Fair Winds, Life Member Owen Reid

Owen Reid, M-class designer and builder and life member of Royal Akarana Yacht Club, has passed away after a long illness.

He was well known as a keen follower of all M-Class events.

Owen represented Foxton in the Cornwall Cup in 1949.  This was an inter-port race with bigger fleets than inter-towns.  Owen’s racing began with Idlealongs before changing to M-Class.  He built several Emmies, once building three at the same time at Princes Wharf.  His last M-Cass was built at Hobsonville.  Owen followed the M-Class when their home was at the Squadron and then at RAYC.

He was a highly competent sailor and, forseeing that older hulls needed a revamp, he got the M-Class Association to get a new design from Laurie Davidson.  He owned Motivator and then an Emmie of his own design Mach One which launched in 1987.

Royal Akarana Yacht Club will have a wake for Owen on Friday after the funeral.

Funeral

Friday 22nd September at 1:30pm
Purewa Cemetery
All Saints Chapel
100 St Johns Road, Meadowbank

Wake

Friday 22nd September at 3pm
Royal Akarana Yacht Club / Auckland Sailing Club building
10-12 Tamaki Drive, Okahu Bay

Photo: Owen Reid (center) with M-Class sailors Howard Spencer (left) and Hamish Milne (right)

Further information: contact Marian Harkness on 09-431-6332 or calimex@clear.net.nz

A full biography on Owen is being prepared by the Archives.