16 Breeze Magazine
Blair is Umpire/Judge of the year
Blair Park – always ready to help where needed. Story & picture by Debra Douglas When Commodore Aaron Young made the call that he wanted the RNZYS to be the world’s leading international yacht club, member Blair Park decided to put his hand up to help make it happen.
Blair, a member of the Umpires, Protest and Judges Panel and the Squadron’s Umpire/Judge of the Year, came to Auckland from Gore in 2008. He had never sailed before, sailing not being high on the town’s things-to-do list. But once in the City of Sails, he was hooked. “Coming here and seeing all those boats at
Westhaven, I said to myself, that’s what I want to do. Sailing is so much an Auckland lifestyle and I enjoy it. The Squadron’s Sailing Director, Laurie Jury, took me out on my first sail. I loved it and have been sailing ever since.” Three years ago, however, Blair recognised the Squadron needed support with its vison to provide members with world class experiences and he joined the Sailing Office’s Volunteer Race Management team. “I dipped my toe in the deep end and the experts on the team mentored me,” said Blair. “I am very grateful to them. Now I umpire whenever the Squadron needs me, usually at big fleet and match racing events.” Laurie Jury is impressed by Blair’s progress and “fantastic positive attitude”, describing him as always being available to help where needed. Blair: “You do need a background in sailing to umpire. You spend a lot of your time anticipating what you think might happen. “You make a lot of decisions and some weigh on your mind. You can come away thinking, did I make the right decision? But you can talk the others on the boat and afterwards socially with the group. “The downside of umpiring is that often when you come off the water, your work isn’t done. That’s why you try to handle the protests out on the water, but sometimes there are some very late nights.” Fridays will see Blair competing in the Havana Cup Rum Race and on Sundays, as Commodore of the Panmure Lagoon Sailing Club, it will be the turn of Lasers and dinghies. He is also sailing in the Doyle Sails Winter Series on Peter Cunningham’s Ticketty Boo. “My life revolves around being out on the water. I’m part of a pool of like-minded people. They are good company. I like talking and socialising with them. “But in answer to your question as to whether I will go on to own a boat ... when I suggested it to my partner, she said ‘over my dead body’, so I guess the answer is no.” • For information re being a part of the volunteer race management team, contact Reuben Corbett at rcorbett@rnzys.org.nz, or Race Manager Megan Thomson, mthomson@rnzys.org.nz.
