Ahoy! February 2014

Contents

12

16

20 18

The Bridge

Features

Rowing

Events | Promotions

4 6 8 10

12 8th ICOYC

Commodores’ Forum 16 Clean Sweep for

Team Beau Geste 18 The Young Members Sub-Committee 20 Po Toi Challenge 21 Sail Melbourne 22 Hong Kong Backyard

Boat Build

36 37

37 38

46 F&B Food Promotions 48 Wine Page 49 Wine Form

Calendar Commodore’s Message General Manager’s Message Lunar New Year 2014 – Club Operating Hours

The 8th ICOYC Commodores’ Forum was formally opened by ICOYC President John McNeill and RHKYC Commodore Joachim Isler.

Read more about the Forum on page 12

Sailing 24 Etchells Harbour Racing

– Mid-Season Update 26 Sportsboats Class

Championships 2013/14 28 Hong Kong Dragon Championship 30 HKODA National

Championships 2013 32 Starter’s Box 34 Sailing Development | Training

Middle Island Masters Regatta Rowing Section Christmas Party Rowing Section Annual Awards Dragon Boat Season Launch

Club LINES Marine 39 40 41 42

Marine | Boatyard Ship Shop Classified Page Marine Directory

Other Sports

50 50

52

52

52

Club Directory Members, Staff and Other News and Announcements Mission to Seafarers Christmas Lunch Book-reading with David Clarke

San Fernando Thank You

44 Golf / Snooker 45 Squash

www.rhkyc.org.hk

Vice Patrons Jimmy Farquhar, Li Fook Hing, Bob Wilson; Commodore Joachim Isler; Vice Commodore Mark Whitehead; Rear Commodore Sailing Anthony Day; Rear Commodore Club Robert Stoneley; Honorary Secretary Charlie Manzoni; Honorary Treasurer George Li; Rowing Captain Alice Page. For other Club contact details please refer to the Club Directory on page 50.

Advertising or Editorial Enquiries contact RHKYC PR Department at ahoy@rhkyc.org.hk or 2239 0307 or 2239 0312 Ahoy! Design Michelle Shek MYND Design Articles for Ahoy! can be emailed to ahoy@rhkyc.org.hk or left in the Ahoy! pigeon hole at Kellett Island. The Club reserves the right to edit articles. All opinions expressed in this publication are the authors’ and do not necessarily reflect the views of the General Committee of the RHKYC. Copies of the magazine are available at Reception and to view the e-version of the magazine (and back copies) go to the RHKYC website.

MON

TUE

WED

THU

FRI

Chinese New Year Fireworks Dinner

Chinese New Year Auspicious Dishes in the Bistro

SAT Lion Dance and Chinese New Year Fireworks Fireworks Set Dinner in the Compass Room Fireworks Buffet Dinner in the Bistro 1 to 28 February Rowing – Paoay Regatta, Philippines

in the Compass Room and Bistro

The Bridge

1

Saturday 1 February

3 to 14 February

FEBRuary

Chinese New Year Auspicious Dishes in the Bistro 3 to 14 February Boston Lobster Promotion in the Compass Room Fondues in the Bistro Stews at Middle Island and Shelter Cove 3 to 28 February

Superbowl in the Bistro

3

Kellett Island Wine Fair

4

Shelter Cove Wine Fair Platu Skipper Course

5

6

7 St. Valentine’s Day Dinner in the Compass Room

10

11

12

13

18

19

20

24

Boston Lobster Promotion in the Compass Room

26 Wines and Beer of the Month

27

Sailing Course Adult HKSF Level 4 Course RYA Powerboat Level 2 Course Optimist Practice Optimist Silver Squad 420 Youth Feeder Squad

8

15

21

28

22

4

| FEBRUARY 2014 AHOY!

Adult Beginners Sailing Course Supervised Sailing Session Introduction to Small Keelboat Platu Skipper Course Optimist Silver Squad Youth Sailing Club Optimist Gold Squad

16

Supervised Sailing Session Adult HKSF Level 4 Course Introduction to Small Keelboat Platu Skipper Course Youth Sailing Club Optimist Gold Squad Rowing – Head of the Shing Mun Sweep

Fondues in the Bistro

3 to 28 February

Stews at Middle Island and Shelter Cove

Santa Cristina IGT 2012 – Tuscany, Italy Lucky Beer

9

C lass R acing D inghy R acing

Santa Cristina Pinot Grigio 2012 – Tuscany, Italy

3 to 28 February

Adult Beginners Sailing Course Supervised Sailing Session Adult HKSF Level 4 Course Platu Skipper Course RYA Powerboat Level 2 Course Youth Sailing Club Optimist Gold Squad Rowing – Head of the Shing Mun Sculling

C lass R acing Adult Beginners Sailing Course Supervised Sailing Session Optimist Practice Optimist Silver Squad Adult Feeder Squad Rowing – VRC Time Trial 1

Adult Beginners Sailing Course Adult HKSF Level 4 Course Optimist Practice Optimist Silver Squad 420 Youth Feeder Squad

Platu Skipper Course Delusional Traits – Book-reading and signing, Chart Room

24

2

C lass R e ga t t a C lass R acing D inghy R acing Adult Beginners

14

Marqués de Cáceres Wine Dinner in the Compass Room

17

SUN Rowing – Paoay Regatta, Philippines

3 to 28 February

23

Commodore’s Message Kung Hei Fat Choy to you all! I wish all members a healthy, happy and prosperous Year of the Horse.

The Bridge

Congratulations to Karl Kwok whose Beau Geste was the only Hong Kong boat, and the only one sailing under the RHKYC flag, which participated in the Rolex Sydney to Hobart Race, and which managed a very respectable 5th on line honours. Congratulations also to Club members Drew Taylor, who had yet another top ten IRC Commodore Joachim Isler overall result with 5th overall on 會長約翰 伊詩禮 Chutzpah, and members Geoff Hill and Justin Shave on Ragamuffin 100 which finished 3rd on line honours.

These are the only Club members I am aware of so if I have missed anyone I do apologise!

Congratulations also to Tam Nguyen, winner of the Dragon Class Championships held from 10 to 12 January. 恭喜發財！謹祝各位會友馬年身壯力健，笑口常開，豐衣足食！ 恭喜郭志樑的“Beau Geste”成為唯一一艘代表香港和本會參加 Rolex 悉尼至霍巴特帆船賽的船隻，並以第五名衝線。另外，亦要恭喜 Drew Taylor 的“Chutzpah”嬴得IRC總成績頭十位的第五名，Geoff Hill 和 Justin Shave 的“Ragamuffin 100”則是第三艘衝線船隻。這是我所知 道得到取得佳績的會友，如有遺漏，敬請原諒！ 亦要恭喜 Tam Nguyen，勝出了一月十至十二日舉行的 Dragon 級別錦 標賽。 今年的 JEANNEAU 級別帆船賽，將於二月八和九日移師白沙灣舉行， 截止報名日期為二月五日(星期三)。而三月一日的 Tomes 盃帆船賽，

On 8 and 9 February the sailing action will move to Shelter Cove for the JEANNEAU Class Regatta. Class boats are reminded that entries should be submitted on or before Wednesday 5 February. And on 1 March is Tomes Cup, the penultimate race of the Top Dog Trophy Series – sign-up on the day. Currently the top three boats are 3x11, Tchaikoffsky and Wanchai Belle.

Good luck to all the Sharks sailors who are taking part in the HK29er Nationals later this month. And a reminder to the Big Boats, that the Big Boat Spring Cup will be held on 22 and 23 February.

I am pleased to report that the Club is introducing a new event this year – the Hong Kong Kettle. This is an international offshore regatta for national teams racing under the IRC (Endorsed) rating rule (but not under team racing rules). The inaugural regatta will be held between Thursday 9 and Sunday 19 October and the Hong Kong Kettle will henceforth be the initial event in the Asian Circuit, forming part of China Coast Race Week.

Despite the cold weather, the Royal X Team have made a start to on-water training with the aim of holding on to the dragon boat trophies earned last season. In similar fashion the coastal rowers are also braving the elements to be ready for the second Hong Kong Coastal Rowing Championships in March. 則是 Top Dog 盃系列帆船賽的倒數第二輪賽事。暫時頭三位的賽艇為： 3x11”，“Tchaikoffsky”和“Wanchai Belle”。 各參加了本月底 HK29er 級別國際賽的 Sharks 帆船手，祝你們好運！ 順便也提醒一下 Big Boats 船員，Big Boats 春季賽會在二月廿二和廿 三日舉行。 本會今年的新賽事 — 香港寶壺賽，是一個國際離岸大賽，行認可的IRC 計分制，而非隊賽條例。開幕賽將於十月九日(星期四)和十九日(星期日) 舉行，而香港寶壺賽亦會成為中國海岸帆船賽的其中一項賽事。 儘管天氣寒冷，但 Royal X Team 已開始下水訓練，準備蟬聯今年的龍 舟 盃賽。與此同時，划艇手亦加緊練習，以迎戰在三月舉辦的第二屆香 港海岸賽艇錦標賽。

Photo: Suzy Rayment

L to R: General Manager Mark Bovaird and Commodore Joachim Isler see in the New Year at Kellett Island; Shelter Cove New Year’s Eve celebrations

6

| FEBRUARY 2014 AHOY!

General Manager’s Message

The Bridge General Manager Mark Bovaird

總經理布馬克

Kung Hei Fat Choy to all, I hope the Year of the Horse is a good one for you. On fireworks night I was honoured to dot the eyes of the lion along with our Rear Commodore Club, Rob Stoneley. We were also delighted to be visited by a group from the Mission to Seafarers, and a group of disabled students from the Red Cross Princess Alexandra School. I would like to thank all the staff who, having only just finished an incredibly busy year, once again pulled out all the stops in order to look after all the members and guests.

Thank you too to all members who responded to the Member Satisfaction Survey. The details are being analysed and will be presented to various committees during the month, and they will be summarised in the next Ahoy!. What I can share with you now though is that this year saw a 12% increase in respondees and out of those, 96% are either very satisfied 恭喜發財！祝各位馬年進步！很榮幸，我能在年初二煙花夜和副會長（會務 科）Rob Stoneley 一起為舞獅點睛，亦很高興能邀請海員之家的朋友和 香港紅十字會雅麗珊郡主學校的學生到臨本會觀賞煙花。另外，再一次感 謝所有員工，由去年一直忙到現在，依然盡心盡力，服務所有會員及來賓。 感謝所有參與了「會員滿意度調查」的會員。調查內容經分析後，會於月 內呈上各委員會，結果將刊登於下期 Ahoy!。今年的回覆率比去年提升 了12巴仙，在這群新回覆者當中，有9 6巴仙都對本會感到非常滿意或滿 意。恭喜 Anthony Root，成為是次抽獎幸運兒，嬴得大獎 iPad Mini。 本會現正成為官方認可的RYA快艇中心，提供第二級 RYA 快艇（PBL 2 課程和 救生 艇課程。PBL2 是個兩天水上課程，教 授 如 何安 全 地 駕駛

or satisfied with the Club. Congratulations to Anthony Root who was the winner of the top prize of an iPad Mini in the lucky draw.

The Club is now officially approved as an RYA Powerboat Centre offering RYA Power Boat Level 2 (PBL2) and Safety Boat courses. The PBL2 course is a two-day course on the water teaching students how to drive a RIB safely and navigate inshore waters. The Safety Boat course is also a two-day course and requires the PBL2 as a pre-requisite. Members currently on our approved RIB list and who hold a valid Hong Kong PVOL certificate will be given priority to take the courses initially, before they are available to all. The aim is to have all our Club-approved RIB drivers qualified in these certificates by the end of 2014, thus raising the standard of on-the-water safety support still further for all the Club’s races and regattas.

An updated new-look Bistro menu will come into effect in mid-February so why not come down to the Bistro and try out our new selections.

All other menus at each Clubhouse will also be updated over the next couple of months.

Finally, on a sad note I am very sorry to announce that Past Commodore Tony Scott passed away peacefully at home on 20 December in the UK after a short illness. A funeral was held on 11 January.

