FLAG OFFICERS AND COMMITTEE MEMBERS 2025-2026
THE FOUNDING OF THE CLUB
The Mahurangi Cruising Club was formed in 1988. The story told is that a small group of friends, sitting around on a beach in the Mahurangi Harbour, decided to create a home for disaffected sailors who did not want to belong to a proper yacht club. Rather, what was needed was a something less formal, very inclusive and definitely without a club house with all the complications and costs that property entails. A committee was thought to be essential, though – one that had a lot of fancy titles, could organise a programme of events and compete for lots of lovely trophies. A very large tree stump outside the heritage Scott house at Scott’s Landing on the Mahurangi Peninsula was claimed as the new club HQ and the vision of the club was formalised as ‘Encouraging the ownership, use and restoration of classic wooden boats’.THE MAHURANGI REGATTA
On Anniversary weekend of 1990, the new club held its first classic yacht race in the Mahurangi Regatta. This was the perfect fit for the traditional spirit of the new club, as the regatta, brought back to life a decade before by the Friends of the Mahurangi group, was modelled on the old Mahurangi Settlers Regatta that had been held annually in the harbour from the late nineteenth century until the outbreak of the second world war. The race, at first rather small and gathered together by personal invitation, soon grew and has continued to grow, attracting a large number of visitors to the harbour every Anniversary Weekend. Over a hundred boats now take part in the racing and upwards of 600 boats anchor in the Mahurangi to enjoy what is now recognised as the southern hemisphere’s largest meet of classic wooden boats – yachts of all sizes as well as classic launches. While the regatta race remains the club’s premier event, there are also club races held around Kawau Bay at Easter and again in early spring. The club was keen to see, and welcome into the regatta, newly built replicas of the old Mahurangi punt – tenders that were used around the harbour as early as 1860. In 2009 following a major reconstruction project supported by members of the club, the trading scow Jane Gifford was re-launched. The Jane is now permanently berthed in the Warkworth river basin and provides excursions in and around her old sailing grounds in the Maurangi Harbour. She has a regular outing at the regatta acting as the Club Start/Finish Boat.THE YEARBOOK
In 1999, the Club launched its first Yearbook and this continues to grow both in size and appeal. Initially providing information about the club and its boats, the magazine now features articles about their builders, their sailors and their adventures around New Zealand and in distant waters. The profiles of New Zealand boat designers – especially the wooden boat designers and wooden boat restoration projects – remain a central focus of the magazine.ABOUT THE CLUB
COMMITTEE
Selene Buttle Jacques De Kervor Jill Heatherington Stephen Horsley Svetlana and Boris Penchev Ari Robertson Secretary - Treasurer Anne Buttle Historian - Trophies Victor HopwoodREGATTA TEAM
Handicappers
Hugh Gladwell Richard DoddStart Boat
Richard Dodd Brian Taylor Selene Buttle Anne ButtlePartners and Supporters
Auckland Council
Quayside Boatyard
Robertson Boats
Roger Mills
COMMODORE
Richard Dodd
VICE-COMMODORE
Hugh Gladwell
REAR-COMMODORE
James Buttle
ACTING CLUB CAPTAIN
Martin Farrand
⚠️ Mahurangi Regatta 2026 has been cancelled
due to weather conditions and high wind forecast
FLAG OFFICERS AND
COMMITTEE
MEMBERS 2025-2026
THE FOUNDING OF
THE CLUB
The Mahurangi Cruising Club was formed in 1988. The story told is that a small group of friends, sitting around on a beach in the Mahurangi Harbour, decided to create a home for disaffected sailors who did not want to belong to a proper yacht club. Rather, what was needed was a something less formal, very inclusive and definitely without a club house with all the complications and costs that property entails. A committee was thought to be essential, though – one that had a lot of fancy titles, could organise a programme of events and compete for lots of lovely trophies. A very large tree stump outside the heritage Scott house at Scott’s Landing on the Mahurangi Peninsula was claimed as the new club HQ and the vision of the club was formalised as ‘Encouraging the ownership, use and restoration of classic wooden boats’.THE MAHURANGI
REGATTA
On Anniversary weekend of 1990, the new club held its first classic yacht race in the Mahurangi Regatta. This was the perfect fit for the traditional spirit of the new club, as the regatta, brought back to life a decade before by the Friends of the Mahurangi group, was modelled on the old Mahurangi Settlers Regatta that had been held annually in the harbour from the late nineteenth century until the outbreak of the second world war. The race, at first rather small and gathered together by personal invitation, soon grew and has continued to grow, attracting a large number of visitors to the harbour every Anniversary Weekend. Over a hundred boats now take part in the racing and upwards of 600 boats anchor in the Mahurangi to enjoy what is now recognised as the southern hemisphere’s largest meet of classic wooden boats – yachts of all sizes as well as classic launches. While the regatta race remains the club’s premier event, there are also club races held around Kawau Bay at Easter and again in early spring. The club was keen to see, and welcome into the regatta, newly built replicas of the old Mahurangi punt – tenders that were used around the harbour as early as 1860. In 2009 following a major reconstruction project supported by members of the club, the trading scow Jane Gifford was re- launched. The Jane is now permanently berthed in the Warkworth river basin and provides excursions in and around her old sailing grounds in the Maurangi Harbour. She has a regular outing at the regatta acting as the Club Start/Finish Boat.THE YEARBOOK
In 1999, the Club launched its first Yearbook and this continues to grow both in size and appeal. Initially providing information about the club and its boats, the magazine now features articles about their builders, their sailors and their adventures around New Zealand and in distant waters. The profiles of New Zealand boat designers – especially the wooden boat designers and wooden boat restoration projects – remain a central focus of the magazine.ABOUT THE
CLUB
COMMITTEE
Selene Buttle Jacques De Kervor Jill Heatherington Stephen Horsley Svetlana and Boris Penchev Ari Robertson Secretary - Treasurer Anne Buttle Historian - Trophies Victor HopwoodREGATTA TEAM
Handicappers
Hugh Gladwell Richard DoddStart Boat
Richard Dodd Brian Taylor Selene Buttle Anne ButtlePartners and
Supporters
Auckland Council
Quayside Boatyard
Robertson Boats
Roger Mills
COMMODORE
Richard Dodd
VICE-COMMODORE
Hugh Gladwell
REAR-COMMODORE
James Buttle
ACTING CLUB
CAPTAIN
Martin Farrand
⚠️ Mahurangi
Regatta 2026 has
been cancelled
due to weather
conditions and high
wind forecast
