Yachting New Zealand Chief Executive David Abercrombie To Step Down

Yachting New Zealand chief executive David Abercrombie has today announced his retirement, bringing down the curtain on more than 14 years at the organisation's helm.

Abercrombie was appointed in 2010 and has overseen significant developments at all levels of the sport - from grassroots to Olympic sailing.

He will step down on 30 June 2025.

"After much reflection, I have decided the time is right for someone else to lead Yachting New Zealand and take the sport into its next exciting phase," Abercrombie said.

"It has been a privilege to serve the sailing community and I am immensely proud of the Yachting New Zealand team and board and the incredible things we have achieved together."

Reflecting on his tenure, Abercrombie said there were many highlights.

"What stands out is our work in growing the sport through innovation. This includes the Women and Girls in Sailing strategy we first developed in 2019 and refreshed in 2024; the groundbreaking RŪNĀ school engagement framework aimed at finding new ways to connect yacht clubs with their local communities; and the Clean Clubs sustainability programme, which has seen nearly 40 yacht clubs around the country adopt more sustainable practices."

Retention remains a challenge and while the number of yacht clubs affiliated to Yachting New Zealand has remained stable over the last few years, its members have not been immune to the economic and environmental headwinds of late, Abercrombie said.

"The resilience of clubs like Mercury Bay Boating Club in Whitianga and Wairoa Yacht Club, both severely impacted by adverse weather events since 2022, speaks volumes about the spirit of the yachting and boating community.

"That will be one of my lasting memories – how our clubs and members, the majority volunteers, were always able to band together in tough times. These people are the heartbeat of our sport."

Supporting and equipping yacht clubs has been a key focus of Abercrombie's tenure. The most recent Voice of the Participant survey, conducted last year in conjunction with Sport New Zealand, showed that yachting and boating clubs remain highly valued by their members across the country.

The NZL Sailing Team has also produced several sailing world champions and nine Olympic medals in Abercrombie's time with Yachting New Zealand, including the joint-record haul of four sailing medals at the 2016 Rio Games.

In June last year, Abercrombie led the creation of the high-performance advisory group to replace the Yachting New Zealand Olympic Committee, and in August he was instrumental in initiating an independent evaluation of the organisation’s high-performance programme.

The evaluation's findings, dubbed Project Arotake, were published in December. In the coming months, a transformation oversight group, chaired by former New Zealand Olympic Committee (NZOC) chair Kereyn Smith, will implement them.

"I am incredibly grateful to the Yachting New Zealand board and to chair Greg Knowles for their guidance and unwavering support, and to the passionate and talented Yachting New Zealand staff who make a difference every day," Abercrombie said.

"To our valued sponsors and partners, our sailors, yacht clubs, class associations, World Sailing, Sport New Zealand, High Performance Sport New Zealand and the New Zealand Olympic Committee - thank you.

"I am looking forward to spending more time with my wife, Michelle, our four kids and four grandkids - and of course a lot more time on the golf course!"

Yachting New Zealand board chair Greg Knowles praised Abercrombie’s dedication and ability to form lasting relationships.

"David has brought energy, enthusiasm and passion to support our affiliated clubs and the NZL Sailing Team. He has been instrumental in securing and delivering major events, building enduring relationships with Sport NZ, HPSNZ, the NZOC, community trusts, and developing a strong commercial platform for Yachting New Zealand," Knowles said.

"He has also built extensive relationships within the World Sailing community, which has supported our talented sailors in excelling at world championships and the Olympics.

"As we look to the future, David has worked closely with the board to appoint Kereyn to lead the evaluation of our Paris Olympic campaign and review our wider high-performance programme. This is the ideal time for David to pass the baton to the next generation of leadership as we build towards the Los Angeles 2028 and Brisbane 2032 Olympics.

"On behalf of the board and staff, I would like to thank David for his significant contribution to Yachting New Zealand and wish him all the best in his next steps."

Sport New Zealand group chief executive Raelene Castle also paid tribute to Abercrombie.

“Sport NZ and High Performance Sport New Zealand would like to congratulate Dave on his contribution to Yachting New Zealand over 14 years," Castle said.

"Dave has overseen success at Olympic level, while also increasing opportunities for rangatahi to experience yachting at a community level. He has been a consistent driver of connection opportunities for his CEO colleagues and has always been open to sharing his knowledge and experience.

"We wish to thank Dave for everything he has done."

Before stepping down, Abercrombie will oversee the delivery of the Yachting New Zealand club conference in May, assist the transformation oversight group with its work, and continue working closely with sponsors and funders on several ongoing projects and partnerships.

The process to recruit Yachting New Zealand's new chief executive will start soon.

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