R I B 快 艇 和 在 靠 岸 水 域 導 航。完 成 P B L 2 的學員，可進 階 報 讀 R YA 救 生 艇 課 程。現持 有 效 的 香 港 P V O L 證 書，並在 我們 認 可的 R I B 名單上 的 會員，可優 先 報 名，參加 以 上 課 程。此 舉 是 為了使 本 會 所有 R I B 認 可船員能在 2 0 14 年底前取得 R YA 證 書，從而提 升 我們 在各個 賽 事 的 水上 安 全標 準。 Bistro 全新菜單會於二月中推出，歡迎來試試。其他菜單亦將在未來數 月陸續更新。 最後，要公佈一個傷感消息，我們的前會長 Tony Scott 在十二月二十日因 病在英國家中安詳離世。喪禮已於一月十一日舉行。

Hong Kong Kettle 9 to 19 October 2014 The inaugural Hong Kong Kettle will take place this coming October in and around Hong Kong, encompassing the around-the-cans excitement of China Coast Regatta, the tactical challenge of an A to A offshore race of not less than 225nm and a 26nm circumnavigation of Hong Kong Island.

The inspiration for this biennial event came from the great regattas of past eras, which represented the pinnacle of big boat racing – Admiral’s Cup, Kenwood Cup, Sardinia Cup and Southern Cross Cup to name but a few.

The mastermind behind it is Drew Taylor, Sailing Development Chairman, who says, “The success of the Commodores’ Cup and NYYC Invitational Regatta suggests that there is still demand from yachties to represent their club or country on an international playing ground. The regatta is aimed at owners and crew located in the Asia Pacific region and recognises the need for smaller (two-boat) teams and a mixture of Corinthians and professionals in the crew without allowing fully professional programmes. The Club is developing this event to fill a void for those in the Asia Pacific who find the Commodores’ Cup in England appealing, but difficult to enter due to logistics and cost.”

China Coast Race Week is the Club’s flagship big boat regatta, however Drew is adamant that ‘the Kettle’ augments that competition in the same way that the Admiral’s Cup added to Cowes Week. It also introduces an element of camaraderie

8

| FEBRUARY 2014 AHOY!

into the competition, as two boats compete together as a team, vying for national pride rather than individual glory.

Entries are invited from teams of two boats with endorsed IRC ratings of between 1.020 and 1.200. Individual countries can enter multiple teams and the Club will be building up a list of available charters for overseas competitors.

The Notice of Race for the Hong Kong Kettle, together with entry forms, can be found on the event website at www.hongkongkettle.com – parties wishing to register their interest should contact Alex Johnston in the Sailing Office by email alex.johnston@rhkyc.org.hk or phone 2239 0362.

Wishing everyone a happy and prosperous Chinese New Year of the Horse! Kung Hei Fat Choy!

The Bridge

Lunar New Year 2014 – Club Operating Hours Thursday

30

January The Day Preceding Lunar New Year

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

Monday

January Lunar New Year’s Day

February The Second Day of the Lunar New Year Lion Dance and Fireworks

February The Third Day of the Lunar New Year

February Public Holiday

31

1

2

3

CLUBHOUSE OPERATING HOURS Reception and Movie Library

Open 0800hrs-1800hrs

Closed

Open 1400hrs-2200hrs

Closed

Open 0800hrs-2200hrs

Compass Room

Open for Lunch Closed at 1500hrs

Closed

Set Dinner 1800hrs-2230hrs

Closed

Open 1200hrs-2230hrs

Bistro & Snooker

Open for Lunch Closed at 1500hrs

Closed

Closed

Open 0700hrs-2300hrs Bistro opens early for Superbowl

Main Bar

Manned by staff up to 1800hrs and then by members up to 0100hrs

Chart Room

(Reservations are required)

Buffet Dinner(s)

Open 0800hrs-0100hrs

1st seating 1800hrs-2000hrs 2nd seating 2045hrs-2245hrs (Reservations are required)

Open 0800hrs-0100hrs (limited menu available)

Open 0800hrs-0000hrs

(limited menu available)

Lawn Catering 1800hrs-2030hrs

(limited menu available)

Open 0800hrs-0000hrs

Closed at 1800hrs

Open

Open

Open

Open

Bowling Alley

Closed at 1800hrs

Closed

Closed

Closed

Open 1100hrs-2230hrs

Waterside Play Area & Food Service

Play Area Open No F&B Service

Play Area Open No F&B Service

Play Area Open No F&B Service

Play Area Open No F&B Service

Open 1200hrs-2100hrs

Squash & Gym

Open

Open

Open

Open

Open

Ship Shop

Open from 0900hrs-1500hrs

Closed

Closed

Closed

Open 1100hrs-1500hrs

Middle Island

Closed

Closed

Closed

Open 0800hrs-2100hrs

Open 0800hrs-2200hrs

Shelter Cove

Closed at 1800hrs

Manned by members

Manned by members

Open 1200hrs-2000hrs

Open 0800hrs-2200hrs

MARINE & BOAT YARD OPER ATION HOURS

10

KI Sampan Service

0800hrs-1900hrs

0700hrs-1700hrs

1000hrs-1700hrs

1000hrs-1700hrs

0800hrs-2100hrs

MI Sampan Service

1100hrs-1700hrs

0800hrs-1700hrs

1100hrs-1700hrs

0800hrs-2130hrs

0730hrs-2230hrs

MI Rescue Boat Service

1100hrs-1700hrs

SC Sampan Service

0900hrs-1800hrs

1100hrs-1700hrs

0800hrs-2030hrs

Crane and Boatboy Service

0900hrs-1700hrs

| FEBRUARY 2014 AHOY!

NO RESCUE BOAT SERVICE 1100hrs-1700hrs

1100hrs-1700hrs

1100hrs-1700hrs

No crane and boatboy service. If you wish to use your boat during this period you are required IN ADVANCE to inform staff/boatboys to put your boat in the water.

0900hrs-1700hrs

8 ICOYC th

Feature | 8th ICOYC Commodores’ Forum Officiating Guests, Delegates and partners gather for the Opening Ceremony

Attended by delegates from 29 yacht clubs spanning 18 countries, this latest edition of the ICOYC Commodores’ Forum was by far the largest ever hosted and feedback indicates that it was a very successful event on all fronts. The majority of delegates were flag officers (past and present), as well as other club stakeholders including 12 club managers.

he forum was held over five days between Monday 11 and Friday 15 November, but delegates and their partners were encouraged to ‘arrive early and stay later’, and many did to enjoy a day sail to Po Toi on 8 November, participating in the Tommy Bahama Around the Island Race on 10 November and rounding off their visit with class racing on Saturday 16 November followed off by the Regatta Ball.

Thank you to all of our members who kindly hosted delegates on their boats.

The forum was formally opened with a Welcome

12

| FEBRUARY 2014 AHOY!

Ceremony including a Flag Raising Ceremony which also featured the marching band from the Hong Kong Sea School, as well as an impressive lion dance. The ceremony was attended by Director of Marine Francis Liu, Hong Kong Sailing Federation Vice President Warwick Downes, and the Harbourfront Commission’s Chairman for Core Group Public Engagement, Vincent Ng. As with previous years, the objective of the forum was for top clubs around the globe to share discussions on common issues. The

Forum continues to be clearly unique in that it brings together a very select group who have very much a collaborative attitude and seek to assist, educate, understand and further their passion for boating, with one thing in mind – to take away what they learn from each other to benefit their respective clubs. The culture and feel of the forum reflected this objective.

The Forum also included the Commodores’ Forum Regatta and we are pleased to report that Commodore Joachim Isler led our team to victory!

Commodores’ Forum Feature | 8th ICOYC Commodores’ Forum

Clubs in Attendance Aberdeen Boat Club Annapolis Yacht Club Bruxelles Royal Yacht Club Eastern Yacht Club Gstaad Yacht Club Hebe Haven Yacht Club Manila Yacht Club Norddeutscher Regatta Verein Nylandska Jaktklubben Republic of Singapore Yacht Club Royal Danish Yacht Club Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club Royal Malta Yacht Club Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron Royal Norwegian Yacht Club Royal Perth Yacht Club Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron Royal Southern Yacht Club Royal Swedish Yacht Club Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron Royal Vancouver Yacht Club Royal Varuna Yacht Club San Diego Yacht Club Sandringham Yacht Club Seattle Yacht Club St. Francis Yacht Club Subic Bay Yacht Club Verein Seglerhaus am Wannsee

The six forum sessions were: • Ways to recruit, develop and retain young members and top sailors • Sponsorship and long-term finance • Club management – the ‘Y’ generation • Ways to develop and sustain race support – effective race management • Dealings with community and Government • Succession planning and leadership training The Club provided all six moderators who also gave the RHKYC perspective on each topic.

We would like to take this opportunity to give our moderators our thanks – Anthony Day, Drew Taylor, Mark Bovaird, Charlie Manzoni, Mark Whitehead and Joachim Isler. Apart from the moderators’ presentations, we had a further 27 presenters who were chosen based on their expertise and we endeavoured

to ensure that we had the four corners of the globe represented in each of the six sessions.

Session 1 Ways to Recruit, Develop and Retain Young Members and Top Sailors Moderator – Anthony Day Presenters here included youth sailors from the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club (Florrie Manzoni and Sofia Marie Mascia), Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club (Luke Payne) and Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron (Paige Cooke). What better way to hear what would keep the youth engaged than to hear it from the ‘horses’ mouths’ as it were? We also heard from the Hong Kong Sailing Federation’s Craig Cobbin as well as Paul Heineken, a Director of the St. Francis Sailing Federation and father of dynamic duo, Johnny and Erika Heineken, who at the time of the forum were

both shortlisted for the 2013 ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year Awards, so it’s safe to say he knows a thing or two about encouraging young athletes to develop to their full potential! In essence, make it fun and competitive, have a pathway for beginners to follow in various fleets of one design boats, and fast is more fun.

Session 2 Sponsorship and Long Term Finance Moderator – Drew Taylor This session kicked off with an exchange between our own Corporate and International Partnerships Manager, Torrey Dorsey, and one of our sponsors – Skandia, represented

by Michael Leeson. This offered delegates a fantastic insight as to what a club should look for in finding and securing sponsors and what FEBRUARY 2014 AHOY! |

13

photo: Ambrose Lo

Feature | 8th ICOYC Commodores’ Forum sponsors are looking for in return. We then heard from Bill Torgerson, Past Commodore, Annapolis Yacht Club, on long-term financing.

A range of issues was discussed here including ‘staying in touch with the members’ – survey, engage and communicate with the membership about long-term plans and consult them along the way. Sandringham Yacht Club’s Commodore, Chris Carlile, then presented on long-term financing. He spoke about the evolution of SYC over the past 20 years or so and provided a comprehensive overview of a suggested pathway for clubs to follow in regards to long term financing of infrastructure developments.

Session 3 Club Management – the ‘Y’ Generation Moderator – Mark Bovaird This session was delivered by club managers and was all about the changing nature of dealing with ‘Gen Y’ employees and the spin-

off effect this is having on other staff, both good and bad. The general consensus was times are changing and we should be considering doing things a little differently. Presenters here were from Sandringham Yacht Club, Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron, Royal Perth Yacht Club and Royal Vancouver Yacht Club. It looks a little heavy on the Australia side but at the last minute, one of the managers coming in from the USA had to cancel and the manager from Royal Queensland kindly stepped into the hot seat. There was significant discussion about engaging Gen Y who are ambitious, looking for quick advancement and may not view traditional yacht clubs as progressive employers, but the general consensus was that whilst Gen Y have their demands, yacht clubs are stable employers, but they must stay true to good HR practices and develop their front and back-of-house facilities to be competitive with other industries.

Session 4 Ways to Develop and Sustain Race Support – Effective Race Management Moderator – Charlie Manzoni Royal Freshwater Bay’s Vice Commodore, Kate Mitchell, was the first presenter and she began by introducing delegates to RFBYC’s sailing calendar and then explaining what their club does to recruit their race management team, and once recruited, how they train them and just as importantly, keep them. The other presenters followed suit (San Diego Yacht Club’s Jerelyn Biehl, Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron’s Commodore Andy Anderson and Royal Malta Yacht Club’s Commodore Godwin Zammit), and it was very interesting to see what each club does and how many of them have a lot of non-members volunteering to assist with race duty!

