The Port Chalmers identity received a service award at the Yachting New Zealand Excellence Awards in Auckland recently.
He joined the Sea Scouts as a teenager and, almost 60 years later is still an active member at the Port Chalmers Yacht Club.
The nomination described Innes as a former competitive sailor with decades of experience.
He has been a dedicated supporter of sailing in Otago and Southland. He has volunteered at club regattas, secondary school championships and national events, while serving as a club race officer, custodian and committee member at the Port Chalmers club.
Innes was also twice named administrator of the year and once yachtsperson of the year by the Otago Yachting Association.
He continues to share his time and expertise to support grassroots sailing.
"Oh, I’m over the moon, actually," Innes said when asked what the award meant to him.
"My dad was a member of the Port Chalmers Yacht Club for years and years and years. My mum was on the ladies committee and then my brother and I were in the Sea Scouts."
It has been a family passion.
Innes’ other big passion is rugby. Last year, he brought up his 500th game as manager of the Harbour Hawks division 1 team.
Team New Zealand collected the top honour at the Excellence Awards, while Mark Mulcare claimed the inaugural Peter Lester award for outstanding contribution to sailing.
Mulcare is a former blind world champion who has contributed more than 20 years of service to keelboat and club racing.
Mulcare, who lost his sight in his teens, manages New Zealand’s nationwide keelboat handicapping system. He also developed the popular Race Track database and supports clubs nationwide through his roles on Yachting New Zealand’s cruising, inshore and offshore racing committee.
