Megan Thomson takes up the reins as RNZYS Racing Manager

Managing the RNZYS Fleet

Story and picture by Debra Douglas RNZYS Fleet Manager – the perfect job for someone who loves sailing, likes to tinker and is a problem solver. Geoff Dawson answered the call and is now ensconced dockside and in the club’s workshop.

Geoff (pictured right) is the first to take on the full time Fleet Manager role, brought about with the growth of the RNZYS’s fleet to 23 vessels and the significant increase in the amount of work required to meet the compliance requirements from Maritime New Zealand. The position also means a restructure of the Assistant Training Manager role to now focus on fleet management, allowing the Training Manager to focus on coaching.

“My responsibilities are to keep the race, committee and patrol boats as readily available as possible,” says Geoff. “My time is spent on lesser maintenance, for example, on the dock working on repairs to sails and engines which can be fixed on site. The deeper issues, or routine services are undertaken by sponsors and partners.”

Geoff, who previously was with the Royal Akarana Yacht Club helping with a maintenance backlog, has always been involved around sailing. “My dad had a boat in Okahu Bay, a Raven. We had it the best part of 30 years sailing throughout the Gulf. When I was 21 years old, after sailing and racing on a lot of boats locally, I raced to Japan on a Farr 1104. I went on to England on my OE and got sidetracked at Cowes Week. I did the week on a maxi and found myself off to the Maxi Worlds in Sardinia. By that time sailing was well under my skin.”

Next on the agenda was a Trans-Atlantic run for a refit and South America for more racing. Geoff ran a couple of 44-footers in New York for a year or so, then settled down and lived in the United States for five years working in the utility sector. He came home in 1995.

Geoff: “Four years ago, I was diagnosed with a blood cancer. It was time to do a stock-take on my life and I realised that I had to spend more time on things I am passionate about. Until then I had an IT and business consulting career, but I wanted more time around boats, which are my true passion.

“I own a Moth, but because I had been unwell for a few years, I haven’t got around to sailing it. It is quite an energetic exercise and I am only just becoming confident of my own abilities. Although I’ve been in remission for three years now, I am in my fifties – I think Moths are a young man’s game.”

Geoff lives in Grey Lynn with his wife Andrea. He has two children, Kenzie (16) and Zoe (18). Zoe spent three years with the Squadron’s Youth Training Programme and is now at Canterbury University, while also coaching sailing at the Naval Point Yacht Club, Lyttleton.

“I am loving being able to contribute to the environment that has already given so much to my daughter. I am very grateful for that. I was very excited when she wanted to continue her sailing here. And so being able to help sustain that environment has its own reward. This job ticks all the boxes.”