Above left to right: L to R – Commodore Joachim Isler, Director of Marine Francis Liu and Past Commodore Ambrose Lo; L to R – Rear Commodore Club Robert Stoneley and the Harbourfront Commission’s Chairman for Core Group Public Engagement, Vincent Ng; Commodore Joachim Isler is presented with a framed ICOYC burgee from ICOYC President John McNeill. The inscription reads ‘with thanks to the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club for a most successful 2013 Commodores’ Forum’

14

| FEBRUARY 2014 AHOY!

presenters and for her to share her expertise and experience in this field gained in many countries over the years.

Session 6 Succession Planning and Leadership Training Moderator – Joachim Isler In the last session we heard from Royal Norwegian Yacht Club Commodore Jorgen Stang Heffermehl, Royal Southern Yacht Club Past Commodore Mark Inkster, St. Francis Yacht Club Staff Commodore John McNeill and Eastern Yacht Club Past Commodore Phil Smith and each of them shared very useful information as to what their clubs do in this area including position descriptions for flag officers and members of the General Committee, terms of reference for all committees, recruitment mechanism, board governance kits and so forth. Identifying the right candidates and building their experience, plus having a clear progressive path and duration of commitment, were seen as key features for good succession planning.

Conclusion The ICOYC Forum was excellent and each session provided a wealth of takeaways that will be shared by the various clubs with their committees.

From top: Torrey’s breakout session on sponsorship proved to be very popular!; Commodores’ Forum Regatta in the Harbour; Commodore Joachim Isler receives the Commodores’ Forum Regatta trophy from ICOYC President John McNeill. Also pictured are Race Officer Sofia Mascia and some of Joachim’s crew, Inge Strompf-Jepsen and Walder Ip. The other crew members were Warwick Downes and Anthony Day.

Session 5 Dealings with Community and Government Moderator – Mark Whitehead Each of the presenters had some great examples of what their club does to engage the community. We heard from Hebe Haven Yacht Club Commodore Mark Ashton, Royal

Sydney Yacht Squadron Commodore Malcolm Levy, Seattle Yacht Club Commodore Chris Warner, Royal Danish Yacht Club Managing Director Anders Kristensen and Finland’s Nylandska Jaktklubben Commodore Claes Tallberg. We were also very fortunate to have Club member Glynis Green on the panel of

We would like to take this opportunity to thank the Forum Working Group who worked for over a year to deliver an exceptional Forum of which the Club can be proud. Thank you to Ambrose Lo, Joachim Isler, Mark Whitehead, Inge Strompf-Jepsen, Mark Bovaird, Tracy Leung and Koko Mueller. Thank you also to Michelle Lo for her part in the Partners’ Programme that kept many spouses happily occupied whilst husbands and wives were in discussion sessions and to Wing Soo and Katy Bovaird for their assistance here too.

However a huge thank you is also due to all the staff who worked behind the scenes to make it the success it was, during what was without a doubt the busiest period the Club has experienced.

The 9th ICOYC Commodores’ Forum will be hosted by Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron in Auckland from 17 to 20 February 2015.

FEBRUARY 2014 AHOY! |

15

Feature | 8th ICOYC Commodores’ Forum

Each of the presenters had some great examples as to how to engage the community including annual community dinners, charity projects, close liaison with governments and adopting a proactive approach to discussing club developments with local residents.

Engaging stakeholders and constantly communicating is key.

Feature | Clean Sweep for Team Beau Geste

Clean Sweep for Team Beau Geste W ords: G avin Brady | Photos: crew of Team Beau Geste

Above: Team Beau Geste TP52 Southern Cross Cup Sydney Harbour RSYS 11-13; Below: Team Beau Geste KCK Gavin RPAYC 12-13

he 2013 TP52 Southern Cross Cup marked the first time Team Beau Geste competed in a four-stage series that counts all overall results from three different locations in Australia. A well thought-out plan on how to win the series is a must. The following issues were focused on: • Having a reliable yacht that could finish every race.

• Staying out of the protest room and if it was unavoidable, taking the low risk option with the 20% penalty.

• Modifying the yacht for each event.

The first two stages in Melbourne (8 to 10 February, and 26 to 28 April, hosted by Sandringham Yacht Club) saw light, building sea breezes and choppy waves. Team Beau Geste prefers light winds and is very fast downwind so our goal was to win the races early in the day and finish on the top three when the wind rose above 15kts.

16

| FEBRUARY 2014 AHOY!

Everything went according to plan, we won the light races and our speed downwind was untouchable.

Our competitors were onto us, however, and for the second stage they made changes. Life was not so easy for us this time. They were as fast as Team Beau Geste and sailing very well.

All the boats seemed to be working together, making sure Team Beau Geste did not build a

large lead in the series. Anyone would tack on us when they had a chance. We did not take this the wrong way because we would have done the same thing in their position!

This event got blown apart on the second day when a southerly front rolled in with 25kts of wind. The first test of the equipment came into play. Team Beau Geste was one of the only boats to make it through the day, finishing all the races. With other boats adding DNFs on the score card, we had a big point advantage.

The last day of racing was also above 20kts so there was still plenty of work to be done. We came out thinking this would be one of the defining days in the series and we pushed hard to keep the gap on the other boats. Backing off or sailing more conservatively because of our lead, to me, is not a good strategy. The racing on the last day was tight but our downwind speed was unmatched in the waves, allowing us to extend our lead to 19 points in the series.

We decided to make a mode change and not get caught sleeping. You cannot beat acceleration on a short course with lots of manoeuvres. The best option to give us this was a deeper keel fin. We dropped the bulb 200mm and shaved 200kg off. Since this would create more drag, we offset the change by keeping a small rudder. The rudder on Team Beau Geste is the smallest ever built for a TP52 and gives the boat great performance under 12kts. Although it is hard to control in breeze, we decided to stick with it.

The exciting thing about our sport is no matter how much planning you do, Mother Nature will always have the last say. The first race in Sydney saw 25 to 30kts. Karl and our team found out just how small the rudder was as we lost control and gave the passengers on the Manly Ferry a close-up look at the bottom of Team Beau Geste while broaching at 27kts of boat speed!

10kts we have too much righting moment. The boat was a bit slow unless we were heeling over. Some very bad starts by me did not help as we had to work from the back of the fleet all day. This flat water was really advantageous to the older boats and the score card after Day 1 had the older boats leading the event, with a different winner in every race.

Weather for the second day was going to be a big deal with 20+kts from the south and an offshore race course in waves. This was the first time we had seen our deeper keel working in big waves. Shogun would be hard to beat in these conditions, but we felt we would survive with the deep keel.

We came off the line to leeward of the fleet with Shogun at the windward end so this was going to be a drag race. We felt we had an edge as we hit the big waves but not enough to get around them. The tacking duel was just getting started with Shogun, with them having a slight advantage. Then there was a loud bang and their mast broke at the the bottom spreaders.

It was lucky that no boat was to leeward of them at the time. This was a disappointing way to end the series for Rob Hanna and his team.

They are great competitors and always put up a real fight and this was going to be a great match race.

Pointwise, the TP52 Southern Cross Cup was going to Hong Kong but we still had the chance for a clean sweep of the series. Day 3 saw us going back into the flat water in Pittwater, giving the older boats (that were just two points back) a real chance of denying us the chance of the sweep.

I did not help our cause by being over the start line in Race 1 and we once again found ourselves in the back row up the first leg.

We were lucky when the whole fleet arrived together at the top mark and slowed down, allowing us to get back into the race.

We did not dominate the last day but our previous two wins and a third allowed us to win the event and complete the mission.

Team Beau Geste Ex Matador 2009 and Ex Bribon 2011 Built by King Marine, Valencia, Spain in 2009 Designed by Jodel / Vrolijk and Co.

It was not just Team Beau Geste that was having issues. Yachts were going down like flies and heading back to the dock. The upper wind limit for racing was set at 25kts for the series, but by the end we had over 30kts as we started the second race. Not sure if the wind gear was not working on the Race Committee boat, but we had to just hang tough and finish the race no matter what the wind speed was. As it turned out we managed to get a win on the second race and end the day tied with Shogun which was showing amazing speed in those conditions. It was a relief to get through the day with the mast and sails in working order.

The remaining races were in typical Sydney conditions with clear blue sky and building sea breezes. Our mode change was working perfectly as we could put the bow down upwind and sail much faster than the other boats. We won the 3rd Stage and the series was almost in the bag. Having just watched the America’s Cup, we thought we should not be buying the champagne just yet.

Pittwater, the location of the final event, usually has flat water and light winds. On Day 1, we found a weakness in our armour. In under

From top: Prizegiving at RPAYC for the TP52 Southern Cross Cup officiated by The Hon Bronwyn Bishop MP, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Parliament of Australia; Team Beau Geste TP52 Round 4 Crew 12-13 FEBRUARY 2014 AHOY! |

17

Feature | Clean Sweep for Team Beau Geste

The series then moved north. We had to think about our plan for stage 3 (in Sydney Harbour, 22 to 24 November, hosted by Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron) and stage 4 (in Pittwater from 13 to 15 December, hosted by Royal Prince Albert Yacht Club). Did we do nothing and rely on our 19 points or make a mode change to the boat for the conditions in Sydney Harbour and Pittwater? We knew Sydney and Pittwater were mostly flat water venues on a very short race course with many laps.

Feature | The Young Members Sub-Committee

The Young Members Sub-Committee W ords: K ate H odson, Chairperson, Y MS C | P hoto : BEN KEL LY

Paul Leese of Redeye receiving the Sam Kelly Cup for 1st place

As we enter into the year 2014, the YMSC looks back at another successful year with sailing events, club quizzes and the Hot Pink Pool Party under its belt and with more initiatives in the planning.

or those who aren’t familiar with the role of the YMSC, this is a committee appointed to represent and support young members’ participation in the Club, particularly sailing and rowing activities. The YMSC provides a contact / liaison point for young members, including those new to or considering joining the Club, and it liaises with other Club committees to promote the interests of young members so that they are given a voice in the management and future of the Club. The YMSC has representatives sitting on ClubCom as well as the Membership Matters Sub-Committee and this shows the importance the Club’s governing bodies have placed on ensuring that the Club is attractive to young persons and that it is reaching its full potential in encouraging participation by this age group in the Club and its key sports.

The term ‘young member’ can be a little misleading, but in a city where the ‘old’ remain forever young (particularly, it is arguable, in the case of the members of the Club!), it should not be surprising that this in fact covers quite a wide age group, ranging from those aged 18 to 35 years.

The YMSC has been going for about three years now and in that time it has designed two signature events (its main sailing event, the Po

18

| FEBRUARY 2014 AHOY!

Toi Challenge and its social event, the Hot Pink Pool Party), set up a Facebook page, organised regular Club quizzes (open to all members of the Club and their guests), arranged casual drinks for young members on the first Thursday of every month and started liaising more closely with other committees to work with them to raise the profile of, and participation in, Club events. For example, helping out with the Hong Kong University Sailing Club Taster Session (featured in last month’s Ahoy!) as well as using its contact base to reach out for volunteers for Club rowing and sailing events. The aim for next year is to see that participation increase.

Top of the agenda this month is working with the Middle Island SubCommittee to bring back the Middle Island Triathlon as well as starting up a ‘crew list’ yahoo address that owners and class secretaries can tap into when they are short of crew. A by-product of the events we have been running is that we have a list of young persons keen to crew but with limited access to boats. With a yahoo group email address we hope to help link up these people with owners looking for crew, whether it is last minute in respect of a particular race or on an on-going basis. More details on this to follow.

