Boat of the Year – 88% Proof

This boat had been part of the RPNYC fleet for a while before enjoying its current ownership from around 2015.

Since then it’s been the epitome of a great club boat. Competing at every opportunity – never taking a step back to step up, and turns up rain or shine. Taking newbies out sailing and encouraging them to become part of the regular crew – in fact racing sometimes with a complete crew of WOSC grads.

They started competing at regattas locally – initially starting with the Port Nic Regatta in 2018, then further afield including the Waikawa New Year’s Regatta in 2020 and the Nelson Regatta in 2020, turning up most years since. Then onto Waikawa Women’s Regatta in 2022, and LBYC Women; ‘s Regatta in 2024 – and just gets out there and enjoys it – all the while competing as hard as they can.

When Covid disrupted our sailing plans, and we got sailing again, one co-owner was stuck outside our closed borders. The other co-owner kept the boat sailing and competing and made a point of taking on, and helping, grads to develop into competent crew. When she couldn’t compete, she was helping out in Race Management, including running some of our championship racing.

It’s boats like our Boat of the Year that are the heart and soul of yacht clubs throughout New Zealand, just getting on and doing what they love, going sailing and racing every chance they get, and supporting the next wave of club sailors in the process, and often they fly under the radar.

Thank you, Shelene Parone and Herve Le Goff, and our Boat of the Year – 88% Proof.