Cradle of sailing champions marks 100 years
America’s Cup hero Peter Burling among its membership
It all started when a group of keen sailors and boaties met at a barbershop in Devonport Rd in 1920. One hundred years on, the Tauranga Yacht & Power Boat Club continues to flourish.
This weekend hundreds of club members are gathering to celebrate the club’s centennial, with plenty of sailing and fun times on the programme.
Among its 450 members are national and world champions across all classes of yacht racing, including Peter Burling, who skippered Emirates Team New Zealand to America’s Cup victory.
Also members are Rio 2016 49erfx silver medallist Molly Meech and her brother Sam Meech — one of the world’s best Laser sailors.
Burling and the Meech siblings, alongside clubmate Jason Saunders, will be part of the 11-strong sailing team representing New Zealand at the Tokyo Olympics.
Another Olympian in the club is up-and-coming windsurfing star Veerle ten Have — also set to compete in Tokyo.
The club also has national sailing judges, race officers and Yachting New Zealand-trained sailing and safety instructors.
Nearly 100 people joined the club at the inaugural meeting on October 20, 1920, and in 1933 the first clubrooms were built on the site now occupied by the Harbourside restaurant.
The club continued to flourish with launch racing and yacht racing often combined in the 1930s and lots of classes of racing have been added in the following years.
Since the club’s move to its headquarters at Sulphur Point in November 1983, it has hosted many overseas races, coastal races and national championship events.
Club commodore Delwyn
Keyworth said the club was a “great breeding ground” for many national and international success stories not just in terms of racing but also those who went on to sail the world. There were lots of people living overseas who had honed their skills at the club, she said.
“Our centenary is going to be a wonderful celebration for all our members, who we also rely on to help keep the club going and ensure it keeps going from strength to strength.”
Keyworth said the club was “unique” because it had a lot of different classes — keelboats, trailer yachts, multihulls, centreboarders, windsurfers and an informal cruising group.
“It’s not just about racing but also about people enjoying themselves in and out of the water, and we even have a recreational vehicle group, which was established last year.
“We also have a sailing school for newcomers to get a taste of sailing and nearly 100 of our membership are in the younger age group,” she said.
“Our club offers everything a new or experienced sailor would ever want.”
Keyworth said she took up sailing about 10 years ago after reading a newspaper advert about the club’s popular “women on water” division and never looked back.
She rose through the ranks to become the commodore in July.
Keyworth said the club centennial celebrations began last night with a meet and greet at the Sulphur Point clubrooms, followed by racing and other sailing events today and tomorrow.
Today there will be a sail-past for all members outside the clubrooms from 10am, then the Centennial Cup racing for keelboats, multihulls and trailer yachts starting at 11am, followed by a prizegiving and barbecue.
Tomorrow the keelboats and trailer yacht racing starts at 11am near the Sulphur Point clubrooms and the centreboarders racing begins at noon outside Harbourside.
Keyworth said the clubrooms would be open over the weekend for the public to visit — new members were always welcome.