Feature | Po Toi Challenge

Po Toi Challenge W ords: K ate H odson, Chairperson, Y MS C | PH OTO S: Vicki L ee

n 1 December, the YMSC held its fourth Po Toi Challenge. A race that relies on the generosity of Hong Kong boat owners, to enter their yachts and agree to take a certain number of ‘newbie’ crew allocated to them by the YMSC. Despite a number of boats being out of action after the Around the Island Race and even more away for the King’s Cup, we had a great turnout with nine boats entering on the day and about 40 or so new crew being placed on boats. Thanks to Gaston Chan, Race Officer for the day, for setting a perfect course length for the light conditions. Redeye was privileged to have Ben Kelly, the brother of the late Sam Kelly, on board and even more privileged to receive the Sam Kelly Cup from him after gaining first place on HKPN. Ambush came second to win the Calamari Cup. Tipsy Easy was awarded (with rum) for taking the

20

| FEBRUARY 2014 AHOY!

Feature | Po Toi Challenge

most newbies and Dearg Doom nominated Flora Scott as its best newbie. Gaston was quick to award Avant Garde the Race Officer’s prize; an oar to help them get to the start line on time.

As ever, the lunch and prizegiving at Po Toi was an upbeat and jolly affair, with the old and new (in terms of experience and age) mixing together and enjoying the best day out Hong Kong can offer – a day on the water!

For updates on future events please keep an eye on our Facebook page (Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club – Young Members) and on the Club website.

W ords: Ting Chan, SENIO R DIN GH Y Instructor

The ISAF World Cup – Sail Melbourne was held this past December and whilst my crewmate Fung Tat Choi and I had every intention of chartering a Nacra 17 in order to get more experience in racing that class, we were unable to find a boat and ended up entering a multihull after we managed to charter a Formula 16 Viper.

t was a sunny day when we arrived in Melbourne only the day before the race but by the next day it was turning cold and the sea in Port Philip Bay was choppy and rough. It was ‘straight into the deep-end’ as far as learning curves go as we had never sailed a Formula 16 Viper before. We came 4th in the first of 12 races (against five other teams, all Australian).

Unluckily our tack line snapped soon after the first race and we were DNF for both Race 2 and Race 3 and DNC for Race 4.

Races 5, 6 and 7 saw us near the bottom of the class but finally, after two days, we realised where we were going wrong after watching the others in the class. We applied a smaller tension on the diamond and, using the right tension rig for the boat, we raced very well in the last races with three firsts and two seconds finally netting us third overall in the Multihull class.

Ting Chan with Riley McDonald who came first place in the Multihull class

It is always a good experience to race in different sea conditions than we are used to and to compete with sailors from other countries. We are now planning our training scheme and racing schedule for next year.

FEBRUARY 2014 AHOY! |

21

Feature | Sail Melbourne

Sail Melbourne

Hong Kong Backyard Boat Build – Building a Somes Sound 12½ Feature | Hong Kong Backyard Boat Build

W ords: Peter Forsythe | P hotos: Peter Forsythe and Koko Mueller

As we were preparing Gabrielle for her ‘soft launch’ on 6 January I was approached by the Club’s PR & Communications Manager Koko Mueller who came to see what we were up to. I explained that I had built her by hand in my backyard in Discovery Bay and she asked what had inspired me to take on the project to which I replied, “Well, I was sick of making guitars.” “I see an Ahoy! article in your future,” she said and so here we are.

few years back, I set up a workshop in our basement, bought some plans and set about building electric guitars for our guitarplaying son John. It was fun and had the added advantage that when asked, “And what do you do?”, I could answer, “I’m a Luthier”, instead of “I’m retired”.

Three guitars were enough; after all I don’t play the guitar and John by now had plenty.

So I bought some model boat kits. First off a

22

| FEBRUARY 2014 AHOY!

¼” scale 18th Century Longboat. This is a fine vessel, carvel-built, with balsa wood planking.

As I worked the fine balsa planks with fat fingers, I thought, “It must be easier to build a full-scale boat”. (Hint: it’s not.)

First up I considered the Longboat that I had modelled. (Hint: madness.) I found some plans from the British Maritime Museum at which point sanity set in: there was no way I could make this 24-footer in our house. Too

big and too complex. Next consideration was a Couta boat. This is a wonderful early 20 th Century Australian boat. A gaff-rigged sloop, with a huge main, she was designed to fish for barracouta out of Melbourne, hence the name.

They are seaworthy and fast, as the first boat back to port got the best prices. Today there’s a substantial fleet racing out of Melbourne.

But, again, sanity set in. These boats are 25 -30’ LOA and need a substantial keel which I thought would not be easy to find in Hong Kong. (Hint: I was right.)

Finally I found a pretty design online: the Somes Sound 12½, designed by John Brooks in Maine, USA (see http://bit.ly/JIZEtV). John had taken a Herreshoff design of 1902, a carvel-built picnic boat, and converted it to lapstrake construction. It came with full scale plans (FSP), so I wouldn’t have to do any lofting – the process of converting scale plans to FSPs, traditionally done in lofts (hence the name).

The advantage of lapstrake (aka ‘Clinker’) over carvel-build is clear for the first-timer. Carvelbuild planks must be cut to fine tolerances as they abut. In lapstrake construction, one strake fits over the other, so there’s more tolerance.

Mistakes can be more easily hidden…

Hong Kong moved most of its shipbuilding into China many years ago, so there is little available by way of marine woods. Still, I managed to find sources or equivalent local woods.

For the planking I used marine ply from Mongkok. For the keel and transom I found a yard in Yuen Long that sells ‘batu’ (chaomu), sourced from China. They also supplied ‘ironwood’ (tiemu) and Douglas Fir (shamu), which I used for the deck and floorboards. For the stem I used laminated ‘whitewood’ (baimu), widely used in furniture making, though the internet suggested epoxy would inhibit rot.

First up was to build the jig, out of pine, on which to build the boat upside-down. The moulds were cut from ½” ply. The keelson and keel used batu.

Then the planking, from scarfed marine ply.

There are various methods of scarfing. The quickest and cleanest I found was online, using a scarfing jig and circular saw to make the angled cuts glued with epoxy putty. We managed to do all the scarfing in one afternoon.

Oh, how could I forget: making the lead keel….

The keel is 265kg of lead, shaped in a wooden mould, which we built on the patio. Scrap lead is hard to find here as most is shipped straight to China. And it’s hard to find anyone willing to melt and pour it. I considered doing that at the Club and even at my house. Then Frank Pong said he knew of a Mr Kwong in Tai Kok Tsui, who had scrap lead and could melt it.

It turns out that all Mr Kwong had for the job was a huge wok and gas canisters, like the ones used for hotpot. Seems that is all he needed... he melted his own scrap lead into the wok, stirring constantly with a soup ladle (‘Keel Foo Yong’?). Amazingly it got done; the lead poured to a final weight of 263.99kg compared with 265kg design weight. “That’ll do, pig,” as Farmer Hoggett says to Babe.

The mast and boom, second-hand from a

Laser, were kindly donated by the Club. I know it should be wood, but my wife Jing had just about had it with the house being used as a boatyard – and so had I, to be frank. Jing wanted her house back.

And so to the soft launch, on 6 January, where I bumped into Koko and hence this article. The result of the launch: she sits straight and close to the design waterline. One small leak will be fixed with the magic of epoxy.

I doubt many or any readers plan their own wooden boat-build here, but if you do please feel free to contact me. And look at my blog of the build which has more detail: (http:// mywoodboat.blogspot.hk). Not that I’m any sort of expert, mind; I’m all too well aware of the imperfections of Gabrielle.

I would rather like to build another Lapstrake boat, but I fear for our marriage if I did so.

Wishing everyone Fair Winds and Happy New Year of the Horse! (Horses… now there’s an idea…)

Thanks Throughout the build our helper Arlene Villante was invaluable. She loved the work and became an expert at epoxy, band sawing and drilling. She is in the workshop as I write, building a picket fence for our yard. Noel Gabutin looks after our X-55, Xena, and helped on Gabrielle, especially scarfing, fitting the lead keel, sanding and repainting. As I write, he’s chasing down the one (and only one, I hope) small leak we discovered at the ‘soft launch’. Thanks also to the Club’s Roger Eastham and Simon Pickering for the mast and boom, for advice and for putting up with the boat sitting on the hardstanding for so long.

The spiling process involves measuring odd, curvaceous plank shapes so that they fit the moulds, with curves in three dimensions. John Brooks says of spiling: “Aaak! Spiling. A word that furrows the brows and wrenches the innards of many an aspiring boatbuilder.” Certainly it furrowed my own brow. I didn’t fully figure it out until the third plank (of nine). For the first three I used patterns from stiff cardboard. This worked OK, but just. The last planks did not quite land on the moulds, so she is slightly beamier than the plans. Mea culpa.

Before turning her over, there’s the centreboard trunk to build, cut a hole in the keel (gulp!) to fit it, and then add deadwood to the aft of the keel.

After turning over in our backyard, the boat was put on a cradle on the lawn for finishing off the breasthook, decks, sheer clamps, seats, floorboards, chainplates and so on.

Finally ready to move the boat to the Boatyard to fit the lead ballast-keel, mast, boom, rigging, etc.

The move involved a group of friends – on the promise of pizza and beer – coming round to FEBRUARY 2014 AHOY! |

23

Feature | Hong Kong Backyard Boat Build

When I got the FSPs and John Brooks’ excellent book (How to Build Glued-Lapstrake Wooden Boats), I set about finding the wood.

do the ‘boat over the wall’ trick, across the park and over to the waiting truck with handy crane to lift her up and off to the Club.

Etchells Harbour Racing – Mid-Season Update

W ords: L aurence Mead | Photos: C olin Smith

Sailing aturday afternoon harbour racing continues to be popular and well supported by the Etchells fleet with most weekends seeing 15 boats or more making the start line. Being the Etchells class, it’s always a very competitive start line too – just the way the fleet likes it!

Half a dozen boats have won races this season but perhaps most noticeable has been the swing to new boats heading up the fleet. Once upon a time, there was a theory that an old boat was as fast, or maybe even faster, than a new one but with 75% of the races being won by the newer boats maybe that trend has ended? In fact, 65% of the harbour races have been won by one of two boats; both built

by David Heritage UK and both imported into Hong Kong only this season.

24

| FEBRUARY 2014 AHOY!

Greg Kearns took the bull by the horns in the opening races of the year, easily winning the Cirrus Series in his newly acquired boat No Name HKG 1364. Kearns has put together a great campaign over the last two years to get to the front of the Etchells fleet, first buying an old boat in Hong Kong, training up a crew and learning the boat before buying a newer model and blitzing the fleet in some of these early races. Sailing with Frank Van Kempen and Ronan Collins is always fast.

They favour the pin-end of the start and the left-hand corner as well….! Tactically it has been noticeable this year that whereas once upon a time ‘go right’ would be a default in the harbour (and would occasionally result in losing out to boats in the left), these days

it seems the default is to go left in any sort of flood tide and only occasionally does the right pay.

Not long after Kearn’s boat arrived, a further two new boats rolled out of their containers in the boatyard. Jamie McWilliam is back in the fleet with AUS 1345, although due to other commitments he has only managed two quick sails in his new steed so far, but one of these included wiping the floor in the Around the Island Race. Laurence Mead has also recently brought his UK boat GBR1339 out to Hong Kong. Mead went on to win the next two harbour series – Appalachian Series and Farquhar Series. Laurence Mead, Guy Brearey and David Mead also have the most race wins so far in the season.

Most improved probably goes to The Battler HKG 903 with Mark Jukes and Michael Coates who have shown some great speed both in the harbour and at the Class Champs at Lamma. With new sails, this is a team who

will surely win a race this season as well.

Another team who joined the first place ‘buy the beer for the boys’ group was Richard Kendal and Sue Godfrey in Capoeira HKG 1046 who won the 4th race of the Farquhar series after getting the downwind tactics spot on. Four boats were nose to tail at the last windward mark and Cameron Ferguson, who was calling tactics for 1046, got it right by hugging the airport runway on the last run (or do we call it the cruise terminal side now?) and with more pressure they sailed away to an easy win.

Finally there can’t be a report about the Hong Kong Etchells without reference to the Cowbuoy Trophy, which hasn’t so far got a clear leader for this season. No doubt one will make an appearance before the season is too much older! This year the consistent theme has been the ‘put-upon’, rather than the ‘wrong do-ers’ with Ian Fleming, Richard Nieto and their crew in Incoming HKG 1047 seemingly able to drag the offenders to them despite their best efforts to keep clear! Jamie McWilliam and Laurence Mead both did turns after port and starboard incidents with 1047 (who were blameless in both cases!) but they

have shown good speed too once they get a bit of clear air and people stop blocking their way.

