training course in coaching or race management. We all know that skilled coaches and officials are crucial in the success of our sport and I congratulate those of you that have become qualified or up-skilled. Your contribution to the sport is fantastic.
- The NZL Sailing Team’s performance in Santander at the recent 2014 ISAF Sailing World Championships was terrific and I was delighted with the increased media coverage here in New Zealand. SKY TV screened top quality live and replay coverage of the medal racing for the first time along with some great updates across the major tv network and radio news bulletins. Opening the NZ Herald to see large scale sailing action images, (rather than a side-bar mention) was brilliant.
- Tickets will be on sale very soon for the 2014 Volvo Yachting Excellence Awards and I hope to see many of you at the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron on Friday 21st November for an evening of celebration.
- It’s great to see the opening Aon National Youth Clinic underway at Murrays Bay Sailing Club with New Zealand’s up and coming youth talent under the expert tutelage of some world class coaches. I’m delighted to see our partnership with Aon going from strength to strength.
David Abercrombie
