Our guest speaker on 29 May was Andrew Brookland, General Manager of the Akarana Marine Sports Charitable Trust and the Royal Akarana Yacht Club.
Andrew spoke to us about the construction of the Hyundai Marine Sports Centre on the landing at Okahu Bay Auckland.
The RAYC has been on the site since about 1952 when club rooms were constructed on the reclamation. In 1980 odd there was talk about construction of a new club rooms as then the old club rooms were becoming somewhat tired. After much hard work by members of the club and other sports entities construction of replacement clubrooms commenced 2017 with first the demolition of the old clubrooms and secondly construction of the new Hyundai Marine sports Centre which is due for completion late 2018.
In general terms the purpose of the new high Hyundai Marine sports Centre is to create a fully inclusive Marine sports hub, with the ability to host world-class events as well as provide facilities for marine based user groups to engage in competitive, recreational and educational activities. The intention is for the centre to be a destination on the waterfront that is open to the community. At the same time the centre is intended to provide a home for theRAYC as well as Auckland University, the Auckland sailing club, Sailbility Auckland, T.S Achilles, triathlon Auckland, Waka Ama groups and similar.
RAYC already has a high performance unit within its structure which has produced outstanding sailors such as Blair Tuke, Peter Burling and Molly Meech to name but a few. These athletes used the RAYC as facilities for training before the London and Rio Olympics and the intention is that the new sports Centre will continue to offer that sort of support.
It is not only able-bodied sailors who will be catered for at the sailing Centre. It is intended that sailability Auckland will be supported. As a consequence the new sports Centre has focused on accessibility with at least 11 disabled persons toilets in the building as well as easy access for people who require the use of wheelchairs.
The aim of the centre is to provide access hundred and 10 hours a week through a public café/bar, conference centre provision of customer spaces for use as the conference and ongoing sailing academies.
Andrew also told us that all the moorings in Okahu Bay will be removed by the end of the year freeing up space for paddling and Whaka Ama events as well as sailing Academy activities. Interestingly he commented that the old pile wave break which runs from the Okahu Bay wharf to the Marine Rescue Centre will be retained but not maintained as it is a historic structure.
This is an exciting project and will be a great addition to the Auckland waterfront in particular and marine scene in general. This project and others flowing from the Americas Cup in 2021 will mean that the waterfront will be vastly improved over the next few years. Exciting times!
Andrew’s address was well received by members. The Hyundai Marine Sports Centre clearly shows what motivated people can achieve when they put their minds to it in this city.