Where does the fleet need to improve?

Probably most of the fleet is over-trimming sails, especially off the start line, and are also seeking to point too high especially in light and fluky winds. Despite its reputation as a high pointing design, an Etchells still needs to be given its legs and a bit more speed and a bit more twist is often the difference between the front and middle of the fleet. Downwind the same applies, most of the front boats will sail closer to the wind to keep the speed on, whereas further back a slow running, pole back, set-up often seems to be the order of the day and unless the boat is fully at hull speed then this always hurts long-term.

Much more to come this season! If you’re not already part of the fleet but have thought of racing in the class, let Ronan Collins know and he can almost always get you out with a boat as a taster on the harbour – there are often boats wanting crew come Saturday morning. Contact etchells@rhkyc.org.hk for more information.

FEBRUARY 2014 AHOY! |

25

Sailing

Within the fleet there are some great battles going on. The grand master James Farquhar, 3x11 HKG 787, has won races with his trusty team of Warwick Downes and Andy Lam while Simon Watson, Matt Norton and Marty Kaye in Easy Tiger HKG 887 are still up there in the Etchells Ladder (all races in the season to count) and the Skip Etchells Trophy (best 60% of the season to count) after their win in the Autumn Regatta back in September. Mark Thornburrow is an irregular competitor in the local fleet with Dream On HKG 1269, but he had a win during the Farquhar Series and can usually be found in the first three. Nick Burns in Gunga Din HKG 1243 (who has had some crew changes this year) was in the top three mid-season before his international travels took him away from the fleet, but hopefully only for a short spell. He then announced his return in spectacular fashion with two bullets in the first weekend of January when the fleet had two races in a light but warm northerly breeze.

Sailing

Sportsboats Class Championships 2013/14 W ords: S am L e vine | R ace Photos: J O E Y LIAO | P rizegiving photos: Jade B ourne

The Championships were held over consecutive Saturdays 30 November and 6 December. The ten boats that took part included a good mix of five experienced Magic 25 campaigners and new blood joining the fleet in the form of 2 new J/70s Tuco and Dazibao, Magic 25s Blue Moon and Carter and Jim Daly’s HHYC-based GP-26 Stingray.

Race Day 1 Saturday 30 November dawned as a beautiful day, albeit one forecast to deliver modest winds. With a forecast of 8kts dropping

26

| FEBRUARY 2014 AHOY!

away to much less by late afternoon, Race Officer Mark Thornburrow and Sportsboats leadership decided to host all races inside

Port Shelter to get them in before the wind was forecast to die.

Race 1 saw Frank van Kempen’s Fly By Wire lead off the line and then extend their lead throughout to comfortably get the first bullet.

Race 2 saw a much more competitive start with several boats pushing their luck to get away faster. A second gun sounded to signal that someone was OCS, but many boats looked accusingly at each other and then

Races 3 and 4 saw closer racing. In lighter breezes Black Magic increasingly found their speed and picked up two good wins. This meant that at the end of Day 1 both Fly By Wire and Black Magic had two wins and a second, assuming a discard. Sam Levine’s Phoenix was third after consistent results and being one of the few boats to be on the correct side of the start line in race 2!

Race 6 started in 10kts of breeze, and in the more consistent winds all boats got away well, which led to some very close racing. The lead changed about five times up the short first beat, and four boats (Merlin, Phoenix, Fly By Wire and Black Magic) rounded the top mark nose to tail. During the next couple of legs the race developed into a match race between Merlin and Fly By Wire, with Steve Bourne and crew on Merlin prevailing by just one second.

Black Magic crossed in third, closely followed

by Sam Chan and Richard Hawkins on Freefire 69. However on corrected time Dan Tullberg and Joey Liao’s Tuco prevailed, and showed that in medium strength conditions the J/70s will be a force to be reckoned with.

The final race saw a closely contested start, with Fly By Wire, Merlin and Black Magic all lining up next to each other. Black Magic was to leeward, bore away just before the start and hit the line with speed. Fly By Wire and Merlin continued their tussle until the gun, meaning that by halfway up the first beat Black Magic had built a clear lead. Black Magic held onto this lead through the course of the race, and with the bullet successfully defended the title they won last year. Fly By Wire was second overall by just one point with J/70 Tuco in third place.

Congratulations to the 2013/2014 Class Champions Warwick Simons, Peter Backe, Shani Cohen, Rex Visher and Harry Dee.

Race Day 2 Saturday 6 December dawned as an even more beautiful day than the previous week, except for a distinct lack of wind. The forecast was for a paltry 2-3kts, and potentially even less as the day wore on. However we headed out into Port Shelter in search of breeze, and found a northerly filtering down from inner Port Shelter. Despite some 40-degree wind shifts Race Officer Raphael Blot managed to set a good course, with everyone’s focus being to get a fifth race completed in order to constitute a series.

In lighter winds Black Magic continued their form from the previous week to take the gun. Steve Bourne’s Merlin took second to show their form (and how they were missed the previous weekend after being unable to prepare the boat following Around the Island Race damage). From this point on the wind became lighter and even more shifty, which led us to play the waiting game. At one point it looked like we may have to call it a day, but patience prevailed as a solid sea breeze filled in from the east and we could get going again.

Race 7 saw Fly By Wire get away from the start well and lead from start to finish. However the racing behind Fly By Wire was close again, with Black Magic beating Merlin by just half a length. That meant that by the end of race 7 Fly By Wire and Black Magic were tied for the Championship.

The Sportsboats Class would like to thank Race Officers Mark Thornburrow and Raphael Blot, their race management teams, the Sailing Office and the Marine Office at Shelter Cove for helping make these Championships happen. Bring on next year!!

FEBRUARY 2014 AHOY! |

27

Sailing

kept sailing. No one went back. The race developed into a great tussle between Fly By Wire and Black Magic with rarely more than a few lengths separating the boats. Black Magic looked victorious until crossing the line to the deafening sound of silence….clearly they had been a little too cheeky at the start. Fly By Wire crossed the line soon after to take their second bullet. It turned out that four boats were all OCS – so blaming each other was a bad call – meaning the second race became an automatic discard for many.

Sailing

Hong Kong Dragon Championship W ords: Phyllis Chang and Tam N guyen | Photos: Eileen S ze

am Nguyen (HKG55) wins the Hong Kong Championship and the Hong Kong Helm title; Marc Castagnet (HKG1) takes the Corinthian Trophy.

The 2013-14 Hong Kong Dragon Championship took place over three days from 10 to 12 January off Lamma Island where the competitors enjoyed a variety of waves and wind conditions with 18kts NE wind on Friday decreasing to 13-15kts on Saturday and no wind on Sunday!

Out of the 17 boats registered, 12 were Corinthian, i.e. with no professional (as defined

by ISAF) on board. A number of those were new or recent owners reflecting the momentum of the Hong Kong Dragon Class. Guillaume Douin (HKG47) added, “While we recently joined the Class and were not fully prepared, participating in the Championship was a must for us; it is a unique opportunity to sail with the best and learn from them. You can count on us to be more competitive next year!” As per last year, the fleet also had an all-women team on HKG26 with helm Karina Trebbien, Christiane Hugelman and Nikki Claringbold.

28

| FEBRUARY 2014 AHOY!

The remaining five boats included two top teams from Russia with RUS76 (2nd in the 2013 World Championship and winner in Cannes just before their trip to Hong Kong), helmed by Dmitry Samokhin and crewed

by Alexey Bushuev and one of the best tacticians in the world, triple Olympian and current Russian Yachting Federation Sailor of the Year Andrey Kirilyuk. The other Russian boat, RUS34, was helmed by International Dragon Association (IDA) Vice-Chairman Vasily Senatorov with 470 gold medallists Igor Iwashintcow and Slava Varnachkin as crew. Theis Palm, North Sails Dragon expert, re-joined HKG55 after a successful campaign with Tam Nguyen in Europe last year when they won the Coupe de Bretagne together. In addition to his regular crew Greg Jarzabkowski, Karl Grebstad (HKG51) had as third crew Jamie McWilliam, co-owner of Ker 40 Signal 8 and a top Hong Kong Etchells sailor.

Interestingly, this year a number of teams tried to have crew as close as possible to the maximum weight of 285kg: HKG40, HKG46, HKG50 and HKG55 sailed with four

crew. Simon Pickering, crewing for Phyllis Chang (HKG50), elaborated, ”To sail close to maximum crew weight we needed to find an extremely heavy crew or sail four up. With the team of experienced sailors we assembled for HKG50 it worked quite well as Nagisa Sakai was able to focus on the tactical role while Nigel Reeves and I focused on trim and manoeuvres.

Phyllis is always a very focused helmswoman.”

Race Officer Sofia Mascia set perfect courses a long way from shore to avoid the left bias of Lamma Island and the commercial traffic and anchorages. They consisted of 1.1 to 1.4 mile windward / leeward courses with an offset mark and a leeward gate.

Friday conditions were perfect for a Dragon with strong wind (18-25kts) and waves (1-2 metres). The wind was oscillating around the 75 degree mark and the successful teams were the ones who managed to get the sync right. In terms of boat speed, the key was to find the right balance in the boat by sailing high while keeping enough speed to go through the waves. It was also a perfect opportunity to have exhilarating downwind

Tam Nguyen (HKG55) won Race 2 and Race 3 ahead of Dmitry Samokhin (RUS76) who came 2nd on those two races. After the first day, Tam (HKG55) was one point ahead of Dmitry (RUS76) in the overall ranking while Marc Castagnet was one point ahead of Lowell in the Corinthian.

The conditions on the second day softened with wind of 15kts and still from the same direction. With medium wind, balance was less of an issue and the key was to get the speed to punch through the waves. However, with the bodies starting to get the impact of six races over three days, the fleet recorded a number of men over board, butt over board, head over boom etc. thankfully without serious consequences. Tam Nguyen (HKG55) won the first and last race of the day while Dmitry won Race 5. Tam commented, “Once in the lead

Sailing

legs. Come Jeanjarry, spinnaker trimmer on HKG55, added, “We usually sail in light wind in Port Shelter. I discovered today that a Dragon can surf the waves and that was very exciting!”

However, the heavy weather put some strain on a number of boats with three of them sailing back early to repair or avoid damage (Joseph Chu HKG12, Bram van Olphen HKG31, Peter Baer HKG551). Peter Baer (HKG551) added, “We borrowed an old Dragon and we did not want to break it apart in those conditions.”

The current was strong, particularly around the windward mark and the offset mark. On the very first race of the Championship Tam Nguyen (HKG55), the first at the windward mark, was caught by surprise with a current much stronger than expected. “We knew there was current. We rounded the windward mark and only slightly bore away. But you had to remain on a close-hauled course to be able to make the offset mark! That is the issue with being the first one out there! We then had to duck five or six boats.” Vasily Senatorov (RUS34) won the first race closely followed by Dmitry (RUS76), Tam Nguyen (HKG55) – who managed to gradually climb back after the first mark incident – and Phyllis Chang (HKG50).

Karl Grebstad and his team (HKG51) had their spinnaker halyard torn off the spinnaker head in the first race and were not able to retrieve it on the water, so had to sail with the Genoa goose winged for the rest of the runs in the first three races – which ruined his chance to re-claim the title he won three years ago.

Karl added, “I suppose we were inadequately prepared for the strong winds on the first day.”

On the Corinthian front, Marc Castagnet came 5th and Lowell Chang 6th and therefore took the first two positions of the Corinthian ranking.

in Race 6, we covered Dmitry. It was a loose cover, as we just wanted to make sure we kept our position and had no interest to try to bury him – it would have been bad for both of us given the strong competition behind.” Marc (D1) did a great performance on Race 6 with an outstanding 3rd position. It was also a great day for Karl Grebstad with two 2nd positions (Race 4 and 5). With one discard, Tam had now a two point lead over Dmitry. Lowell Chang (HKG46) was leading the Corinthian after Race 5 but significantly overstood the first windward layline on race 6 and ended up 8th in that race behind Corinthian Simon Chan (HK8), 7th. This gave Marc a one-point lead over Lowell in the Corinthian after the second day. Lowell added, “We had a good start and everyone tacked behind us. The RO announced earlier for a longer course. Our mistake was not to look at the compass and by the time we tacked, we were close to half a leg behind the leader. Our own stupidity.”

