Flag Officers and Board of Governors

The Flag Officers are the Club's senior leadership, consisting of the Commodore, Vice Commodore, and Rear Commodore. 

The Board of Governors is responsible for the Club's overall direction and policy, and comprises the Flag Officers, the Treasurer, and four Board Members. The Board of Governors is elected by the Club's members at the AGM.

Shayne Priddle, Commodore

I'm privileged to serve as your Commodore. I’ve been sailing for over 35 years and part of RPNYC on and off since the early ’90s. These days I’m racing inshore on St Laurence and getting back into offshore sailing with the crew on Blue Jacaranda. I believe RPNYC is — and always should be — a club built by members, for members, and I’m passionate about growing our membership and building a strong, welcoming sailing community. One of my priorities is strengthening ties with other yacht clubs across the Wellington region so we can grow the sport together. I’m always keen to hear your thoughts, so please come and say hi. See you on the water or in the bar!

Kyle Radersma, Vice Commodore

I have been passionate about sailing for more than 40 years, beginning my journey at Worser Bay in R-class skiffs. During that time, I was fortunate enough to win two national titles in the class before moving on to keelboats, racing on Local Motion and Porkchop for several seasons at RPNYC. Later I brought 12 Skiffs to Wellington before putting a kite and twin trapeze onto my Tornado multihulls, drawn by a love of speed and a desire to push boundaries on the water. That drive has also led me to develop strong skills in boat repair and maintenance—something many in the sailing community will have seen in action over recent seasons.

After starting and running my own business for the past 20 years, I see a move into the Vice Commodore's role as both an exciting new challenge and a meaningful way to give back to a sport that has given me so much.

Leah Hannaford, Rear Commodore

In 2023 I took a Learn to Sail course with Wellington Ocean Sports which sparked a keen interest in sailing.

Sharing the love of the sea with other sailors has helped me form a strong sense of connection with community. This has inspired me to contribute to the growth of the Club. You can find me at the RPNYC most, if not every, Fridays and Saturdays.

I sail on the trusty Revenue Cutter, if you would like to share your thoughts and ideas on the Club you can find me at shed 28 or in the club rooms.

Barry Carruth, Treasurer

This is my fourth year on the Board as the Club's Treasurer. I'm a retired accountant with a background in finance and business consulting. I did the learn to sail course in December of 2020, five days after retiring. I decided that sailing would provide the challenges and excitement needed to keep me off the couch. I sailed with Lizzie for a year before purchasing Update, a Farr 9.2, and later traded her for Pork Chop, which I've now had for two years.

I enjoy the Club vibe, its a great place to meet interesting people for diverse backgrounds and nationalities. I'm also happy for club members to approach me to discuss their ideas and concerns.

Mel Winter

Even though I’ve enjoyed the Club for a number of years, I’m excited to support it more actively and channel my love for water and the sea by learning to sail properly. My background is in hospitality, events, and commercial partnerships — so while I’m more familiar with running a tight event than a tight ship, I’m ready to dive into a new adventure on and off the water! Look forward to meeting and getting to know more club members.

Stuart Burrows

I joined RPNYC having relocated to Wellington from overseas five years ago. I was duly adopted into the crew of Zigzag and, as they say, the rest is history.

As a foreign import on the Board, I hope to bring experience of my time sailing overseas to RPNYC. Due to my profession I have sailed at various clubs in various classes covering inshore, coastal and offshore.

The club relies on volunteers donating their time and hopefully I can contribute to the running and future of RPNYC.

Thijs Nicolas

George Mason