Sailing philanthropist recognised in New Year Honours
by Sail-World.com/nz 29 Dec 2017 15:50 PST
30 December 2017
Bill Speedy with 49erFX Olympic Silver medalists Molly Meech and Alex Maloney © Yachting New Zealand
Bill Speedy, the founder of the leading international freight company, Oceanbridge, has been recognised in the New Year Honours list for services to watersports and philanthropy.
He has been recognised with the award of an Officer of The New Zealand Order of Merit.
Oceanbridge was established in 1981 and is headquartered in Takapuna. The company now employs over 140 people.
The citation for the award says Oceanbridge Shipping donates more than $100,000 to charities annually, including the Coastguard, Surf Life Saving New Zealand, and Raglan Surf Life Saving.
Oceanbridge has had an increasing sponsorship position in several sailing events including the Auckland Anniversary Day Regatta, the Oceanbridge Sail Auckland Regatta. The Oceanbridge RIB is a familiar sight in various support roles at many other sailing regattas.
An active ocean swimmer Bill Speedy and Oceanbridge are backers of the Billabong Grommet series children’s surfing competition in Tauranga.
Oceanbridge enjoys a close relationship with America's Cup champions Emirates Team New Zealand, with the company providing logistics support for Emirates Team New Zealand at the America’s Cup in Bermuda in 2017 and other regattas.
Oceanbridge has sponsored relief shipping arrangements for Air Cargo to the Pacific Islands.
Bill Speedy was appointed a North Harbour Business Hall of Fame Laureate in 2017.
Oceanbridge through Bill Speedy and his wife Lindsay have been an advocate for water safety and watersports at North Shore schools, donating lifejackets to Milford School and helping set up a Learn to Sail programme at Bayswater Primary.
Also recognised in the 2018 New Year Honours list was Paul Pritchett of Lyttelton, for his services to Canterbury sailing
He was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit.
A former Finn sailor, Paul Pritchett (along with the late Clive Roberts) was one of those who introduced the Optimist Sailing Dinghy to New Zealand in 1975.
After Roberts death, Pritchett instigated the New Zealand Optimist Dinghy Association and spent many hours travelling the country to promote the dinghy as the ideal child’s learner sailing boat, which has since been widely adopted around New Zealand. It has also developed as a major racing class in New Zealand attracting the largest entry of any single class at its national championships, and has been further developed to provide a nucleus of new racing sailings though participation in international competition.
Heavily involved in other related watersport activities for youngsters, Pritchett founded the Water Activities Centre in 1986, through which Christchurch school pupils were able to learn safe sailing and associated water activities. He co-founded sailing for the disabled in Canterbury in 1989.
Paul Pritchett is a Life Member of the Charteris Bay Yacht Club and has been Commodore twice. He has chaired Canterbury Yachting Association committees and been Chairman of the Youth Committee of the New Zealand Yachting Federation.
He has been an International Council member representing the New Zealand Flying Fifteen Association.
A environmental advocate, Pritchett has been involved with Lyttelton Harbour Issues Group and the Lyttelton Harbour’s Waste Water Working Party. He was volunteer coordinator of safe water monitoring for Lyttelton Harbour and sampler in Church Bay between 1998 and 2010.
Within the wider community Mr Pritchett has been involved with Probus and Lions Clubs, organised beach clean ups, tree plantings, and cliff track working parties.
No members of the America's Cup champions, Emirates Team New Zealand, were mentioned in the just published 2018 New Years Honours List. Several members of the team including Grant Dalton, Peter Burling and Blair Tuke have been previously recognised.