Nelson yachtsman gains national recognition for sailing school

Nelson yachtmaster and renowned sailing tutor John Moore and his company Sail Nelson was last week named the Royal Yachting Association’s (RYA) New Zealand Sailing School of the Year 2010.

James Stevens, RYA United Kingdom presented the prestigious award, which was contested by all RYA sailing schools throughout New Zealand. Head of RYA New Zealand Neil Murray said Sail Nelson had a fabulous record of performance over the last five years and the award was well deserved. Neil said the judging criteria included the number of certificates issued, the feedback from students and adherence to safety and other RYA policies.

"Sail Nelson have done very well to have built numbers. They’re by far the biggest in the South Island and they always have excellent feedback from students.
Neil said, while the sailing industry might be perceived as a nice way to make an easy living, in reality it was very hard work and operators had to put a lot into it to reach the standards of this year’s winner.

John Moore is not only an expert sailor and teacher, but the attention to detail in the presentation of his yacht and the hospitality and personal attention students receive puts Sail Nelson in a class of its own.

John has spent most of his life “mucking around in boats”. He grew up sailing with his father in the picturesque Tasman Bay and has unparalleled knowledge of the waters and conditions in the region. He has also sailed internationally as a crew member and master.

At just 19 years of age John was New Zealand’s youngest ever certified Deep Sea Skipper, commanding deep sea fishing vessels in the pioneering days of Nelson’s offshore fishing industry. He spent 12 years as a senior tutor of navigation and seamanship at the New Zealand School of Fisheries, based in Nelson and later returned to his first love, sailing.

He is a qualified and practising Maritime New Zealand examiner and an accredited Royal Yachting Association instructor. John founded Sail Nelson in 2004 and offers a range of RYA accredited courses to suit individuals’ sailing skills and experience including: Starting Yachting, Competent Crew, Day Skipper, Coastal Skipper and Yachtmaster. He also offers personalised skippered charters.
All liveaboard courses are catered and take place aboard John’s superbly maintained New Zealand designed Farr 1020, Manaia. The 34-foot yacht has proven capability as a racer and a cruiser. Manaia holds a full maritime safety survey for charter vessels.

Sail Nelson attracts students from all over the world to Nelson where Tasman Bay provides the perfect conditions to learn yachting skills on the fringe of the Abel Tasman National Park.
John is a strong advocate of the RYA saying: “The RYA syllabus teaches sea safety while students are on the water and gives practical skills for the enjoyment of both tourists and New Zealanders. I love my classroom in the Abel Tasman National Park and across the Nelson region.   Traditionally navigation and sea safety has been taught as a theoretical classroom subject and my experience is that it comes alive, and the understanding of knowledge is faster when applied on a muiti-day practical course on the ocean. People who come aboard gain new skills and the experience enhances their lives and their self beliefs.  It’s great to see people have a positive and enjoyable experience.”
While delivering a quality service, few would know that John Moore has overcome significant health issues to get where he is today. In 2001 John underwent a liver transplant and 10 years on he is a living example of what transplant recipients can achieve. As his wife Woodi said, “not even a borrowed liver could keep John off the water for long”.

The 2010 awards ceremony was held at Richmond Yacht Club on Westhaven Marina in Auckland to highlight the value of RYA sailing courses, which are the most recognised sailing certifications in the world and are taught in more than 40 countries.