There were also some strong battles in the middle of the fleet. Frederic Roumier, who became the new owner of HKG40 only 18 months ago, managed to defend his 4th position in the Corinthian very well throughout the championship. Frederic commented, “It was very close racing with HKG26 and HKG37 on the Friday and also with HKG12, HKG31, HKG33 and HKG551 on the Saturday. We concentrated on the wind shifts while not taking any extreme options which resulted in relatively stable rankings between 9 and 12 during the competition.”

The third day was expected to be a fight among the leaders of each category as so few points were separating them. Unfortunately, after a two-hour wait for the wind to fill in, the Race Officer had to call it a day and abandoned the last three races. The ranking therefore

remained unchanged with the following top three in each category:

results Overall Hong Kong Championship 1

Tam Nguyen

HKG55

2

Dmitry Samokhin

RUS76

3

Vasily Senatorov

RUS34

Hong Kong Helm 1

Tam Nguyen

HKG55

2

Karl Grebstad

HKG51

3

Phyllis Chang

HKG50

Corinthian 1

Mac Castagnet

HKG1

2

Lowell Chang

HKG46

3

Simon Chan

HKG8

The participants, families and sponsors enjoyed a casual hamburger dinner on Middle Island terrace before the Prizegiving ceremony where sponsor Central Oceans presented the first three winners of each category with prizes provided by L’Occitane and North Sails.

Dmitry Samokhin (RUS76) concluded, “Thank you for a wonderful event. On the water the competition was strong and it was good to see a mix of international sailors, Hong Kong sailors sailing in Europe and local weekend club sailors. The level of hospitality in this fleet is amazing with friendly dinners and parties every night. We will give this great feedback to other Russian sailors and we will come back again!”

The success of the event was made possible by the strong support of the sponsors, Central Oceans and Northrop & Johnson.

Photographer Eileen Sze and cameraman Oliver Merz covered the event, both of whom were driven around the course on the Northrop & Johnson rib. The fleet is also grateful to all the volunteers of the race management team who spent the time on and off the water to make this event a success.

For more information, please go to www.rhkyc.org.hk/DragonClassChamps2013.aspx or contact us on dragon@rhkyc.org.hk FEBRUARY 2014 AHOY! |

29

Sailing

HKODA National Championships 2013 W ords and photos: Nick H ollis

The 2013 National Championships were held at Hebe Haven Yacht Club over the weekend of 7 and 8 December where 44 sailors battled it out to win the title of National Champion.

On the Saturday, the breeze seemed fairly light and shifty but reasonably consistent in strength. The fleet was raced in the Port Shelter area under Mark and Sara Houghton as Race Officers with Inge Strompf-Jepsen assisting them. A course was quickly set and the first race was underway very promptly.

rom the Sharks squad, we sent 12 sailors ranging in ability and experience. They were: Calum Gregor (reigning National Champion), Julian Fung, Duncan Gregor, Dolf Hendriksen, James Davidson, Oskar and Emil Tullberg, Enzo Cremers, Thorwen Uiterwaal, Matthew Clark, Ines Gillard and Oriane Voets.

Photo: Elberti Uiterwaal-Postma

30

| FEBRUARY 2014 AHOY!

Calum hadn’t sailed the Optimist for a while, but was keen to show that he still remembered how to sail one. He was quick off the start and led around to the finish where he claimed 1st place, followed by Julian in 2nd, Duncan in 4th and Dolf 5th. In Race 2 it was a similar story.

The wind was still light and variable; it was key to gain a good start, keep clean air and play the shifts towards the middle of the course.

Calum again came home first, Julian in 3rd and Duncan 4th.

By Race 3 the wind was getting lighter and shiftier. Any sailor who didn’t gain a good start

really struggled to fight through to the front.

This time it was Nancy Highfield from J Asia who managed to hold Calum off until the end, with Calum 2nd and Julian 3rd. For the last race of the day, Calum and Julian both showed that they knew how to work the conditions and finished across the line in 1st and 2nd respectively. Oskar Tullberg was close behind in 4th place with his best result of the regatta, followed by Dolf in 5th. The Sharks had had a good day on the water with four of the top five spaces taken by the Club.

On Sunday morning the sailors arrived at Hebe Haven, but unfortunately the wind had forgotten to show up. After a morning briefing and reflection on the prior day, the Shark’s team set out on the water with the hope that the wind would fill in.

The race committee made a good choice and took the sailors far out to the edge of Port Shelter. Although a long way, some breeze had established and was race worthy. After a quick warm-up lap the Sharks got ready for the first race of the day. The conditions were again tricky to say the least, with some shifts estimated at around 30 to 40 degrees. The

Photo: Elberti Uiterwaal-Postma

Sailing

wind was light and there was also a slight tide running – not great for an Optimist! Having spotted a big left shift at the start of the race, Calum quickly took the lead and finished up in 1st place, with brother Duncan not too far behind in 4th place. Emil finished in 6th place with his best result of the regatta. It was obvious that some of the Sharks were feeling the pressure, so we pulled together onto the RIB for a team chat. Each sailor managed to pull out some good points about their own sailing and the other team members gained from the information being shared. Off they went for Race 2 of the day!

The conditions remained tricky and the fleet sailed very well. It was extremely close and tactical racing to watch with sailors gaining and losing a lot of places in just one or two shifts. By the finish, Calum and Julian had

managed to keep cool and sail through to a 1 and 2 position. Enzo had also managed to find a good formula and finished in 9th place – a fantastic result for a first-time competitor.

After Enzo’s result, there was clearly some rivalry developing in our second Optimist group coached by Clement Lam. Matthew Clark seemed hungry for a good position and fought hard all of the way around the course to finish 8th in Race 7 of the series. It was great to see both of these younger, newer sailors mixing it up with the top guys in the fleet – obviously they are sailors to watch out for in the future!

At the front it was Calum yet again, with Julian nipping at his transom in 2nd place.

By the last race, Calum had already managed to claim the National Championship title for the second year in a row. The other podium places

though were still to be sailed for.

In the last race the wind was just about still hanging on and the Sharks went out hungry to gain some last-minute places. Conditions were still tricky and shifty and places were really changing frequently right up until the last beat. This time it was the younger Gregor (Duncan) who was super-keen to show his bigger brother that he knows a thing or two.

Duncan led the way for the whole race with Calum fighting it out with Julian in the trailing pack. Sharks Dolf and James were also not far behind. Approaching the finish and it was neck and neck between the two Gregor brothers. On the last shift, Duncan slipped through on port tack to take his first ever race win at a major event. Calum had to settle for 2nd with Julian in 3rd place making it a 1, 2, 3 for the Club in that race.

OVERALL results 2013 Result

2012 Result

Calum Gregor

1st

1st

Julian Fung

nd

2

22nd

Duncan Gregor

5th

43rd

Dolf Hendriksen

7

th

21st

James Davidson

9

th

34th

Oskar Tullberg

10th

14th

Emil Tullberg

14

44th

Enzo Cremers

15th

No result

Thorwen Uiterwaal

17

24th

Matthew Clark

19th

No result

Ines Gillard

29

th

No result

Oriane Voets

38th

No result

th

th

A huge well done to all sailors, some of whom have improved significantly since last year. We managed to have six Sharks finish in the top 10 positions which is great to see.

This year we’ll have more!

FEBRUARY 2014 AHOY! |

31

Starter’s Box Forthcoming Events

Sailing

JEANNEAU Class Regatta Tomes Cup presented by zerorh+ Nations’ Cup Pedro Blanco Race

8 and 9 February 1 March 8 March 22 and 23 March: new date

Kung Hei Fat Choi and all the best for the Year of the Horse from all of us in the Sailing Office.

The Class Regatta is the next major sailing event on the horizon – make sure you don’t miss it. See below for further details.

A reminder for those crew who are participating in April’s Rolex China Sea Race to make certain that their Safety at Sea and/or First Aid certificates are still valid. The Club will be running the required courses with the HKSF to ensure that the crew scrutineering requirements are met. If any member would like to help out with the race management or safety teams this year, please get in touch with Lindsay or Dilys – some roles do not require prior experience.

Alex Johnston Sailing Manager

Major Races and Regattas Rolex China Sea Race 2014 All important information concerning the race can be found at: www.rolexchinasearace.com

Rolex China Sea Race 2014 Documentation Deadlines and Timetable Date

Event/Information

Comments

Mon 10

Submission of Entry form and entry fee.

Crew Experience form deadline.

Submission of Life Raft certificates.

INMARSAT, MMSI and EPIRB No. Sea Survival Certificates and First Aid / CPR certificates.

Submission of Safety Checklist and Safety Compliance / Race Declaration form.

1800hrs for all documentation

Mon 17

Late Entries deadline. No refund after this date.

Sat 22

Pedro Blanco Race.

Details TBA Postponed from December 2013.

NB: Not part of the Rolex China Sea Race 2014 but a good opportunity to train crew and shake down boat, including SSB radio checks and MOB drills.

Sun 23

Pedro Blanco Race finishes.

March

APRIL

Photos: RHKYC/Guy Nowell

32

| FEBRUARY 2014 AHOY!

Wed 9

Deadline for IRC certificates / change of rating.

HKPN PIPS declaration deadline.

Final Ratings posted on official noticeboard and end of protests on ratings.

1800hrs

Fri 11

Submission of next-of-kin and immigration information.

1000hrs

Mon 14

Welcome Drinks – Main Lawn at Kellett Island.

1900hrs

Tue 15

Immigration clearance.

Skippers’ and Weather Briefing.

1600hrs to 1900hrs: Geoff Edmonds Room 1830hrs – Chart Room

Wed 16

START OF RACE: Victoria Harbour.

Warning signal 1310hrs

Sun 20

Location Party – Subic Bay Yacht Club.

1700hrs

Mon 21

Race officially ends.

1800hrs

Wed 30

Overall Prizegiving – Compass Room.

1830hrs – drinks 1900hrs – awards

ISAF 2014/15 Offshore Regulations The new 2014/15 ISAF Offshore Regulations have been published. Competitors are strongly advised to read the new Category One requirements in their entirety. The significant changes are highlighted and can be found at: http://www.sailing.org/tools/documents/OSR2014Complete19122013-[16034].pdf

JEANNEAU Class Regatta

t i d e s 1

0426 0.3 1123 1.6 1552 0.9 2231 2.4

15

0403 0.6 1017 1.5 1509 1.0 2148 2.1

2

Sun

0502 0.4 1202 1.7 1640 0.8 2320 2.3

16

0427 0.6 1037 1.6 1549 0.9 2224 2.1

3

0536 0.5 1244 1.8 1729 0.9

17

0452 0.6 1103 1.7 1629 0.9 2302 2.0

4

0007 2.1 0610 0.7 1329 1.8 1820 0.9

18 tue

0519 0.7 1134 1.7 1709 0.9 2341 1.9

5

0054 1.8 0642 0.8 1418 1.8 1917 1.0

19

0547 0.7 1208 1.8 1752 0.9

6

0145 1.6 0715 1.0 1512 1.9 2037 1.1

20

0022 1.8 0616 0.8 1244 1.8 1839 0.9

7 fri

0312 1.4 0746 1.1 1611 1.9 2241 1.1

21

0111 1.6 0645 0.9 1325 1.9 1935 1.0

8

0511 1.2 0815 1.2 1710 1.9

22

0230 1.4 0718 1.0 1414 1.9 2055 1.0

9

0031 1.0 1804 2.0

23 Sun

0413 1.3 0757 1.1 1523 1.9 2244 0.9

10

0127 0.8 1849 2.0

24

0611 1.3 0857 1.2 1635 2.0

11

0205 0.7 0921 1.3 1148 1.3 1928 2.1

25

0017 0.8 0746 1.3 1031 1.2 1742 2.1

12

0239 0.6 0934 1.4 1255 1.2 2003 2.1

26

0119 0.6 0830 1.4 1201 1.2 1846 2.2

13

0310 0.6 0950 1.4 1345 1.1 2037 2.1

27

0203 0.5 0904 1.5 1309 1.0 1946 2.3

14

0338 0.5 1005 1.5 1428 1.1 2112 2.2

28

0242 0.4 0936 1.6 1406 0.9 2042 2.4

SAT

mon

Photo: RHKYC/Guy Nowell

tue

The first large regatta after Chinese New Year will be held at Shelter Cove on 8 and 9 February between all the Club’s class boats and welcomes back sponsor Jeanneau, distributed by China Pacific Marine.

