Our Proud History
1921 - 2025
A Century Of Sailing At Whangarei Cruising Club
The Whangarei Cruising Club boasts a storied history, not least in having helped nurture the development of the iconic, unsinkable P Class, the tiny yacht that helped train generations of racing sailors including Olympic medalists and winners of the America's Cup.
Early Days
The town fathers decided something more formal was required and the Whangarei Cruising Club (WCC) was born. Arthur Pickmere who understood the value of sailing and semanaship, became the club's founding Commodore. Compromising just a handful of seven-fotters (the club's first class of racing yachts) these were humble beginnings. The idea of a small, unsinkable trainer had already appealed to Pickmere as the perfect vehicle for young people learning to sail. He asked Highet to build one for his son Hereward. Halcyon was launched in November 1920. Her first sail wasn't a great success- she capsized in a southwesterly gale, suffering considerable damage to her rig. Despite that, the first P Class race, with just three entrants, was held in 1922 - featuring H. Highet, H. Pickmere and T. Hollows. After much experimentation the P Class and its rig was simplified and the fourth boat - Firefly- became the prototype for the class. Several more were built before Highet was transferred to Tauranga. There the class took off and became known initially as the Tauranga Class. Hereward Pickmere, meanwhile, became a surveyor and went on to chart parts of the Fiji Islands that hadn't been mapped since the 18th Century. He also charted the east coast of Northland for the government so the Navy had accurate charts in case of a Japanese invasion during World War 11.
The First Clubhouse
WCC's first clubhouse was an old hall from Whakapara which was bought for 30 pounds and moved on 14 November 1921 onto a 1/2 acre of mangrove swamp adjacent to the Victoria Bridge leased for a pound a year from the Harbour Board.
The clubhouse was connected to the road near Victoria Bridge by an aerial walkway while, at the back were a veranda and platform and a walkway down to low water.
Forty members approved the new flag at the club's first annual general meeting on 8 September 1921: a blue triangle with a white diagonal cross.
Bill Fraser, the Engineer for the Whangarei Harbour Board, was made the first life member of the club in 1923.
It wasn't until the 1934-35 season, however, that the first Whangarei Cruising Club yacht, a 14ft Z-class, represented the club in a provincial race, thanks in part to money raised by organising dances and cake stalls.
In 1939 Skipper W.R. Paterson gave a piece of land at Manganese Point to the Cruising Club to be used to help the young yachties. A bunkhouse was built through working bees, prefabricated using donated timber. The bunkhouse, which was well used before the war, boasted six bunks, food lockers (which were kept filled in case of emergency) the firewood, an axe, a fireplace (for cooking and heating), utensils and a first aid kit.
Yacht races were held there with crews often spending the night at the bunkhouse or sleeping on their yachts pulled up on the beach.
Most of the yachts were Star Class, Idle Alongs, Z Class or 14-footers and other small craft.
Young people also had the opportunity to sail longer races, to be away for the weekend, go camping and fishing off the wharf or collect pipis off the banks. Launches and camping groups also used the bunkhouse but differences of opinion emerged about what to do with the bunkhouse after the war.
Committee members did their best renovating the bunkhouse, however it became rundown only to be burned down by a vandal in 1970.
The War Years
During the war an unlikely marriage was hatched between the Club and Forest and Bird with the aptly named Barnie Finch serving as Commodore between 1944 and 1948. Finch, a mullet boat sailor was dedicated in his support for the WCC for about half a century.
The old clubhouse was built on piles, but later these were covered in mud and eventually rotted. Concrete foundations and bearers replaced the piles. New timber floor joists, bottom plates and flooring was installed. Rotten timber was replaced and a new roof constructed. Septic tanks and toilets were also put in place.
As the new floor was perfectly level, two bowling mats were procured and the club joined the indoor bowling club. A prefab open fireplace donated by the Busks made the big room very cosy.
In 1949 the Cruising Club leased a 1/4 acre section below Orams Boatyard where the Anchor Inn Motel is now. It was here the club's fleet of up to 28 seven-footers raced.
Another working bee saw the construction of a slipway using a few yards of filling, steel rails, trolley wheels, steel rope and a winch. The boaties supplied their own cradles.
In 1955, the WCC gave up the lease on the section and took out a lease at Kaiwaka Point. A start box was built to start the P Class and Star Class. In 1956 the P Class moved to Kissing Point and in 1976, the Star Class moved to Parua Bay.
Winds Of Change
In the 1950's yachts were getting biggger, designs were changing and engines became more common. While many clubbies enjoyed the arrival of a 5 1/2 hour week, which enabled them to be away for the weekend, social mores were also changing.
The yacht race started at 12.30pm on Saturday. Crew who didn't work got the yacht ready and anchored in the channel with the sails up, waiting for the rest of the crew from work.
One yacht volunteered to carry the keg of beer for the evening's entertainment at Limestone Island where the bonfire was lit on the beach and pipis, mussels, sausages and steak were cooked on sheets of cast iron.
In 1977 the race was changed to finish at the Parua Bay clubhouse, where dinghy and trailer sailor classes now raced. Additional club rooms were built at Parua Bay in 1979.
The original clubhouse at Victoria Bridge was demolished in about 1954 and
the Cruising Club's headquarters shifted from the Town Basin to Kissing Point where the new clubhouse was opened in 1959 and a major upgrade of the present clubrooms was achieved in 2008.
Today, the Whangarei Cruising Club has 4 divisions: keeler, trailer, centreboard and cruising.