The following hard-working volunteers keep the association humming. We thank them for their efforts!
BOB WITHAM
Bob is our class president. Bob's sailing career started in Wellington in 1962 and he has sailed every season since. He began in a planked gaff-rigged P class with a cotton sail, continued in Z class, OK Dinghy, FF, FD briefly, Sunburst and Noelex 22 before buying Noelex 25 Elderberry Wine in 2003. He has raced Elderberry Wine in every Noelex 25 Nationals since 2004 and at Napier Sailing Club on a regular basis over the same period.
During his time in the class he has met and competed with many Noelex 25 sailors and greatly enjoyed racing and meeting them in Rotorua, Rotoiti, Taupo, Napier, Wellington, Nelson, Christchurch, Timaru and Dunedin.
Bob has been a class measurer for several classes including the Noelex 25, and has been the class president since 2009.
NIKKI JOHNSON
Nikki is our Secretary/Treasurer. She owns Fidelio out of Tauranga. Nikki is the engine room of the association, taking care of membership, news and media communications, and much of the admin work for the nationals.
Nikki and husband Mark joined the Noelex 25 fleet in 2011 after moving on from a Noelex 22. Big Brumus was their first boat and they moved up to Fidelio, a pop-top version in 2016. Nikki grew up sailing a Monarch and a Noelex 22 with her sister and father. The wider family now owns 1 Noelex 22, 4 Noelex 25's and a Noelex 30.
DEREK DUMBAR
Derek is our Chief Measurer. Derek has sailed P Class, Starlings, Cherubs, R Class, Javelins, Lasers, Z Class and Eighteen footers. He bought his first Noelex 25 Holysmokein 1981, sailed in the second Nationals in Taupo in 1982 and came third in the Queenstown Nationals in 1983. He then sold the boat to build a house and have a family, but crewed for Gary Denniston on Xeleon for six years winning the Nationals in Nelson in 1987. He sailed as a member of the NZ Team in the Noelex 25 Interdominion championships three times before leaving the class to encourage his son sailing Optimists.
In 2007 he purchased his current Noelex 25 and renamed it Que Sera Sera and with some of his old sailing mates from yesteryear has won three National Champs in this boat.