Superb weather on the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron Opening Day - and Roger Mills was at the start to record the Classic Yachts racing. They sailed a short harbour course for the season opener, in fresh south westerly winds and sunshine.

John was and will remain an absolute icon in this country for his amazing achievements, from supporting the endeavours of the average bloke who just wanted to be able to sail his boat, to the top echelons of NZ Sailing.

Each of these boats has an inter-generational story to tell. They were handcrafted in a time when we still made things with our hands. Some carried across oceans some were traders serving communities up and down our coasts. They were our transport and our recreation.

The fleet developed from a competition run by the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron during the late 1940s. They wanted to build a fleet of yachts that would perform well in local conditions and satisfy both the serious sailor who wanted to go racing as well as the family that wanted to go cruising.