Please remember to enter the event before the deadline of 5 February, as we need to know numbers in advance due to limited space at Shelter Cove (both the hardstanding and pontoons). The prizegiving will be held on the Sunday afternoon subject to any outstanding protests. If you don’t race regularly in Port Shelter this is a great chance to sail in a different part of Hong Kong waters. Much fun and highly recommended.

Tomes Cup presented by zerorh+

wed

Thu

sat

Sun

Photo: Lindsay Lyons

mon

Don’t forget the second major sailing event of 2014 and the second Pursuit Race of the zerorh+ Top Dog series. A great opportunity to get back on the water after Chinese New Year and get back in the saddle for the Year of the horse! Sign up on the day in the Course Room at Kellett Island.

Sailing/Rowing Circular The Sailing Office puts this out every other Tuesday throughout the year regarding sailing and rowing events. Please contact Lindsay: lindsay.lyons@rhkyc.org.hk ifou want something to be included or if you are not receiving these emails and would like to. The circular is best viewed in HTML format on your computer due to the pictures included in this newsletter.

For further details please contact Alex on 2239 0362 or email alex.johnston@rhkyc.org.hk For the latest information please visit our website: www.rhkyc.org.hk

tue

wed

thu

fri

sat

Sun

mon

wed

thu

fri

sat

mon

tue

wed

thu

fri

FEBRUARY 2014 AHOY! |

Sailing

The boat scrutineering checklist has been updated with these changes and the early submission of the completed forms to the Sailing Office is actively encouraged, to make the inspection process as easy as possible for all concerned.

February 2014

33

Christmas Sail Training Sailing

Although the weather leading up to the holidays was wet, grey and cold the Christmas week was tropical in comparison. Blue skies and warmer temperatures welcomed the sailors to five days of training between Christmas and New Year. The next school holiday programme will be during the Easter holidays. In the meantime we have weekend practice sessions and if you have a group of four to six sailors of the same level we can offer a private course subject to instructors and equipment being available.

34

| FEBRUARY 2014 AHOY!

Sailing Development And Training Contacts Sailing Development Manager Richard Knight 2812 7303 General Enquiries Gloria Yeung 28127063 Senior Keelboat Instructor Patrick Lam 2812 7303 Senior Sailing Instructors Ting Chan and Phoebe Tang 2812 7303 Performance Coach Nick Hollis and Rob Partridge 2812 7303 www.rhkyc.org.hk/SailTraining.aspx sailtrain@rhkyc.org.hk www.facebook.com/RHKYCsharks

Sharks Overseas over Christmas

2014 Aberdeen Asset Management

Hong Kong Race Week

Sailing

While some Sharks were off skiing, working as assistant instructors or catching up on school work over the holidays there were three Sharks competing at international events.

In Oman, Sofia-Marie was at the Radial Youth World Championships taking on the rest of the world! The weather was been a bit up and down but Sofia-Marie consistently managed results in the top 20. Meanwhile in Australia Calum Gregor and Hugo Christensson were at their first International 420 event at the Australian Nationals and Youth Nationals. In their first week they faced the full force of Melbourne’s fast-changing weather conditions including 40+ kts one day.

Final results are not available at the time of writing but we look forward to hearing more from them in next month’s Ahoy!.

The entry deadline is 17 March. The Notice of Race was published in early December and is available from the regatta website www.hongkongraceweek.com. The deadline for charter boats was 19 January but you can still apply to see what is available.

2014 Aberdeen Asset Management

Inter-School Sailing Festival Now in its 12th year the Inter-School Sailing Festival is very pleased to welcome a new title sponsor. The Notice of Race was published in mid December and is available online (link below). The provisional entry deadline was 19 January but you can still contact us to see if there is space. Once again we are expecting a full complement of teams with over 180 sailors. www.rhkyc.org.hk/Inter-School.aspx

Skandia Sail Training in partnership with Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club

Application forms and more details www.rhkyc.org.hk click on ‘Training’ or email sailtrain@rhkyc.org.hk

February to April Youth Training – Next Programmes Weekend Training (please see application for dates) Optimist Practice Silver Squad Youth Sailing Squad Easter Week 1 Sat 12 to Wed 16 Apr Week 2 Tue 22 to Sat 26 Apr

Adult Beginners Option 2 8, 9, 15, 16 and 22 February Option 3 1, 2, 8, 9 and 22 March

Adult Supervised Sailing

RHKYC Cadet Sharks Weekly Training

(February to March) Spinnakers Boat Handling Singlehanded Laser Distance Sail Boat Handling Level 3 Preparation Distance Sail Singlehanded Laser

Download the calendar for your smart device.

More details on the webpage below.

More details contact nick.hollis@rhkyc.org.hk www.rhkyc.org.hk/ShorebasedCourses.aspx Dinghy Regattas on the horizon 10 and 12 Jan Feva Nationals hosted by ABC

9 February 15 February 16 February 23 February 8 March 9 March 22 March 23 March

Adult Advanced 8, 9, 22 and 23 February and 1 March

Adult Keelboat Courses Intro to Keelboats Option 2 16 and 23 February Option 3 2 and 9 March J/80 Crew Option 1 16, 23 and 30 March Platu Skipper Course Option 1 7 (evening), 9, 16 and 23 February Option 2 28 February (evening), 2, 9 and

16 March

Shorebased Courses Long Range Radio Operator Course Spring 2014 LRC Course Spring 2 Course: 2, 9, 15 and 16 March 2014

(1000hrs to 1830hrs ) Exams: 17, 18, 19 and 20 March 2014

(1830hrs to 2100hrs) PVOCC Course March 2014 Part A (master): 4, 5 and 7 March Part B (engineer): 25, 26 and 31 March Time:1900hrs to 2215hrs Location: Kellett Island

Sail Training Partnership with Nutcase Helmets We are pleased to announce our new partnership with Nutcase Helmets. These helmets have ‘funky’ new designs and will be used during our sailing courses. We also have different designs available for sale at the mini-Ship Shop on the ground floor at Middle Island for those sailors who would like to have their own helmet.

FEBRUARY 2014 AHOY! |

35

Results

Rowing

Men’s Coxed Fours A/B division Benjamin Yuen, Henry Gill Garth Hughes Ian Brownlee Siobhan McHenry C B/C division Chris Hanselman James Shipton, Richard Allin Wan Ng, Jacqueline Petts C C/D division Rufus Southwood Martin Reynolds Robert Stoneley Phil Pearce, Patrik Talas C Men’s 2x Shipton, Hanselman Men’s Coastal 2x Garth Hughes, Henry Gill Men’s Development 1x Jonathan Horan Women’s 2x Siobhan McHenry Sarah Garner Women’s coastal 2x Kate Scott, Barbara Gregor

Middle Island Masters Regatta W ords and Photos: Vulgar B oatman

s the regular warm-up event to the Rowing Section Christmas Party, the Middle Island Masters always has a strong entry of competitive – if somewhat irregular – oarsmen. This year did not disappoint and on Saturday 7 December some old faces made their annual appearance and some faces made a re-appearance after injury, children, work and other distractions.

The Men’s Coxed Fours provided much entertainment with some fast and loose action.

Fast boats, loose steering, that is. After a re-start the Men’s A/B age division was taken by the Benjamin Yuen, Henry Gill, Garth Hughes, Ian Brownlee combination, coxed by Siobhan McHenry.

The B/C age division was won in a much cleaner race by the crew of Chris Hanselman, James Shipton, Richard Allin, Wan Ng and Jacqueline Petts (cox).

The Men’s C/D race was almost an all-Captains affair with six former Captains racing. The combination of Rufus Southwood, Martin Reynolds, Robert Stoneley, Phil Pearce and Patrik Talas (cox) managing to win over the rival crew of Triffi Talas, Chris Hanselman, David Sorton, Geoff Booth and Jacqueline Petts (cox).

The Coastal 2x was one of the most hotly-contested events with three men’s crew almost literally battling it out around the course in a race marked by collisions, bumps, bullying and language unprintable. By the finish line it was the crew of Henry Gill and Garth Hughes who triumphed. The women’s event was, by comparison, a much more refined affair with Kate Scott and Barbara Gregor circumnavigating Middle Island in the fastest time.

36

| FEBRUARY 2014 AHOY!

Rowing Section Christmas Party W ords and Photos: Vulgar B oatman

Rowing

fter the on-water excitement of the Middle Island Masters Regatta on 7 December, the members retired and prepared for all the excitement of the Circus – or at least a circus-themed Christmas dinner.

Ladies arrived both bearded and tattooed, whilst others cracked their whips at their cowardly lion husbands. The Knife Thrower wasn’t on his best form, but the Strong Man was able to lift spirits. The Mimes were understandably muted despite the wonderful aerobatic performance of the Flying Stroganoffs, and a number of the members were clowns as usual. All of this was presided over by the Master of Ceremonies (Siobhan McHenry) and the Ring Master (the Rowing Captain herself, Alice Page).

The Rowing Section enjoyed dinner together and with the formalities of the annual awards out of the way, the party continued into the night.

Top: Jo, Christina and Esther – unusually quiet for a change!

Centre row L to R: Our MC, Siobhan; Some very naughty elves (Paddy and Martin) with Santa Sorton; Rog clowns with Mike and his lovely assistant Cesca; Captain Alice with her well tamed lion, Mark; Bottom: Ben cracks the whip

Rowing Section Annual Awards Presented at the Christmas Party each year, there are a number of awards that highlight the significant achievements of members during the past season.

Most Improved Rower – The Arthur Leung Trophy Carina Oechsner Most Improved Paddler – The Des Robinson Trophy John McLennan The Captain’s Trophy (for significant contributions) Rowing – Mark Welles Paddling – Roger Holmes FEBRUARY 2014 AHOY! |

37

Rowing The new 12-man boat

Dragon Boat Season Launch W ords and Photos by Gianni A prea

etting an early start in the New Year, the 2014 Dragon Boat season kicked off with water training held on 4 January. The weather was in our favour as it was a beautiful sunny day with relatively warm temperatures for early January. A solid group of long-time team members along with some new faces brushed off the holiday cheer to start the training. Thankfully our new small boat had arrived just before Christmas as it was immediately placed into service given the great turn out for the training session.

This year the team will be dedicated to retaining the Stanley crown while achieving success in some previously uncharted race venues.

It will make for a very busy and challenging season. This requires the support of many people throughout the Club as well as our corporate sponsors. Jones Lang LaSalle has joined as our primary corporate sponsor this year while Storm Force Marine will graciously continue their annual support of the team. Further, Blue Girl Beer and Otterbox will also partner with us for a second year. We would like to thank all of our sponsors in advance and look forward to working with them for years to come.

Here’s to a great 2014!

2013 Season Photo Album A special photo album has been created to celebrate the 2013 season for all the key sports in the Rowing Section. The album is laid out in a chronological fashion and all the key local and international events are represented.

This 48-page book will be sent via the Apple iPhoto ‘print-on-demand’ system to produce a wonderfully presented and bound hard cover album worthy of a feature place on your coffee table or bookshelf.

There will be a limited opportunity to purchase this book, with orders closing on 10 February. The cost can only be confirmed at the point of ordering, but expect something in the $500-$600 range.

A draft PDF layout will be uploaded to the website for you to check (watch your ‘This Week in Rowing and Paddle Sports’ notices for details) and orders can be placed with the Rowing Manager.

