History of the MYMBC

The MYMBC has a long and rich history, and its first 100 years have been compiled expertly by Ruth Ballard¹. Some interesting facts from this book are provided below, as well as some other information.

The Club is the second oldest yacht club in Auckland, and the third oldest in New Zealand (after the Royal NZ Yacht Squadron, Auckland and the Royal Port Nicholson Yacht Club in Wellington. It was formed on 29 September 1891 as "The Manukau Yacht & Open Sailing Boat Club" by a group of interested boat owners at a meeting held at Manukau Hotel Onehunga. The Club held its first excursion on the Manukau Harbour in 1892, in which year Lord Glasgow (Governor-General) accepted position of President of the Club.

Several years of racing and balls followed with a grand total of 600 invitations sent for a special one in 1906. The Club changed its name to the Manukau Yacht and Motor Boat Club in 1908 but it was not till 1911 that the first Clubhouse was built, on Gloucester Park Road.

Road re-alignments in 1966 drastically reduced the area the Club used for parking of cars and trailers, and rigging of boats. It was decided that the Club shifted from the site, and a suitable alternative was found at Mangere Point. The old club house was sold in December 1972 to the then Ministry of Works, who later donated it to the Scout Movement which still uses it.

In 1967 the Club started racing from Mangere Bay, initially using the back of Doug Fitchett's covered truck with a bench and chairs for the starters. A few years later a caravan was purchased and made suitable for race starts. The caravan was also used for race entries, and it is reported that loads of tea were dispensed from a five gallon multipot!

After several years of renting space from the Auckland Harbour Board for meetings, negotiations were completed with the Manukau City Council in 1975 for a 50 year lease of the current location. The Clubhouse was built and completed over a 4 year period, and it was officially opened on 26 May 1979.

The Club has raced a variety of boats over the years, and (while not exclusive) its current classes include Hartley TS16s, Optimists, P-class and Sunburst. This has not stopped other classes from sailing which was evident by the large number of entries of several classes at the recent Manukau Regatta. The Club is currently concentrating on assisting its junior membership to increase their skills by regular sailing lessons by a professional coach.

¹Ruth Ballard. 1991. Manukau Yacht & Motor Boat Club. One hundred years 1891-1991. A history. Compiled and edited by Ruth Ballard. 111 pp (this book can be borrowed from the Manukau Library, Auckland

A short history of Hartley16s is provided here