NZ LOSES THREE PROMINENT BOATIES

Mick Ashcroft

Many of New Zealand’s sailors got to the Olympics with the help of Graeme ‘Mick’ Ashcroft. He played a leading hand in securing funding for talented youngsters to help them get to overseas events, and was heavily involved with the St John’s Rotary, offering scholarships to young sailors since 1996.

But Mick’s commitment went beyond securing money and he regularly caught up with sailors and their families. He kept photos on the walls of his office of all the sailors he’d helped.

John Salthouse

The Salthouse name is synonymous with New Zealand sailing and boating and John Salthouse was a leading figure.

He founded Salthouse Boatbuilders in 1956 in a makeshift tin shed at Stanley Bay on the northern shores of the Waitemata Harbour, but the business soon moved to Greenhithe where it remains to this day.

The company builds luxury and high-performance yachts and powerboats for customers worldwide. Salthouse Boatbuilders is still a family business, now run by sons Greg and Chris (Curly) Salthouse.

Blanche Cook

Blanche and husband Ian backed their instincts when, more than 30 years ago, they established Yachting Developments, forging it into one of the world’s most respected composite specialists and one of the last family-owned superyacht yards.

Blanche was an integral member of the Yachting Developments family. Owner, mentor, mother-figure and friend, her larger-than-life presence pervaded the entire yard. She was heavily involved in New Zealand’s marine community, serving as vice chairperson of the NZ Marine Export Group, supporting the yard’s busy apprenticeship scheme and providing her support to a wide range of yachting causes, particularly the rescue and restoration of numerous classic yachts.

She was particularly involved with the rescue and restoration of numerous classic yachts, including Ranger which was restored by the team at Yachting Developments and is now regularly raced around Auckland.