Yachting New Zealand Announces New Life Members

Ralph Roberts and Barbara Kendall awarded Life Membership

by Jodie Bakewell-White

Yachting New Zealand has two new Life Members including the first woman and youngest ever to be bestowed the honour in New Zealand.

At the 56th Annual General Meeting of Yachting New Zealand, held on Saturday 2nd October 2010, it was announced that Barbara Kendall (MBE) and Ralph Roberts (MBE and JP) have been appointed Life Members of yachting’s national sports body.

The honour, which comes after a recommendation from the YNZ’s Board of Directors to the AGM, recognises exemplary service to Yachting New Zealand and in the interests of yachting generally.

Jan Dawson, President of Yachting New Zealand commented, “It is appropriate to recognise the achievements of individuals like Barbara and Ralph, who have contributed in different but important ways to the status of yachting in New Zealand.”

Barbara and Ralph will be presented with a Life Membership certificate at the 2010 Yachting Excellence Awards in Auckland on Friday 28th November.

Ralph Roberts (MBE and JP)

Ralph Roberts was President of the New Zealand Yachting Federation between 1986 and 1989 and was awarded the MBE for services to yachting and sport in 1993. He competed at the Olympic Games in 1960 and 1968 and was reserve crew in 1964.

In 1984 Ralph was Sectional Manager of the New Zealand Olympic sailing team that won two gold medals and a bronze, and in 1992 he was Chef d’Mission for the New Zealand Olympic Team.

Ralph is a member of the ISAF Review Board as well as ISAF’s Youth World Championship Sub-Committee. He is a past winner of numerous National Yachting titles, has been Commodore of the Takapuna Boating Club, is their current President and a Life Member and is a trustee of Habour Sports.

In 2009 Ralph was awarded a SPARC Lifetime Achievement Award.

Barbara Kendall (MBE)

Barbara Kendall retired from Olympic competition earlier this year after a wind surfing career spanning close to a quarter century and encompassing multiple Olympic and World Championship medals. Now 43 years of age, Barbara is one of New Zealand’s most accomplished athletes and a recognised role model, and she is understood to be the youngest ever to be appointed as a Yachting New Zealand Life Member.

Kendall competed at five consecutive Olympic Games Regattas hauling in Gold, Silver and Bronze medals for New Zealand in Barcelona, Atlanta and Sydney and she achieved eight World Championship medals throughout her career on the board. Four times New Zealand Sports Woman of the Year and two times New Zealand Sailor of the Year, Kendall was awarded an MBE in 1992 and inducted into the ISAF Hall of Fame in 2007.

Kendall’s retirement from competition sees her putting more time into her predominantly voluntary roles with the International Olympic Committee. [IOC] She sits on the IOC’s Athletes Commission which serves as a consultative body and is the link between active athletes and the IOC. She is also on the IOC’s Women and Sport Commission.

Kendall also holds two positions with the Oceania Olympic Committee as an Executive Board member, and the President of their Athletes Commission.

Yachting New Zealand’s Current Life Members include...

Joe Butterfield
David Cook
John Faire
J Martin Foster
Trevor Geldard
Harry Julian
Barbara Kendall
Bren Nelson
Jim Park
Hugh Poole
Ralph Roberts
John Street
Baron Ralph von Kohorn
Hal Wagstaff
Anthony Wayne

Yachting New Zealand