New team to lead the Yaching Journalists' Association
by Michael Ford 1 Jun 2015 08:47 BST
28 May 2015
The new YJA team: Patrick Roach (left) and Paul Gelder © YJA
The Yachting Journalists' Association has new faces at the helm after the annual general meeting held at the Royal Southampton Yacht Club on Thursday evening.
Paul Gelder, from Emsworth, former editor of Yachting Monthly, has been elected as the new chairman, with photographer Patrick Roach, from Blandford, as vice-chairman.
The move follows the completion of a three year term of office by broadcaster and author Bob Fisher, who has guided the Association on two separate occasions as chairman. He was presented with a silver salver to mark his exceptional service to the YJA.
Paul Gelder is a former Editor of Yachting Monthly (2002-2012) and is author of various books — The Loneliest Race (Adlard Coles Nautical) and Gipsy Moth IV: A Legend Sails Again (Wiley Nautical). He was also Editor of two anthologies of true-life yachting disasters – Total Loss and Sunk Without Trace – plus The Crash Test Boat, about an award-winning and ground-breaking series which subjected a cruising yacht to extreme, controlled disasters to show sailors how to survive disaster at sea.
Patrick Roach is proprietor of the Patrick Roach Picture Agency which includes a photo library of yachting, travel, and aerial photo interests. He is a former staff photographer with Yachting World
June-Marie Hamilton remains honourary secretary and Mike Ford, remains hon treasurer and editor of the Association's website.
The full Committee is Paul Gelder, Patrick Roach, Bob Fisher, Mike Ford (hon. treasurer and web-master), Kevin Goulding, June Hamilton (hon. secretary), Neil Mallard, Janet Murphy, Barry Pickthall, John Roberson, Patrick Roach, and Malcolm White.
www.yja.co.uk