Thursday, 1st March 2018
Just Say YES!
Ron Holland was the guest speaker at the recent Recreational Boating Guest Speaker night. Most people who have been around boats for any amount of time will have heard of Ron Holland. He’s been designing boats for over 50 years! It was fascinating hearing about his early life in New Zealand and how he came to be involved with sailboats. By his own admission, he wasn’t much of a student at school, and left at his earliest opportunity. He was taken on as an apprentice boatbuilder but failed to complete it. Who would have thought that someone who failed to complete a boatbuilding apprenticeship would go on to become one of the worlds most acclaimed and sought-after designers.
Apart from giving insight into some of the amazing boats and people he has been involved with over the years, his main message was if an opportunity is offered to you just say “YES”. If you have a passion for something follow it where ever it takes you. Give it a go.
He shared his experiences of being offered jobs that technically he wasn’t sure of how he would be able to achieve the goal. By being willing to give it a go, think outside the square and ask for help, from others with different skills, he was able to bring to fruition some amazing projects. Everything from racing yachts to luxury motor cruisers can be found in his portfolio.
As an added bonus at the end of Ron’s presentation, John Bertrand was on hand to lead a Question & Answer session. John’s long association with Ron gave added insight into some of his achievements. What a privilege to have been given an insight into a very extraordinary life.
After hearing his presentation I’m looking forward to reading his memoir “All The Oceans. Designing by the seat of my pants.” There are so many more stories to discover.
