New Zealand honours her dedicated sailors

10:55 PM Sun 18 Oct 2009 GMT

'Bryan Leckie in action' .

Those with talent in any sport can excel simply by being 'ahead of the bunch', and so it is with sailing. However, it is the character and devotion of sailors who give their time and dedication to the sport that keeps the sport alive and makes it possible for young talents to be developed. An Honour Award must be earned over years of hard work.

Yachting New Zealand will present 17 Honour Awards at a gala dinner ceremony at the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron in Auckland on November 20th. Those being acknowledged in 2009 hail from all parts of the country.

A Yachting New Zealand Honour Award officially recognises standout individuals in the yachting community who contribute to the sport day in day out, year after year. It acknowledges those people who give their time unstintingly and upon whom the very core of our sport depends.

Among the list of recipients in 2009 is the late Bryan Robson Leckie, founding member of the Waihola Yacht Club in Otago. Facilitating children's learn to sail classes out of the yacht club for seventeen years, and running informal lessons prior to that Bryan is sorely missed by fellow club members since his death in December 2008. His wife Robin will accept the Honour Award on his behalf.

This year there are two women on the list of Honour Award recipients. Vera Mummery of the Richmond Yacht Club in Auckland's Westhaven, now well into her eighties, still turns up every race day to help in the tower.

"She holds the position of timekeeper and never misses a signal," says the yacht club in her nomination. "Vera has been involved with Wednesday night racing for over 40 years. When she started she made the tea at the club house because ladies weren't allowed to run the tower, but the men realised this was a missed opportunity for sailing and she joined the tower crew."

Two Honour Awards this year will be awarded for coastal rescue efforts, going to Ross Currie and Gary Smith, both of the Tauranga Yacht & Powerboat Club. When catamaran Catabatic upturned during the Auckland to Tauragna Yacht Race in April 2009 Arethusa skippered by Ross Currie and Sniper, skippered by Gary Smith, went to their aid. Catabatic's three crew members were taken aboard Arethusa and safely delivered to a coast guard vessel.

Yachting New Zealand Honour Awards were first presented in 1987 and over the past twenty one years over 180 people have been recognised. Outstanding sportsmanship, service or rescue of others within yachting in New Zealand at Club, Regional, National or International level are grounds for nomination to Yachting New Zealand.

Yachting New Zealand Honour Awards for 2009:

Neville England - Christchurch Sailing Club
Bryan Robson Leckie (deceased)- Waihola Yacht Club
Brian Peet - Glendowie Boating Club?
Ross Currie - For Coastal Rescue Efforts (Tauranga Yacht & Powerboat Club)
Gary Smith - For Coastal Rescue Efforts (Tauranga Yacht & Powerboat Club)
Greg Harrex - Macandrew Bay Boating Club ?
John Bullot - Murrays Bay Sailing Club & Richmond Yacht Club??
John Old - Timaru Yacht & Powerboat Club
Judy Francis - Muritai Yacht Club?
Justin Hurst - Waiuku Yacht Club
Terry Coles - Wanganui? Sailing Club

by Sail-World Cruising

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New Zealand honours her dedicated sailors

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