TE IWI/People

Tu Tangata, Issue 6, 1 June 1982, Page 36

TE IWI/People

Joe Cotton is one of the best known yachting personalities north of Auckland. His is a constant presence at almost every single yachting event held at Russell. His long involvement with yachting was capped in 1979 when he became Commodore of the Russell Yacht Club.

Joe Cotton was born in Russell in 1938. He later served a joiners apprenticeship in Auckland. But the lure of the yachting life drew him inevitably back to Russell where he quickly got down to the life of the ocean wave, and the even tougher life as yachting administrator. The Russell Yacht Club has the lowest membership fee in the country just sl2 a year. This is part of the club’s deliberate policy of ensuring that the club is made available to the locals as well as the rather better-heeled outsiders, mostly from Auckland. Tall ships He is particularly closely involved with the organisation of the annual Tall Ships Race which attracts ocean-going yachts from around the world. In recent years he has been concerned to give this event one of the two or three most important in the New Zealand yachting calendar a local flavour by putting on a massive hangi. Even so, he notes, in spite of the drama and glamour of the tall ships, the Russell Yacht Club is essentially “a mullet boat club.” These popular inshore craft dot the Bay of Islands providing an essential means of transport, a pleasure craft, and sometimes even a home. Big-gutted and manoeuvreable the mullet boat in the right hands is a competitive racer, often overhauling much newer and sleeker craft of a fraction of its weight.

Prime target Now rear Commodore of the club, Joe Cotton is anxious to place more emphasis on small boats, especially the P class. He is determined to build membership and sees the young as a prime target. “If we want to increase our junior membership, then we must develop our interest in small craft we must go for a broad based membership of all ages.”

The Aotea District of the Maori Women’s Welfare League held its’ Regional Annual General Meeting at the Wharauroa Marae in Taumaranui, hosted by the Hikurangi Branch. New officers were elected, President, Mrs Dolly Sharpe of Taumaranui, Secretary Mrs Awa Tupe of Turangi, Vice President Mrs Miria Rodgers of Stratford

The trophy shown in the photograph was awarded (along with the cup) to the Waitara Branch who accumulated the mo.st points throughout the year for Arts and Homecrafts competitions.

A third Trophy was awarded to the Taumaranui Branch for the Report book prize. Guest speakers at the meeting were Mr Winiata who talked about education and child development with particular reference to Maori children and preschool education, and Dr Henare Broughton who talked on how the Maori Woman’s Welfare League could promote the health of the Maori people.

Work for Joe Cotton is still the water. He commands one of the Fuller ferries that carries cars across from Opua. He is also a volunteer fireman, and a founder member of the Lions Club. Even at home he can keep a watchful eye on the club. His modern spacious home overlooks the club and commands a fine view of Matauwhi Bay. often considered to be the best safe anchorage in New Zealand.