Sailing by the books: Meet David McIntyre - New Zealand's newest international judge

Sailing results often hinge on technical precision, composure, and quiet resolve — both on the racecourse and in the protest room.

These are qualities that New Zealand’s newest international sailing judge, David McIntyre, possesses in abundance.

McIntyre was appointed an international judge late last year after a career spanning decades, and one that took a somewhat unconventional route. Raised in the United Kingdom, he "did a bit of sailing with the Boy Scouts", but sailing became central only after McIntyre and his wife moved to Auckland in 1993. 

“When my wife and I moved to the City of Sails, we decided to give sailing a go, so we bought a keelboat and joined Royal Akarana Yacht Club," he said. “We soon got caught up in race management, and I spent a few years as Rear- and Vice-Commodore at RAYC doing a lot of race management and organisation, which naturally led to me helping out on protest panels from time to time."

Starting later than many competitors shaped his approach.

"Being a latecomer to sailing, and particularly to racing, I knew that I could never match the experience and feel for the wind and the waves that my competitors have, but I could apply my academic background — I was a maths lecturer at Auckland University at the time — to building a sound understanding of the rules to try to find an edge that way."

Watching the 1995 America’s Cup reinforced that focus, with McIntyre recalling "an era when match racing tactics were as much about using the rules to your advantage as they were about pure boat speed and handling".

Encouraged by John Muir, an international judge at RAYC, McIntyre pursued officiating more seriously. "I found that I enjoy the challenge and responsibility of it," he said. He became a national judge about 15 years ago, officiated his first international event at the 2012 470 Youth World Championships in Takapuna, and passed the International Judge exam in 2013.

But his path was not without setbacks.

"My progress towards becoming an international judge took a few knocks along the way — health issues meant I couldn’t handle both judging and sailing in the run-up to the 2017 Flying Fifteen worlds in Napier, and then when I passed the IJ exam again in 2019, I wasn’t able to follow that up with the overseas events I needed to apply for IJ status until last year."

Through it all, McIntyre has remained an active competitor. "I have done a bit of keelboat racing in Young 88s, Farr 1020s, and Reactors, but my real love is the Flying Fifteen."

He has sailed the class for more than 25 years and competed at three world championships, most recently in Weymouth. "Of course, I enjoy the sailing itself — the challenge of putting the boat in the right place and setting it up to sail as high and fast as the boats around me — but what sets this fleet apart is the camaraderie and support that they all give one another."

As a judge, he takes satisfaction in seeing sailors push themselves within the rules.

"I love to see good racing, to see competitors take advantage of all aspects of sailing to gain a legitimate advantage through smart tactical moves and just the right amount of kinetics, and you can't have that without stopping things from going too far, letting people barge in where they're not allowed, or breaking the propulsion rules at will.

"I feel that when the judges have done a good job, we allow the sailors to use the full range of skills and tactics to win."

Some moments stand out more than others, McIntyre said.

"Without doubt, the race where I felt the most pressure and responsibility was umpiring the medal race for the 2024 ILCA 7 worlds — most of the time, as a judge, we have the luxury of time in the room to make careful judgments on rules application, so being at the sharp end of such an important regatta was a career highlight, but also a very high-pressure moment!”

Another memorable event was the 2014 Hobie 16 worlds. “The most enjoyable location was the Hobie 16 worlds in 2014 — with supplied boats sailed off the beach, and protest outcomes determining who paid for damages, we had about 50 hearings over the course of the event series.”

Asked what defines a good judge, McIntyre is clear: “Patience, willingness to listen, and not to rush to judgment on which version of a story to believe.”

There are plenty of opportunities for aspiring Kiwi judges to get involved.  Yachting New Zealand is currently building its winter calendar of coaching and race official development, and clubs are encouraged to contact their Regional Development Manager if they are available to host training or have members keen to take part.

“There’s a pathway through to being involved right at the top level of our sport," McIntyre said. "But it all begins at club and regional level, providing the opportunity for fair competition at every event, from an Opti regatta to an ILCA worlds.”