Ian Greig - Former Commodore RPNYC

[Guest]

Ian died yesterday at Palmerston North Hospital after a courageous battle with Melanoma.

 

For those of you who didn't know him, Ian was the Wellington lawyer who, as Commodore, masterminded the transformation of the club in the late 1980's.

 

To quote the Club's official website

The Club finally purchased the Clubhouse in 1986 for $21,000 with a 60 year on-site lease.

No sooner had the ink dried on the lease document than plans were drawn up to completely rebuild the Club’s newly acquired, but ageing, building. In May 1987 the builders moved in. By September the ground floor wardroom, showers and toilets were ready, and the Club re-opened for business. The official opening by the Governor-General took place on 29 November 1987 when the entire Clubhouse including restaurant, wardroom, offices, conference room and associated facilities were opened to members. In the space of four years the Club had progressed from being the tenant of a run-down 50 year old ex-hostel with cash assets of less than $50,000 to the owner of a building valued at $1.3 million. This remarkable transformation was due to some innovative fundraising involving the introduction of corporate memberships.

 

Ian started his sailing at Heretaunga. At Port Nick, he crewed with me on Bobby Shafto, and with Graham Hargreaves on Nizam and Graham's Elliott 11.6.

 

Ian was a straight-up, pragmatic, no-nonsense problem-solver. What you saw was what you got.

 

Just the man the club needed for it's transformation into the modern world. It is a measure of the respect in which he was held that he was a rare (perhaps the only) non-boat owner to rise to the position of Commodore of the club.

[splashprincess 17]

He was also one of a few that have been Commodore at more than one yacht club, as he was also Commodore of Lowry Bay Yacht Club in the 90s.

 

RIP.