The trust
The Tino Rawa Trust was established in 2007 to assist in the preservation, restoration and caretaking of New Zealand’s unique classic yacht and launch heritage.
Our focus is in ensuring that our historical significant vessels are conserved, preserved and restored. Where possible our restorations employ traditional boat building techniques and materials. Engagement with other classic boat and maritime heritage organisations, classic boat builders, suppliers, supporters and volunteers support an active, passionate and world class classic boat community.
The Trusts annual ‘Classic Yacht and Launch Exhibition’, as part of Auckland City Heritage Week, showcases yacht designers, boat builders and designs. The exhibitions include yachts, launches and dinghies, static displays and history boards. The annual event is free to the public.
In March 2024, the Tino Rawa Trust was instrumental in delivering the inaugural Auckland Wooden Boat Festival.
Over the past 16 years the Trust has acquired 18 yachts and launches, restoring, maintaining and preserving each one of them due to their provenance and importance to New Zealand’s maritime heritage.
Line drawing of Ngataki (Roger Hill 2023)
Tino Rawa Trust Charities Commission Registration Number CC32668
The purposes of the Tino Rawa Trust are as follows:
To acquire and maintain classic vessels of any description and to ensure the preservation of those historic and significant vessels.
To practice, teach, develop and promote the specific principles and practices of historic vessel sailing, conservation, preservation and restoration in New Zealand.
To establish and maintain an organisation for the above purposes and the promotion of these purposes within New Zealand.
To create an archive of the research, physical documentation and methods used in sailing early vessels and restorations and to manage this archive in accordance with professional practice.
To establish scholarships and study grants for students and tutors and provide post graduate study and establishment grants for overseas study and student exchange.
To promote and fund New Zealand youth to perform in maritime pursuits at a national or international level.
To generate interest with a focus on youth and communities not associated with or having access to sailing on classic yachts and launches.
To conduct educational and social events for all groups associated with or interested in the maritime history of New Zealand.
To fund events that specifically support and promote our maritime heritage.
To receive gifts of machinery, equipment, artifacts and funds to further the purposes of the Trust.
The objects for which the Trust is established are as specified above and shall be restricted at all times to operation within New Zealand.
The Trustees
Tony Stevenson
Tony is the managing director of Network Visuals, a leading event and corporate company based in Auckland.
From his formative years racing NZ sailing dinghies in Auckland, with few moments on the podium, he spent 8 years overseas racing and working on a variety of keelboats. This included blue water races and deliveries including Sydney to Hobarts, Kenwood Cups, IOR Maxi series and numerous Auckland to Fiji / Noumea races.
Since its inception in 2007, he has chaired the Tino Rawa Trust which has restored and maintains several prominent New Zealand classic yachts including the Logan Bros. 'Jesse Logan’ (1880), 'Rawene' (1908), the mullet boat 'Corona' (1934) and others. He has recently completed the restoration and return to the original gaff rigging for Johnny Wray's 'Ngataki' (1933).
He was part of the team that recently delivered the inaugural and very successful Auckland Wooden Boat Festival at Jellicoe Harbour and Viaduct Event Centre, Auckland.
He also chairs the NZ Sailing Trust which has restored Sir Peters Blake's Round the World 'Steinlager 2' and 'Lion NZ'. Both iconic maxis deliver youth development voyages within a marine environment for over 1700 young New Zealanders annually.
A keen sailor of both classic and modern yachts he is responsible for both Trust’s funding initiatives, sponsorship and strategic direction.
William Goodfellow
William is the managing director of Explore NZ, a prominent leader in New Zealand’s tourism industry. Explore NZ has grown from a single viewing vessel for spectators during the 1999/2000 America's Cup into a multi-faceted marine tourism business with operations in the Bay of Islands, Northland, Auckland and a significant tourism holding in Hamilton Island, Queensland.
Explore NZ’s Otehei Bay experience in the Bay of Islands is a major conservation and restoration project being undertaken in conjunction with The Department of Conservation and Project Island Song.
William is the skipper of the Trust’s 1946 Lidgard Teal.
Rob Hughes
Rob is a Director of Accurate Instruments (NZ) Ltd, a leading supplier of measuring instruments to the building, construction and manufacturing industry. It is also an Official Supplier to Emirates Team New Zealand.
Rob has been boating most of his life in some form or another. A member of the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, he has raced on a range of modern boats including skippering the Americas Cup boats from the Viaduct Harbour in Auckland.
A number of years ago he was invited to race on the classics and has been ‘hooked on classics’ since.
Andrew Williams
Andrew Williams is an Auckland based accountant, director of the firm AlliottBW and a principal of Alliott NZ Ltd.
He has extensive commercial and professional experience in the chartered accountancy profession, in particular with SMEs, trusts and general taxation services and advice.
Andrew has interests in sports particularly as a coach of age group teams. He is active as a rugby and cricket coach including age group representative teams and has recently retired as Chair from Sport Auckland.
Richard Allen
Richard Allen is an Auckland based solicitor with 37 years and specialising in maritime law. He brings a strong legal and governance background to the Trust and is a founding director of RALAW based in Grey Lynn.
He has represented New Zealand at International Regattas sailing Tornado’s and at the 1996 Olympic Games in Savannah, Georgia.
As skipper of the Trust’s 1937 26ft mullet boat Corona, Richard is a regular competitor at the Classic Yacht Regatta and classic boat racing. His 1936 ketch Ranui has made several trips to the Auckland Islands, Raoul Is in the Kermadec Group and for over 25 years, transporting supplies and personnel to Vanuatu for the charity NZ Children’s Health and Education Trust.