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New Queen Charlotte Yacht Club an asset for Picton community

New Queen Charlotte Yacht Club an asset for Picton community

A project to rebuild the ageing Queen Charlotte Yacht Club has locals eager for its completion.

Construction of the new $1.3 million club began last year, and it is hoped the project will be finished in time for a series of prestigious yachting events starting in February.

Rātā Foundation provided the club with a building grant of almost $200,000 towards the project.

The club has been rebuilt next to the original building on the shores of Picton Harbour.

The original building was deemed unfit for purpose and was prone to flooding issues.

Club Treasurer Ian Gardiner said it was important the new facility fit not only the needs of club members, but the wider community as well.

“The current club has been on its location since 1936, and it has done its time. Something needed to be done, otherwise the Queen Charlotte Yacht Club was going to be no more,” he said.

“Through the feasibility study process, we learnt that you need to be engaged with the community and be more than a club for a single use. So it wasn’t a one-sided view from the yacht club, the whole community was involved.”

The new club would be a multi-purpose facility complete with meeting rooms, a venue space and a fully-equipped kitchen and bar.

“We’ve been operating on good old Kiwi number eight wire for many years, so the new facilities will enable us to run better quality events.”

He said the club would be open by February, in time to host the 2020 Zephyr Class Nationals.

“The facility will be operational by then - we may not have all the carpet on the floor, but it’ll be underway.”