Graham Taplin elected new Commodore of Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania

by Peter Campbell on 29 Jul 2010 Members of The Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania last night elected Graham R Taplin unopposed as new Commodore at the club’s 129th annual general meeting held at the Sandy Bay clubhouse.

Commodore Taplin, a 35-year member of the Club, succeeds Clive Simpson, who has been Commodore for the past two years but remains on the board as Immediate Past Commodore.

New Vice Commodore is Captain Roger Martin, who was also elected unopposed. Captain Martin, a retired merchant navy master, replaced Murray Jones who did not seek re-election as a flag officer but has elected to the board of directors.

'I was born when our second longest serving Commodore, the great G H Evans, was in his final year of office in 1950, not far from his Stoke Street address,' the new Commodore said. 'In fact, my grandfather was good friends of the Evans family.'

Commodore Taplin has retired after 34 years in business in Hobart and has been a member of the RYCT’s finance committee since 1989, first joining the board in 1990 for a four year term. He was also a member of the Sydney Hobart Yacht Race committee from 1990 to 1997.

Since his retirement he has contributed considerably more time to the club’s activities, being elected to the board again in 2009 He has been chair of the Memorabilia Committee for the past year during which time there has been a major refocus on the historical displays of sailing paintings, photographs, half models and trophies in the clubhouse.

Commodore Taplin began sailing on his return from Army service in Vietnam, sailing Sharpies before moving into a partnership with the Division 4 boat Nettle.

'Then it was to a Half Tonner with Murray Drew, also sailing to Sydney for Australian championships on Lennane 111, ' the Commodore recalled. 'I then sailed with Eddies Boyes for 25 years in Dragons, the Quarter Tonner Jillyn, the Half Tonner Vento, the S80 Mythra, then on Police Car and finally on the 60-footer Irobenna.'

While always too Involved in business to compete in the Sydney Hobart, Commodore Taplin sailed in most of the Sailing South regattas with Dave Kellet in various yachts, including a Sydney 38, a Swan 50, a Sydney 48 and in 1986 the Tall Ships Race on the maxi yacht Sovereign.

Elected as directors at this evening’s meeting were Philippa Calvert, Ross De Little, William D Dewar, Murray Jones, John Menadue and William Schoe. They join other directors Matthew Johnston and Tracey Matthews who were not up for re-election this year.

The Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania website click here