Gift from the heart raises $15,500 to help survivors

Kent MacLachlan says he couldn't be happier after his late wife's yacht Bubblicious was auctioned in a tsunami fundraiser.

An 8m yacht put up for auction by a Russell man to help victims of the Boxing Day tsunami has been sold for $15,500.

Kent MacLachlan, who is originally from Canada but now lives in Russell, donated his late wife Mary's yacht Bubblicious - complete with dinghy and mooring - to be sold to raise funds to aid relief efforts.

More than $27,000 was raised at the auction in the Far North town on Sunday.

Mr MacLachlan bought his wife the John Gladden-designed yacht, named after her favourite brand of bubble gum, as a Valentine's Day gift 12 years ago.

Mary McLachlan died of cancer a year ago. After the tsunami, Mr MacLachlan decided that rather than sell the boat, he wanted proceeds to go to help people whose lives had been tragically affected by the tsunami.

He said it would be a fitting way to celebrate Mary, who lived her life to the full and was always helping others.

The successful bidders for Bubblicious were a Kerikeri couple.

"I couldn't be happier with the result," Mr MacLachlan said after the auction. "The new owners are lovely people, live near here and are going to love Bubblicious."
It's understood the couple intend to live on the yacht.

When bidding ended for the vessel, its dinghy and Matauwhi Bay mooring, Mr MacLachlan was given a standing ovation by the crowd.

The auction was the final event in a series of tsunami-related fundraising events in Russell, organised by the Enterprise Russell charitable trust.

Trustee John Agace said the local community, with a population of about 800, had now raised more than $58,000.

"The community was marvellous," Mr Agace said.