Sunday, January 28, 2007
Good morning everyone. Thank you for the invitation and opportunity to speak to you today as you celebrate the opening of the 2007 season, it’s great to be here.
Sailing is one of New Zealand’s favourite pastimes, and with Hutt City situated on the coast, it comes as no surprise that it’s popular here too.
The Lowry Bay Yacht Club, and before that, the Hutt Valley Cruising Club, has a long and proud history in Hutt City stretching back more than 70 years.
We are working hard to make Hutt City the best little city in New Zealand – or, as the billboard says, the place where you can have your Pavlova and eat it too.
Clubs such as yours have a big part to play in that.
One of the things I have noticed about people who run sporting and cultural clubs is that they are doing much more than just running an organisation that caters for their particular interest – whatever that interest might be.
People want things to do. And active community organisations, like yours, reflect the needs and wants of their communities. Organisations like the Lowry Bay Yacht Club make Hutt City, the sum bigger than its parts, bigger than individuals like you and me who live here.
So I say well done to the people who organise the events for this club.
2007 promises to be a hugely exciting year for sailing, with Team New Zealand set to start its campaign to bring the Auld Mug back home.
Best of luck to all those competing in the first race of the year. I’m sure that regardless of the result, you’ll have a great time on the water.
I hope that you will have many, many days of good winds, sunshine and keen sailing for the rest of the season.
Thank you.