From smuggling shoes through the clubhouse windows to titanium welding on “Big Red”, Don Walker’s 50 years at the Squadron chart a life shaped by sailing, friendship and innovation.

Don Walker’s passage to sailing came through his commitment to rowing. A national champion in the early 1960s, Don was very involved in the West End Rowing Club, then based at the bottom of the St Mary’s Bay cliff before later moving to the edge of Westhaven the site now home to Sails restaurant.

Rowing kept Don at Westhaven five to six days a week and the club often billeted rowers at the Ponsonby Cruising Club. It was there he met the legendary Olaf “Flap” Martinengo, Custodian of Westhaven and a larger-than-life sailing figure.

A friendship formed, and Flap invited Don to join his crew as forward hand aboard his Jim Young NZ37, Namu.

“I had mucked around in small boats but not keelers. The racing was exciting, and it suited my competitive nature. I was hooked, learning a lot from Flap and his amazing crew – many of them international sailors. It was hugely inspirational,”

The Namu team sailed regularly with RNZYS in Wednesday night racing, weekend regattas and feature events. It was Flap who encouraged Don to join the Squadron – a commitment he was happy to make.

“I believe in the membership structure of clubs, as well as the formality and disciplines that come with it – instilled in me through rowing and my father’s influence. Along with the Squadron’s full sailing programme, I also enjoyed the fellowship and connections that come from membership, which ultimately impacted my career direction.”

Don was serious about his sailing, and so were his teammates. “You didn’t get a position on a boat unless you were committed and a good team player.” When he wasn’t working as a plumbing apprentice, he was sailing. Socialising came mainly through prizegiving, with the focus firmly on winning and collecting “our gongs.”

Bending the rules

Despite Don’s respect for rules, the dress code sometimes proved tricky. Many of the crews sailed barefoot, short of the footwear required for club entry. The solution? Send in the few who had the correct footwear to secure a window table, then discreetly pass the shoes out the window until all were suitably shod. “I’m sure the management knew, but they turned a blind eye,” Don laughs.

Boats, salty stories and lessons

Don’s years on Namu provided plenty of salty tales. In one Mahurangi race, flukey winds stranded them just 100 metres from the finish. Two younger crew, desperate to get to a party in Auckland, jumped ship into a passing dinghy – then boarded a Sea Bee Air amphibian plane that had landed nearby. Ironically, the plane’s prop wash filled Namu’s kite, sending her across the line – only to be disqualified later for outside assistance and finishing without a full crew. Don says Flap was not happy about that outcome!

Don’s first boat was a Townson 32 he built in 1972, named Libra after his daughter’s Zodiac sign and representing balance and harmony. While a fine boat, she leaned more towards cruising, so Don’s second Townson 32 – Légère – was designed for racing but still within class requirements. Keith Atkinson built the hull and decks – she was the 20th boat that came out of the mould – Don finished the rest of the build.

The launch of Don’s second Townson 32 – Légère

His final yacht, the Ray Beale designed Bridgeway Clipper, launched 1983, was a well-ballasted, all-round performer that Don describes as “a joy to sail in all weather.”

With a high ballast ratio, Bridgeway Clipper excelled at two-handed racing. Don teamed up with Jurgen Carstens – a talented international sailor and sails consultant with Lidgard Rudling – winning Ponsonby Cruising Club’s Two-Handed Division 1 Series in 1985.

Don’s Ray Beale designed Bridgeway Clipper, launched in 1983

Not every race went smoothly – in one blustery easterly a potential flirt with the harbour bridge put them under pressure. As they flew toward the finish, their spinnaker drop went awry due to an override as they released the sheet and spinnaker halyard. A planned and dramatic broach brought them back under control, easing the load so they could clear the jam. As Don recalls (with a smile) “It was rather spectacular and great entertainment for those watching – we could hear the cheers from ‘death row’ at the Ponsonby.”

From plumbing to boatbuilding

Don’s 50 years of Squadron membership brought not only friendships but also career opportunities. Through his plumbing business, he moved into the marine industry during its 1970s–80s boom, when demand grew for performance yachts with more comfort – proper galleys, heads and showers.

“Having built boats myself, and with apprentices who were mad keen sailors, we had the skills – especially with copper pipework – to deliver what was needed.”

Through Squadron connections, notably Naval Architect Alf Locke, Don expanded into fabrication in the early to mid-1980s, working on Steinlager and Steinlager II at Southern Pacific Boatyard. It was “a life changing experience” says Don.

The Steinlager designer, David ‘Daw’ Williams, was very keen to use titanium in the build – 40% lighter than steel – another pressure for boat builder Tim Gurr! Through Alf, Don was recommended as the man for the job due to his welding expertise. He recalls the steep learning curve of titanium welding for the 60-foot trimaran project: welding in a purpose-built glass container, learning from Air New Zealand engineers on how they used titanium in their turbo jet engines so they could get the standard right, and testing with Neville Miller at DSIR.

Don’s expertise also contributed to the build of Steinlager II – “Big Red” – the Whitbread-winning maxi of 1989–90.

The Steinlager construction crew, 1988 – Don is pictured in the front row, fourth from the right

Today, looking back on 50 years of membership, Don says the Squadron has been more than a club. “It’s been about the friendships, the opportunities and the sense of belonging that has stayed with me. The Squadron has always been a big part of my life and has given me a lifetime of memories.”

A treasured gift - Flap Martinengo's stopwatch

The trophy awarded to Don and Jurgen Carstens for their win in the Ponsonby Cruising Club’s Two-Handed Division 1 Series, 1985