Eleven volunteers from clubs around the country have been named winners of the Yamaha Motor NZ Service Awards, the first names revealed ahead of the 2026 Barfoot & Thompson Yachting Excellence Awards at Royal Akarana Yacht Club on Friday, 6 November 2026.
These aren't the sailors winning trophies on the water. They're the people who keep clubs running when nobody's watching, and the judging panel has picked eleven of them, spanning the country from Whangārei to Nelson.
Alan Barker, known as 'Womble' at Whangārei Cruising Club, has clocked up 23 years of membership and still puts in around 30 hours a week. He has taken on board work, led a new club constitution, handled maintenance and worked bar shifts, all done quietly.
Down at Lake Taupo Yacht Club, Tash Brasell has made herself indispensable to youth sailing. She coordinates teams for the CNI Secondary School Teams Regatta and national championships, manages the Tauhara College and Taupō-nui-a-Tia College squads, and will lead next year's national event in Taupō itself.
Geoff's offshore contribution runs deeper than most. More than two decades of race management and administration, seven Round North Island Races supported as race officer and safety officer, plus the Round New Zealand Race and Triangle events. SSANZ awarded him life membership earlier this year, recognising someone who has also held senior roles at Royal Port Nicholson Yacht Club.
Tim Harris has been the engine room behind Murrays Bay Sailing Club's facilities. Rear commodore now, health and safety officer before that, he's helped launch and retrieve boats, run working bees, and built up venue hire income. His two-year push to secure the building's Code Compliance Certificate paid off in 2026.
At the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, Ann Hamilton has been part of the race management team since 2020. Winter Series, Wednesday Series, Commodores Cup, and regional, national and international match racing, she's there for all of it, and she still finds time to volunteer with the Emirates Team New Zealand Youth Training Programme.
Pam Lilley's path to Panmure Yacht and Boating Club started in trailer yachts. She and husband Neville moved through keelers before the launch Ronaki became a fixture as committee boat for the club's annual short-handed weekend. Pam has led the social committee and served as club captain for several years.
Sailability Nelson owes much of its existence to John and Linda Macduff, twelve years at the helm, literally and figuratively. John was founding chair, commodore and volunteer coordinator; Linda ran the treasury, pontoon team and catering, and looked after sailors and whānau.
John Olds, or 'Oldsie', has been fixing boats and helping competitors back onto the water at regattas for more than 30 years. He's a fixture of the Sir Peter Blake Regatta and picked up the PJ Montgomery Trophy in 2024, adding to a Yachting New Zealand Excellence Award he won back in 2009.
Lynn Porter has served Lowry Bay Yacht Club since 1998, and has also volunteered with Sailability Wellington for many years as bosun. She has taken on the sailing secretary role, prepared equipment and supported safe sailing for sailors with disabilities, work she has kept up for years.
And at Maraetai Sailing Club, Vanessa Robson has spent five years as RS Feva Association president, growing the class to record numbers: 48 crews at the 2024 nationals and 50 crews at SailGP Inspire 2025, with a strong focus on inclusive and female participation.
Part two of the awards series, covering the remaining categories, is still to come.
