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ePaper created 2014-06-11, 13:05:34 | version 1.30.01
38 race he was allowed to enter each year was the Annual Anniversary Regatta, which is open to any yachtsperson as long as they were a member of any yacht club. Snow was understandably quite peeved when on one occasion he won the Regatta race on handicap but was protested out by a rather pedantic Squadron member for using a spinnaker pole that was a mere three inches (7.6 cm) longer than the Class Rule permitted. One interesting statistic about the Squadron’s Patiki membership was that in the first 10 years of the Association at least 19 of those who became Patiki owners also joined the Squadron at or about the same time that they purchased their yacht. As far as we know,only Neil Mills,Wilf Beckett,Ian Littler,JohnTaylor,Frank Innes-Jones and Peter Colmore-Williams were Squadron members for more than a very short time before they bought a Patiki. Even John Lidgard only joined the Squadron during the same year that Patiki was launched. Obviously, the Squadron’s membership requirement of Stewart owners wishing to race in the Championship series has done the Squadron no harm. When someone purchased a Stewart and was advised by a member they would need to become a Squadron member in order to race her, that member would sponsor the new owner. This happened on numerous occasions, and in fact Bill Miller, because of his long period on the Stewart committee in various positions, has to date nominated 49 people for and seconded another 3 for Squadron membership. All have been accepted by the Squadron. Various other Stewart committee members added considerably to that total. Most of the Stewart owners who joined the Squadron have continued their Squadron membership for many years. In May of 2007 there were at least 36 past or present Stewart owners who have been Squadron members for 25 years or more. 14 of those have been Squadron members for over 40 years.As of the middle of 2008, there were 30 current Stewart members who were paying Squadron members. Stewart 34 sailors have continually supported the SquadronWednesday evening summer racing and Saturday afternoon winter racing. These events have been held at least since the early eighties and in most of these years there have been enough Stewart 34 entries to justify their own division. Long may this continue! Not everything however has been always harmonious between the Stewart Association and the Squadron. A meeting held on December 12 of 1995 between Bill Falconer, the Stewart Association president, and the Squadron Sailing committee was described in the minutes as“torrid”. The Stewart Association was complaining about the poor race management on the part of the Squadron of its Championship Series. The Squadron fired back with accusations that the Stewart owners did not properly support the Squadron,did not understand the meaning of code flags and that they had not scheduled their social events through the Squadron,when in fact the Stewarts had other events scheduled during the chosen days and times. One can only guess that there was either a great deal of misunderstanding by one or both sides, some hidden agenda, or a bit of both. The following pages list some of the support given to the Squadron by the StewartAssociation or its members since 1960 which might serve to marginalize some of the Squadron’s assertions. The following list is not exhaustive, but can give an indication of some of the Stewart Association and member’s support of the Squadron. 1. The highest position that can be held in the Royal New ZealandYacht Squadron is that of Trustee,which has been held by Stewart Association member Wilf Beckett. 2. Four Squadron life members were members of the Stewart Association: Bob Stewart – Precedent Ian Littler – Princess Wilf Beckett – Panui Don Brooke – Promise. 3. There have been six Squadron Commodores who were Stewart Association members: Wilf Beckett – Panui Richard Endean – Prion Don Brooke – Promise Evan Kerr-Taylor – Progress David Charlesworth – Paquita Bob Stanton – Pampero. 4. The following have served on the Squadron general committee (in addition to the eight mentioned previously): Tony Bouzaid – Premier Tony Webb – Prism. Tim Snedden – Pahi 5. On other Squadron committees there have been 28 Stewart members: