The Yachtsman 2017-2018 The Yachtsman 2017-2018 | Page 6

CLUB REPORTS
CLUB REPORTS
GENERAL MANAGER
A
s many members will be aware,
at the end of August 2018, I
concluded my role as General
Manager of the Royal Prince
Alfred Yacht Club after over 12
years of employment with the Club. Over the
years I made an emotional connection with
the Club and the sport, the Club history, its
members and of course my staff.

Thank you and farewell
As a new member, I’ll see
you soon at our Club.
I learnt a great deal in those 12 years as
the role of General Manager of an operation
as diverse as the RPAYC. It exposes you to so
many aspects of business and management. I
was very fortunate to be in a position where I
was able to rely on many members who made
themselves and their expertise available to
me. To provide me with guidance in respect
to specific issues along the way. Whether it be
risk management, insurance, legal matters or
just general support in getting things done, the
members of the Alfred’s were a tremendous
support to me.
I’d like to specifically thank the
Commodores,
Directors
and
Rear
Commodores who I worked with along the
way for their support. The General Manager
and the Commodore in particular must
work very closely together and I don’t think
many members realise the commitment of
time, energy and emotion that is required of
the Commodores. I was fortunate to work
with five wonderful Commodores – for all
of them it was like a second job. But they
all dedicated the time and commitment to
the role and provided me with support and
mentoring along the way. A special thanks to
all the many staff I have worked with (past
and present). The Club is lucky to have many
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YA C H T S M A N R PAY C
GENERAL MANAGER
long standing staff members who have a deep
understanding of the Club and its history.
They too, provided me with a great deal of
professional and emotional support and often
a well needed laugh.
I’d also like to take the opportunity to
welcome Craig Evans and wish him all the
best. I have known Craig for many years in
our respective Club roles and was thrilled
when he was appointed to the job. We were
both involved in the creation of the now very
successful Yacht and Boat Club Managers’
Forum which has been running down for
around 10 years. This is the single most useful
meeting that we as Club managers attend.
Good luck Craig, I hope that you find your
time at RPAYC as rewarding as I did.
Finally, while I grew professionally over
the years, the most important take away from
my tenure are the wonderful friendships I
made along with way. I continue to remain
in contact with many staff, prior staff and
many members and I know that these will
be enduring lifelong associations, which I
continue to look forward to.
Thank you to everyone who made my time
at the RPAYC so special and so rewarding.
Thank you for the support and most of all
thank you for the camaraderie.
As a new member of RPAYC, I’ll see you
soon at our Club.
Suzanne Davies
Outgoing General Manager
I
am very honoured to have been selected
as the new General Manager of the Royal
Prince Alfred Yacht Club. RPAYC is a
Club that I have held in high regard for
many years and for a number of reasons.
Well known for its racing and cruising,
friendly people and great facilities, the Club
is located on one of the best waterways in
the world. I’ve lost count of the number of
times that I have heard that it is “God’s own
country” around the Northern Beaches, but I
am looking forward to spending time exploring
the waterways and coast. Even though I am a
South Australian, I have had the pleasure of
sailing from RPAYC at various times over the
past 20 years and I am excited to be working
at the Club and assisting in driving boating
and membership participation in the future.
At the time of writing, I have not yet
commenced work at the Royal Prince Alfred
Yacht Club. I understand that the Yachtsman
Publication is to report on the achievements
of the Club’s prior year. So while I have had
nothing to do with the Club’s successes in
2017/2018, I am grateful to be commencing
work at a Club that is in a strong position. I
thank Suzanne Davies for her dedication and
commitment as the Club’s General Manager
over the past 12 years.
Since being selected as the Club’s new
General Manager in August, I have had to
provide the Cruising Yacht Club of South
Australia (CYCSA) with a period of notice
and close off on many tasks that I have been
working on as well as handing work over
to my team at the CYCSA while the Club
searches for a new manager. I have been the
CEO of the Cruising Yacht Club of South
Australia for just over 13 years, prior to that
I was an elected Board Member of the Club
for three years.
During my time at CYCSA we have
improved sailing and training offerings,
reviewed and initiated a number of changes
to Membership options, improved food and
beverage standards in both quality and service
and also significantly improved the financial
performance of the food and beverage
operation. I was also involved in planning and
building a new marina facility, breakwater
and significant building work including
major changes to the Clubhouse. I am a
Certified Marina Manager after receiving the
first international scholarship to attend the
Advanced Marina Management School in
the UK and I have been a Board Member of
the Boating Industry Association (BIA) for the
past three years and served 12 years as a BIA
(SA) Board Member and Chairman of their
Marina and Environment Group.
An active racing member of the CYCSA
for 32 years and before that 15 years racing
centreboards at Largs Bay Sailing Club in
Adelaide, I have a good understanding of our
sport.
Married to Julie, we have three adult
children – Kate 25, Jack 22 and Sarah 19,
all of who are working and will remain in
Adelaide, but they may change their minds
once they have visited ‘God’s own country’.
I look forward to meeting as many
members as possible and being part of Royal
Prince Alfred Yacht Club.

Look forward to
meeting you
RPAYC is a Club I have
held in high regard for
many years and for a
number of reasons.
Craig Evans
Incoming General Manager
R PAY C YA C H T S M A N
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