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When Cyclone Tam tore the roof off Taipa Sailing Club last month, the future of the small but spirited Northland club was in serious doubt.
Instead, it might just be the event that saves it.
The cyclone struck the picturesque club at Taipa Point in Doubtless Bay with full force, tearing half the roof from the 73-year-old building and dumping nearly 200mm of rain inside. Water soaked the floors, badly damaging the structure.
"It was a mess," said Commodore Garth Riddle. "The roof came off, a lot of water got in, and the floor was completely stuffed."
The club is insured, but with a high excess, there were concerns about covering the full cost of repairs.
More than 50 volunteers - exceeding the club’s active membership - turned up to help secure the site and begin the clean-up two days after the storm hit, with builders leading the charge to tarp the roof before more rain arrived.
Club leaders launched a Givealittle campaign soon after to help cover the excess and any expenses not included in the insurance coverage.
What followed stunned even the most seasoned club members, Riddle said.
"We’ve always managed to run on the smell of an oily rag, but we realised that for this one, we were going to need help," he said. "We have been blown away by the support we have received and have reached our initial goal to cover the insurance excess."
By Wednesday afternoon (May 7), the club had raised well over $11,000.
More than $11,000 has already been raised through crowdfunding. Photos / Taipa Sailing Club
"We’d like to think we play an important role in the local community, as we’ve had a huge number of kids come through our programmes over the years, [but] the response has been amazing," Riddle said. "It may be that this disaster will go down as the saving of the club, as the galvanising energy it has given the local sailing community has been quite humbling."
Founded in 1952, the Taipa Sailing Club is a cornerstone of the local community and one of the few remaining clubs in the region that sails year-round. It hosts active junior and adult sailing programmes and supports a wide range of dinghy classes, including the Optimist, O'pen Skiff, Starling, Splash, and ILCA 6.
The club’s long-time insurance provider, Aon, is currently working with assessors and builders to evaluate the structural damage and plan the rebuild.
Riddle also urged other clubs to review their insurance coverage.
"Ten years ago, what seemed like reasonable cover might not be enough today," he said. "We've had break-ins and lost motors off chase boats in the past, and Aon has always been brilliant to deal with."
Club members were back sailing at the weekend, despite the club sporting a tarped roof. Photo / Supplied
Just over two weeks after the cyclone, the club has power back and is doing what it does best: getting sailors back on the water.
"We'd like to thank everyone who has given their time, money, and support. Despite a tarp roof, we had as good a day’s sailing as ever (last weekend)," Riddle said.
"I am hopeful that in the near future we will have a completion date and can look forward to hosting regattas again."
Aon provides insurance for over 40 affiliated yacht clubs across New Zealand, with club insurance covering assets such as buildings, boats, trailers, and equipment—on land, on the water, and on the road. Cover also includes revenue protection and liability risk. To read more about the partnership and offerings, click here.
To support the Taipa Sailing Club’s recovery, visit their Givealittle page here.
