Our History
2004 – 2024
The full text of Our History 2004 – 2024, written by Peter Kingsbury, can be read here.
Segments of Our History 2004 – 2024 are reproduced below with links for further reading.
2004
On 15 September 2004 a public meeting was held in Christchurch for people interested in Blokart sailing. This meeting was initiated by Graeme Holmes, a keen land yacht sailor and Blokart owner. Twenty-five people attended. How this meeting was advertised is not known. The purpose of the meeting was to consider establishing a blokart sailing club. A questionnaire on what people would like the club to look like was completed by the attendees. Details of this first meeting are scarce, however, a committee of five was formed. Graeme Holmes was elected as the first President of the Canterbury Blokart Club (the Club), and Jude McLennan as Secretary/Treasurer.
The inaugural committee meeting was held on the 27 September 2004 at Miller Studios, 332 Durham Street, Christchurch. This venue was used through to at least June 2005. Graeme Holmes was instrumental in securing the ‘upstairs room’ for the inaugural meeting and subsequent meetings. It was agreed at the meeting that Club sailing days would be held once a fortnight, alternating between Saturday and Sunday. The first sailing day was held on 3 October 2004 at Waimairi Beach. Club subscriptions were set at $30.00 for a single adult and $50.00 for a family of three or more. Club membership cards, with name and blokart number were issued to members. The initial members subscriptions were spent on stationery, race flags (most of which are still being used in 2025) and road safety cones, and NZBAI affiliation fees. … read more here
Canterbury Blokart Club Inc. and it’s first President in 2004. This photograph was taken at the funeral of Club member, Ivan Purtle, in 2024.
2005 – 2007
By January 2005, the Club had ten members, and had opened a bank account. By May 2005 the Club had $420.40 in its bank account and 18 Members (includes six individual family members). And in the same year, public liability insurance through the NZBAI was available for Club members and visitors on designated Club days. The insurance covered a wide range of Club activities including causing property damage, forest & rural fires, damage to services, and vehicle and watercraft service damage.
In September, it was noted in a Club newsletter, that “… the racing is for fun, and not for a sheep station, so come along and participate … “In October 2005 the first New Zealand Blokart Open was held at Blokart Heaven in Papamoa, Bay of Plenty.
On the 21 September 2005 the inaugural Annual General Meeting of the Club was held with seven members present. To help raise awareness of blokart sailing in Canterbury, in October 2005, the Club had a display at Go Outdoor Show (organised by Events NZ Ltd.) at Roto Kohatu Reserve, Harewood, Christchurch. The Reserve had space to demonstrate a blokart in action. It is not known if this was possible … read more here
2008 – 2010
“Thought I should write a quick note. A good number including Barry [Emms], Jude [McLennan], Dave [Griffin] and Nigel [Gatsch] turned up at South Brighton yesterday to a howling SE which was slightly more easterly than Sunday’s one. There was a huge amount of sand, clean and hard. Made for good fast runs each way and brilliant fun at the Spit. The Spit was perfect for a very fast circuit … read more here
2011 – 2013
The Club Committee decided in 2010, a trailer for road trips and storage of Club equipment, was needed. Member, Vaughan Lucking, was pivotal in preparing a grant application for $7,866.00; the cost of buying a suitable trailer, on-road costs, and signage. The Club received a grant for $3,000.00 from the Canterbury Community Trust in 2011. After receiving the grant, it was decided that the Club had the expertise to build a trailer. With assistance from various Club members, long-time Club member (and secretary/treasurer) Barry Emms, built the frame and running gear, and … read more here
Justin Annan 2013
2014 – 2016
The largest single expense for the Club, to this time, was the chipseal ‘cut-through’ on the south side of the intersection of the taxiway and hangar apron. The cut-through is about 73m long and 6m wide. $10,000.00 of the $22,055.00 cost was funded by a Canterbury Community Trust grant. The ‘cut-through’, officially opened by Dave Clearwater (AFMNZ Business & Communications Manager), provides a safer option sailing course where there were opposing blokarts at the western end of the taxiway.
Along with the completion of the ‘cut-through’, the Club simultaneously celebrated the 10th Anniversary of the Club with speeches and the cutting of a cake at Wigram. Barry Emms and the youngest member of the Club, Nicholas Pilditch (one of five Pilditch family members) jointly cut the cake. … read more here
2017 – 2019
The Club’s inaugural Brass Monkey day was held in June, an event that has been held most winters since. Club members dress up in appropriately gaudy outfits, including budgie smugglers, beach shorts and Hawaiian shirts. Fun races were had, including a 20 minute race that had to include a pit-stop to swap over the two rear wheels, and a Le Mans race start for another race. After a series of races, members enjoyed BBQ food, coffee and mulled wine. Trophies, donated by Michael Denton, are awarded to the winners of Production Class and Performance Class.
The Committee, always mindful of the potential for one day not having access to Wigram, wrote to Regenerate Christchurch, to register the Club’s interest in the possible use of red-zone land for blokart sailing. This was not pursued further by the Club. A small trailer, known as the cone trailer, was designed by Club member, Michael Denton, and built by Club member, Davie Norris. The trailer holds road … read more here
2020 – 2022
In 2020 the Club built a ‘flat pack’ podium. This podium was designed to be more portable than the existing one and was first used at the New Zealand Blokart Open in February at Wigram. The South Island Blokart Open held in Richmond (Nelson) at the Vortex Wind Karting track, preceded the New Zealand Blokart Open. As part of the preparation for the New Zealand Blokart Open a ‘cut-through’ was mown at the eastern end of the taxiway between the east/west and north/south sections of the taxiway. This reduced the likelihood, and particularly in strong northerly and north westerly winds, of opposing … read more here
2023 – 2024
During 2023 about 10 shipping containers containing Canterbury Museum exhibits were placed on the eastern side of the apron. Although the southern end of the apron could still be used, the containers, and at least from safety and wind perspectives, have been detrimental to the Club’s use of the hangar apron. The containers are likely to remain on the apron for at least ten years while strengthening work is carried out on the Canterbury Museum.
In February 2023 the Club, in conjunction with Velocity Karts Ltd, had a display at the inaugural Game On Canterbury, a free public information sporting event. This was an ideal opportunity to showcase blokart sailing and the Club itself. The event was very well attended with a lot of interest shown in blokart sailing. About six people from the event visited Wigram after the event … read more here
Te Pae Christchurch