David Austin, better known as “Dr Dave” in sailing and boating circles, has been elected to the Yachting New Zealand Board alongside three re-elected directors at Saturday’s Annual General Meeting in Auckland.
Austin, an intensive care specialist and Yachting New Zealand’s medical adviser for the past 13 years, was elected alongside Sarah Bacon, Nicola Harrison and Nigel Skeggs, who each secured a further three-year term.
Held at the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, with members also participating online, the AGM marked the end of Greg Knowles’ tenure as board chair after a combined 10 years of service.
Austin brings extensive medical and governance experience to the role. He spent 10 years as director of Northland’s Intensive Care Unit and 20 years as director of Intensive Care Services in Central Queensland, and served as Deputy Chair of the Central Queensland Health Board.
A keen sailor, Austin has logged 46,000 nautical miles, including eight Sydney to Hobart races and two Round North Island races. He also developed the modular medical kits used in New Zealand and Australia.
He was recently elected vice-commodore of Kerikeri Cruising Club, received a Yachting New Zealand Excellence Award and was honoured with the Order of Australia in June, one of that country’s highest civilian honours.
Bacon, a former lawyer and business owner, joined the Board in October 2023. She has more than 20 years’ legal experience, founded skincare brand Velettà in 2017 and holds several governance and trustee roles.
Harrison, also elected in October 2023, is an associate at Beca specialising in project and programme management, risk and governance. She has previously held committee and governance roles at Tauranga Yacht and Powerboat Club and Women on Water.
Skeggs joined the Board in April 2026 and brings more than 20 years’ experience across maritime, tourism and infrastructure leadership in New Zealand and the Pacific. A Nelson city councillor, he previously led Nelson Marina Management and spent 14 years developing Fiji’s Port Denarau Marina.
Yachting New Zealand chief executive Steve Armitage congratulated Austin on his election and Bacon, Harrison and Skeggs on their re-election, while thanking Knowles for his decade of service.
“Greg has given a huge amount to Yachting New Zealand over 10 years on the Board, and I want to acknowledge the commitment and energy he has brought to the role of chair,” Armitage said.
“I also congratulate David on his election and Sarah, Nicola and Nigel on being re-elected. We have a strong Board with a broad range of skills and experience to help guide the sport forward.”
Delegates also voted to adopt a new banded affiliation fee model from 2027, replacing the largely flat-rate structure in place since 2015.
Under the new model, clubs will be assigned a membership band based on an adjusted membership number, with annual revenue also factored in for clubs earning more than $200,000. Each club’s affiliation fee will be determined by its band, with the formulae and supporting information to be published on the Yachting New Zealand website.
The proposal followed a year-long review involving feedback from affiliated clubs, individual member submissions and a nationwide Club Roadshow. The review was led by the Membership and Affiliation Advisory Group, co-chaired by Armitage and Milford Cruising Club commodore Andrew Robertson.
Yachting New Zealand is also developing a club management tool to reduce the administrative burden on volunteers, while working to grow partnership income and introduce additional member benefits.
All motions presented at the AGM were carried, including approval of the annual accounts and the appointment of HLB Mann Judd Chartered Accountants as auditor.
Originally published by Yachting New Zealand.
