America's Cup: Celebrating Graeme Woodroffe this Sunday at 4.00pm
by Richard Gladwell Sail-World NZ 15 Nov 2024 19:20 AEDT
Graeme Woodroffe on the helm of KZ3 (nearest camera) - sailing off Fremantle - July 1986 © NZ Challenge
The life and many achievements of Graeme Woodroffe will be celebrated this Sunday at Royal New Zealand Squadron at 4.00pm.
Graeme's international sailing career began in OK Dinghies competing in the 1972 OK Worlds in Marstrand finishing second overall in an 80 boat fleet. He followed that up with a 3rd overall in the 1974 Ok Worlds in Adelaide, and 4th in the 1977 OK Worlds, sailed at Takapuna. He was chairman of the organising committee for that event, held as a memorial for the 1973 World OK Champion Clive Roberts, who was killed in a car accident in 1975.
He started sailing at the age of eight, and moved from Junior Cherub to the 14ft Javelin and the onto OK Dinghies.
Between OK Worlds, Woodroffe was co-helm of the Quarter Tonner 45 South, along with Roy Dickson, winning the 1975 World Quarter Ton Cup in Deauville, France. Dickson was also the navigator for Rainbow II, which scored NZs first international keelboat win in the 1971 One Ton Cup. 45 South's win win was a first in an international keelboat class for a New Zealand design, and opened the international design success for Bruce Farr (then aged 26yrs). 45 South was the first New Zealand designed, built and crewed keelboat to win a major international keelboat regatta.
He was a foundation member of then Westlake High School, in Auckland' North Shore, which has produced more America's Cup helmsmen than any other. He moved into his father's business which began as Sidney Woodroffe and Son in Anzac Avenue in the Auckland City. The business split becoming Marine Power and Service and Graeme along with his father built a successful marine business in the centre of the City, which represented many leading marine brands.
That set the pathway for much of his sailing life - commissioning new yachts and racing internationally, always with success and then repeating the exercise.
He switched from the 25ft Quarter Tonners to the 36ft One Ton Cup class commissioning and sailing a Farr design The Number (renamed 45 South II) to Marseille, France for the 1976 One Ton Worlds, placing 4th overall.
He was one of those involved in the battle to bring sponsorship into yachting. In the 1977 One Ton Cup, Auckland, Woodroffe's Mr Jump (a well known clothing label) was one of four New Zealand boats that had to change their names before being permitted to race. Mr Jumpa, a centreboarder, finished second in the event.
Woodroffe moved onto a build, race and compete in a series of Davidson 50-55fters - all of which were named after Rolling Stones hits - Jumpin' Jack Flash, Honky Tonk Woman and Emotional Rescue - all were built and outfitted in New Zealand before racing in Hawaii in the Clipper or Kenwood Cups.
In between he sailed two Admirals Cup (1981 and 1985 - in Exador), three Clipper Cups in 1980, 1982 and 1984, and a Southern Cross Cup in 1985. He helmed Mike Clark's Exador to fourth place in the 1985 One Ton Cup in England, and to be top NZ boat in the 1985 Admirals Cup.
In 1986 he, along with Chris Dickson were engaged as helmsmen for New Zealand's two identical fibreglass 12 metres that competed in the 12 Metre World Championship of that year. They did the initial crew training and two-boat testing, and then were told the team was going to "winter-over" in Fremantle and were joined later in 1986 by KZ-7.
Woodroffe was assigned to KZ-3, the first of the fibreglass 12 metres launched, while Dickson took over KZ-5. The final crew selection for the 1987 America's Cup was conducted between the two 12 metres - in which the outcome was reported at two wins apiece. Woodroffe's crew included several who are still part of the America's Cup - including Brad Butterworth, Kevin Shoebridge, and Grant Dalton.
After the selection was made, NZ Yachting magazine reported:
Michael Fay was full of praise from Graeme Woodroffe, Dickson's rival for the helm.
"Woody was naturally disappointed," he said. "He's been locked into this programme for a long time and his performance has improved dramatically.
"But despite his disappointment he was the first guy to tell me he would stay with the programme and run the back-up boat.
"He knows as well as we do that KZ5 is essential to our campaign and will continue to be so. KZ7 will only reach her potential if KZ5 is sailed to hers - and that will be Woody's job."
"I've got nothing but admiration for his attitude. If we get the same response from the others, we'll be in good shape."
KZ-7 went on to place second in the Louis Vuitton Cup, winning 38 races on the trot.
After the America's Cup, he took on the 1989/90 Whitbread Round the World Race, sailing as a helmsman on Fisher & Paykel on Leg 2 through the Southern Ocean from Cape Town to Fremantle. They placed second.
In his latter years, Woodroffe took Emotional Rescue to Fiji, running charter cruises to the top offshore surfing and diving spots in Fanning Island and Fiji.
Woody sailed away peacefully on August 30th 2024.
He is survived by his wife Selina and six daughters. Woody is remembered as a colourful character a great sailor.
To celebrate his life, his family welcomes his friends at the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, Westhaven Drive on Sunday November 17th at 4pm.
The formalities start at 5pm so be early to toast with glass in hand.
Also impromptu personal tributes/remembrance are welcome.
Dress Code: Colourful attire and Bula Shirts.
Live-Streaming is organised.
Join the scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: Celebration of Woody
Time: Nov 17, 2024 04:30 PM Auckland, Wellington
Join Zoom Meeting https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85448660209?pwd=SxHX2mnpaNaunqPSKlkIS4xbpxloZn.1
Meeting ID: 854 4866 0209
Passcode: 129849