Issue date
The Yachting New Zealand Service Awards are all about recognising exemplary and/or selfless service to the sport of sailing. The individuals named in 2014 were selected from a long list of nominees this year and all are truly worthy recipients.
Shirley Closey (Murrays Bay Sailing Club)
Shirley Closey has been a dedicated and active member of the Murrays Bay Sailing Club for almost 15 years serving voluntarily as Club Secretary for ten years. Responsible for all the general administration of the Club Shirley has, (through five Commodores, and Committee members too numerous to count) been a stalwart – keeping track of important events, taking minutes, keeping communications going, and giving consistency to committees that change year by year. A highlight was Shirley’s event management of the Club’s 50th Anniversary celebration. Additionally she is a crucial member of the Club’s House Committee acting as Chair for two years. “Without people like Shirley Closey clubs like Murrays Bay Sailing Club cannot provide the services they do to yachting and to young people specifically,” says the Club in their nomination.
Dean Coleman (Wakatere Boating Club)
Dean Coleman is an invaluable contributor at the Wakatere Boating Club, where he has been a member since 2001. It wasn’t long before he joined the Committee, followed by a three year term as Rear Commodore, and then two years as Commodore from 2009-2011. Dean is an active Club Coach, also taking on Race Management roles and progressing to Principal Race Officer, and was Project Coordinator for the massive 2011 Optimist National Championships. As if all this wasn’t enough to keep him busy Dean drives the club improvement and refurbishment projects and was Project Manager for the clubhouse upgrade in 2010.
Dr Rob Ebert (Hamilton Yacht Club)
Dr Rob Ebert’s greatest service to the sport of sailing is in the variety of voluntary administrative roles he has held which date back to the 1990s. Rob has been Secretary of the Zephyr Owners Association for the past 20 years bringing dedication, competence and continuity to the role which has seen the revitalized Class go from strength to strength. He was also Commodore of the Hamilton Yacht Club (2004-2007) and the Cub's Secretary since 2009. In the position of Secretary of the Mistral Owners Association from 2006 to 2008, Rob was instrumental in the revival of this class, and he has been the Starling Association Secretary for the past two years.
John Grant (Russell Boating Club)
John Grant has been an office holder at the Russell Boating Club in Northland for 14 years, starting as secretary/treasurer in 2000. Club Commodore from 2002-05 and then again between 2007 and 2011 John has also had stints as Vice-Commodore and Rear Commodore. John has taken responsibility for all shore activities for the Club’s Tall Ships Regatta since 2008 and has been on the Bay of Islands Sailing Week Committee for two years. Starting out in sailing at the Russell Boating Club John has crewed on racing yachts in Auckland and at two Pacific Cup Regattas in Hawaii, and he currently races his Farr 727 single-handed.
Martin Hannon (RNZYS)
A YNZ IRC Measurer for more than ten years, Martin Hannon was also an active member of the YNZ Keelboat and Offshore Racing Committee and now the YNZ Cruising, Inshore and Offshore Racing Committee. Martin has contributed his time and expertise to the YNZ Safety Regulations of Sailing for several editions and is an active member of the New Zealand keelboat sailing scene (inshore and offshore).
Margaret Harvey (Richmond Yacht Club)
Richmond Yacht Club are proud that they’re a club of stalwart amateurs and dedicated volunteers; they run one of the most active keelboat racing programmes in the country with very little fuss – just great events and experiences. They admit that one remarkable person stands heads above the rest in terms of contribution to the Club – and that person is Margaret Harvey. A Committee member for over 16 years Margaret has given hundreds of voluntary hours in a variety of roles including Commodore (2009-10), Secretary (2012-14), Treasurer (2000-06) and Club Race Officer (2011-current). Current Commodore John Davies writes; “We feel that her exceptional volunteer work in support of Richmond Yacht Club sets Margaret apart as deserving of a Yachting New Zealand Service Award.”
Gay Noyer (Sandspit Yacht Club and NZTSA)
As secretary and co-treasurer for the New Zealand Teams Sailing Association for over five years Gay Noyer brings her passion and commitment to the sport providing the administrative glue required to support not only the association but also their key regattas. With over 500 school sailors participating in regional and national events in New Zealand this is no mean feat. Gay coordinates all regatta paperwork, has been on the Starling Committee for a number of years and willingly works anywhere she is needed on regatta days. The Sandspit Yacht Club, where she was centreboard secretary between 2003-06, say she is diligent and highly respected and has done a lot for the Club over many years.
Murray Walls (Waimakariri Sailing & Powerboat Club)
Being Club Commodore is a challenging and pivotal role at the best of times, but when your Clubrooms have been severely damaged, your own house red-zoned and you’re dealing with the stress of continuous aftershocks, becoming Club Commodore would be considered a hospital pass by anyone’s definition… but Murray Walls took on the challenge, and the Waimakariri Sailing & Powerboat Club is truly fortunate to have him at the helm. His role in negotiating with Council, CERA and the Club’s insurers stretched to hundreds of hours. An architectural and structural designer, Murray redesigned the Club’s ground floor, and negotiated a number of other repairs and improvements… all the while the Club continued sailing buoyed by Murray’s optimism and leadership. The Club believes they are truly indebted to Murray; “Over eighty years of sailing at the Waimakariri Sailing & Powerboat Club may have foundered had it not been for the talents and dogged determination of Murray as Commodore and his passion for sailing.”
