End of an era in New Zealand yachting

Yachting New Zealand chief executive David Abercrombie will be retiring after more than 14 years at the organization’s helm. The process to recruit the new chief executive will start soon to prepare for his final day on June 30, 2025.

“After much reflection, I have decided the time is right for someone else to lead Yachting New Zealand and take the sport into its next exciting phase,” Abercrombie said. “It has been a privilege to serve the sailing community and I am immensely proud of the Yachting New Zealand team and board and the incredible things we have achieved together.”

Abercrombie was appointed in 2010 and has overseen significant developments at all levels of the sport – from grassroots to Olympic sailing. Reflecting on his tenure, Abercrombie finds many highlights.

“What stands out is our work in growing the sport through innovation. This includes the Women and Girls in Sailing strategy we first developed in 2019 and refreshed in 2024; the groundbreaking RŪNĀ school engagement framework aimed at finding new ways to connect yacht clubs with their local communities; and the Clean Clubs sustainability program, which has seen nearly 40 yacht clubs around the country adopt more sustainable practices.”

Retention remains a challenge, and while the number of yacht clubs affiliated to Yachting New Zealand has remained stable over the last few years, its members have not been immune to the economic and environmental headwinds of late.

“The resilience of clubs like Mercury Bay Boating Club in Whitianga and Wairoa Yacht Club, both severely impacted by adverse weather events since 2022, speaks volumes about the spirit of the yachting and boating community,” he notes. “That will be one of my lasting memories – how our clubs and members, the majority volunteers, were always able to band together in tough times. These people are the heartbeat of our sport.”

Supporting and equipping yacht clubs has been a key focus of Abercrombie’s tenure. The most recent Voice of the Participant survey, conducted last year in conjunction with Sport New Zealand, showed that yachting and boating clubs remain highly valued by their members across the country.

The NZL Sailing Team has also produced several sailing world champions and nine Olympic medals in Abercrombie’s time with Yachting New Zealand, including the joint-record haul of four sailing medals at the 2016 Rio Games.

In June 2024, Abercrombie led the creation of the high-performance advisory group to replace the Yachting New Zealand Olympic Committee, and was instrumental in initiating an independent evaluation of the organization’s high-performance program last August.

The evaluation’s findings, dubbed Project Arotake, were published in December 2024. In the coming months, a transformation oversight group, chaired by former New Zealand Olympic Committee (NZOC) chair Kereyn Smith, will implement them.

Yachting New Zealand board chair Greg Knowles praised Abercrombie’s dedication and ability to form lasting relationships.

“David has brought energy, enthusiasm and passion to support our affiliated clubs and the NZL Sailing Team,” shared Knowles. “He has been instrumental in securing and delivering major events, building enduring relationships with Sport NZ, HPSNZ, the NZOC, community trusts, and developing a strong commercial platform for Yachting New Zealand.

“He has also built extensive relationships within the World Sailing community, which has supported our talented sailors in excelling at world championships and the Olympics.

“As we look to the future, David has worked closely with the board to appoint Kereyn to lead the evaluation of our Paris Olympic campaign and review our wider high-performance program. This is the ideal time for David to pass the baton to the next generation of leadership as we build towards the Los Angeles 2028 and Brisbane 2032 Olympics.

Before stepping down, Abercrombie will oversee the delivery of the Yachting New Zealand club conference in May, assist the transformation oversight group with its work, and continue working closely with sponsors and funders on several ongoing projects and partnerships.

Editor’s note: US Sailing has been without a CEO since August 2024,  and he had only been with the organization since April 2021. Fourteen years? That’d be nice…

Source: YNZ