Rowing Contacts

Rowing Manager jonathan.cantwell@rhkyc.org.hk Elite Rowing Coach m.sean.hall@rhkyc.org.hk Asst. Coach toby.dankbaar@rhkyc.org.hk Middle Island Co-ordinator mirowing@rhkyc.org.hk Shatin Men’s Racing shatinrowingmen@rhkyc.org.hk Shatin Women’s Racing shatinrowingladies@rhkyc.org.hk 38

| FEBRUARY 2014 AHOY!

Don’t Loose Your Bearings!

W ords: Roger E astham

Lert to right: Rudder removed for service – note corrosion at lower bearing sleeve; Evidence of corrosion on a lower bearing sleeve

uring the China Coast Regatta, two boats suffered breakages in the steering chain.

Dependent on the installation, the chain can be difficult to get at, often requiring the removal of a compass or binnacle-mounted electronics to gain access. In both cases one of the stainless steel chain links had parted.

Removal and inspection of the chain would have most likely revealed the problem. As to how long a steering chain will last, it is hard to say, but based on the age and usage of both boats it would seem to be anywhere from four to fourteen years. On this basis we would recommend that steering chains (along with steering cables and sheaves) are inspected annually and replaced at the first sign of undue wear or deformation of the links.

Two failures during the Hong Kong to Vietnam Race related to rudder bearings; one minor, and one catastrophic. Lower rudder bearings in particular tend to fall in the ‘out of sight – out of mind’ category but are a critical component in a highly sensitive area (at or below the waterline) where a failure can result in loss of steering and significant water ingress. Bearing manufacturers offer a variety of solutions to making these watertight including installing the bearing in a tube that finishes well above water level. This works well for tiller-steered boats, but causes problems in mounting anything

to the rudder stock below deck (such as steering quadrant or autopilot). Some bearings incorporate a series of lip seals and / or o-rings that seal against the rudder stock. These seals are prone to wear and to damage by contaminants (including oil, chemicals, marine growth or other foreign bodies), and should be inspected annually. The surface of the stock must also be a perfect fit against the seals; otherwise water will get past the seals and o-rings and into the boat. In an attempt to offer additional waterproofing some manufacturers also install what is called a ‘gaiter’, a flexible rubber sock rather like a mast boot that is clamped to the top of the lower bearing and up on to the rudder stock. Inspection and servicing of the rudder bearings and associated components will require the rudder to be unshipped.

Tell-tale signs of problems in this area might include the steering becoming stiff, squeaking noises coming from the bearing when the rudder is turned and indications of water leakage such as salt water collecting in the steering compartment, build up of salt crystals or tell-tale ‘water marks’.

During any steering system inspection attention should be paid to the reinforcement and support structure surrounding the upper and lower bearings. Any cracks in the laminates will require immediate attention.

Most bearings are made so that they can be removed for service or replacement. This means that the bearing is often fitted into a reinforced fibreglass tube – often referred to as a ‘top hat’ by boat builders. The top hat is laminated into the boat, and the bearing is fitted into the top hat using sealant or o-rings to prevent water getting between the top hat and the bearing. Repeated loading and flexing in this area can result in the sealant or o-rings failing allowing water to seep (or pump) into the boat.

All rudder installations will have some system to hold the rudder vertically in the boat, and inspection of this hardware during the annual haul-out is highly recommended. Some boats will have a pin or bolt through the top of the rudder stock above the top bearing, others may have a shoe on the bottom of the rudder (in the case of skeg hung rudders), or in some cases (most often seen on high-end racing yachts with carbon fibre rudder stocks) a ‘clamp ring’ that clamps around the rudder stock immediately above the lower bearing.

In the case of installations using a clamp ring, this ring typically clamps around a sleeve (can be aluminium, stainless or composite) that is ‘permanently’ bonded to the rudder stock. The sleeve is designed to be a perfect (watertight) fit to the lip seals and o-rings of the rudder bearing. Any inspection of this area should include checking the bonding of the sleeve to the rudder stock as a failure of this bond can potentially result in the rudder stock dropping down out of the boat whilst the sleeve remains held in place by the clamp ring.

Generally, rudder bearing and steering problems manifest themselves when loads are high. This can mean the problems only show up in rough conditions, in the middle of a race, or worse still when offshore in big seas. Prevention is without doubt better than cure, though when you are out in stronger conditions it always pays to take the opportunity to take a good look over the system when it is working hard.

Marine and Boatyard

Most rudder bearings are aluminium, and as such are susceptible to corrosion.

Corrosion of the bearing body can lead to water ingress or binding of the bearing which FEBRUARY 2014 AHOY! |

39

Marine

Following on from Simon’s remarkably prescient article in the September 2013 Ahoy! on steering cables and in the wake of a series of steering failures during both the China Coast Regatta and the Hong Kong to Vietnam Race as well as the Sydney Hobart Race, where reportedly 50% of the retirements were rudder related, this month we look more closely at what can (and does) go wrong with yacht steering systems.

places stress on other steering components.

Again, regular inspection and pre-emptive replacement of worn or damaged parts is strongly recommended.

Ship Shop

Kestrel 4500 Pocket Weather Tracker

RAYMARINE Micro Wireless Compass

Marine

The Raymarine Wireless Micro Compass gives you a massive racing advantage. It is light, easy to read, reliable and precise. Its tactical scale gives you clear stable figures for port and starboard tacks. When tacking, the readings are always the same, meaning you never have to remember numbers.

The Kestrel 4500 Pocket Weather Tracker is Kestrel’s flagship meter.

Capable of monitoring and reporting an exhaustive list of environmental parameters – from temperature to barometric pressure, dewpoint, wind chill, and more - the Kestrel 4500 is the most feature-rich pocket weather meter in the entire Kestrel catalogue. And now, the Kestrel 4500, as well as the entire Kestrel 4000 series, is available with Bluetooth Technology, allowing you to communicate wirelessly and transmit and log your data automatically.

$3,399

$2,900

Code Flag Sets Set of forty code flags.

Save money when you buy the set of these beautiful international code flags instead of buying individual flags.

Forty flags in all, superbly sewn in nylon.

$840

Super Adjustable Heavy Duty Rod Holders Advanced adjustment system allows easy positioning to any angle with the simple twist of an adjustment key. Clamp-on design locks firmly in place. All stainless steel construction and scratchresistant titanium nitrate coating means it won’t mar or corrode.

NP Dry Tube Simple dry bag to separate the wet stuff. Light weight rip-stop fabric, 30 litre 30cm X 68cm.

$890

$150

The Leisurely Hiker’s Guide to Hong Kong By any measure, Hong Kong is an impressive city. But there is a world beyond the impatient traffic and chic shopping malls: an older place of soot-blackened temples, traditional street markets and colonial-era museums. Travel twenty minutes out of the metropolis, and you’ll find stone-laid trails, sheltered beaches and waterfront restaurants galore. Bring your camera, but leave the camping gear at home. The 33 guided walks in this book are quickly reached from public transport, and can be completed in an afternoon – leaving ample time for a leisurely hike to be followed by a leisurely dinner. Let this guide show you how close these attractions are to your front door. An unhurried journey of discovery starts here.

$280 40

| FEBRUARY 2014 AHOY!

OCEAN SAFETY Kim Child Harness KIM Children’s Harness which comes complete with attached line, packaged in a water resistant plastic bottle.

$1,075

Call David in the Ship Shop on

2239 0336 or email: shipshop@rhkyc.org.hk

Ship shop

Boat builders

BOAT ch a r t e r

Tel:

Builder and repairers of pleasure boats, fibreglass and woodwork specialists, riggers, fitters, metal workers, painters and all kinds of marine work.

Slipway available.

Fax:

2870 0289 2870 0217

E-mail:

Marine

REGATTA YACHTS

SAILMA K E RS

sales@leesails.com www.leesails.com

Web site:

Heung Wah Industrial Bldg 19th Floor, 12 Wong Chuk Hang Rd Aberdeen, Hong Kong

Contact: EVA 18 50: 2719 8875 Fax: 2358 0621 Lot 491 210 Hebe Haven, Kung New Territories

I n s u r a n ce

SAILMA K E RS

After 62 Years of Service We come of Age 62 years ago Lambert Brothers was founded in Hong Kong. Over the years the company has grown into a successful multi class insurance broker and more recently has been known as the Heath Lambert Group.

With effect from the 9th May, the company’s 62nd anniversary in Hong Kong, the company will revert back to its former name of Lambert Brothers Insurance Brokers.

Contact us for a quotation or visit us at: UK SAILMAKERS (HK) LTD First Floor, 15 Kiu Wong Street, Kiu Tau Wai, Ping Shan, Yuen Long, NT, Hong Kong.

Tel: (852) 2775 7711 Fax: (852) 2775 7722 Email: sales@ukhongkong.com Web: www.uksailmakers.com

Wills

We look forward to working with you Our address and contact numbers remain unchanged 22/F Yen Sheng Centre, 64 Hoi Yuen Road Kwun Tong, Kowloon, Hong Kong TEL (852) 28 777 777 FAX (852) 28 777 666 EMAIL lbib@lambertbrothers.com.hk

www. lambertbrothers.com.hk We specialise in Insurance

Yachts • Hull, Cargo and Commercial Marine • Employee Benefits • Professional Risks • General Insurance • Commercial Insurance • Constr uction Insurance FEBRUARY 2014 AHOY! |

41

Training

JADE MARINE (HK) LTD T: 9333 8084 info@jademarinehk.com www.jademarinehk.com

BAVARIA YACHTS AND MOTOR BOATS

Marine

Jebsen Marine Unit 5, G/F Aberdeen Marina Tower 8 Shum Wan Road Aberdeen, Hong Kong T: 3180 3189 F: 2805 6867 Contact: Olivier Decamps info@jebsenmarine.com www.jebsenmarine.com Archambault / Hanse Yachts / Riva / Nautitech / Fairline

KINGSWAY MARINE 25/F One Capital Place18 Luard Road Wanchai, Hong Kong Tel: 2900 2222 Fax: 2116 9729 enquiry@kingswaymarine.com www.kingswaymarine.com

BOATS

MERIDIAN / RIVIERA / CHAPARRAL / ROBALO / H2O

BOAT ACCESSORIES ronsil Development ltd Unit 1704 17th Floor Kodak House II 39 Healthy Street East Hong Kong T: 2834 1633 F: 2834 0201 ronsil@netvigator.com Maxell anchoring systems

Boat gear storage STORED! for yacht Gear

Unit 13, 13th Floor Hing Wai Centre 7 Tin Wan Praya Road Aberdeen, Hong Kong T: 3165 1039 info@stored.com.hk Self Storage Units Air-conditioned. 24 hour access 5-117 SQ FT FROM $273/MONTH Call to arrange a viewing

BROKERAGE Northrop and Johnson Asia LTD

022 NORTH LTD T : 2358 2113 F: 2396 5572 M: 9457 3573 Contact: Russ Parker russ@22northhk.com www.22northhk.com X-YACHTS / Summit yachts

www.asiayachtservices.com T: +852 2815 0404 E: info@asiayachtservices.com Exclusive agent for: GRAND BANKS / SEAWIND / Williams

*Yacht Brokerage *Yacht Charter *Yacht Management

PIERCEY MARINE LIMITED

www.njyachtsasia.com

93 Che Keng Tuk Road Sai Kung, Hong Kong T: 2791 4106 F: 2791 4124 Contact: Steve Piercey E: info@pierceymarine.com W: www.pierceymarine.com AMEL / CATALINA / GUN BOAT / ISARA / TAYANA

T: +852 2815 7712

Your compass to yachting.

CHINA PACIFIC MARINE LTD Shop B11 Marina Cove, Shopping Arcade Sai Kung, Hong Kong T: 2358 0023 F: 2358 0006 Contact: Don Chow cpmarine@netvigator.com Fountaine-Pajot / JEANNEAU / Zodiac

SUNSEEKER ASIA LTD 403 4/F Wing On House 71 Des Voeux Road Central, Hong Kong T: 3105 9693 F: 2545 8035 enquiry@sunseeker.com.hk www.sunseeker.com SUNSEEKER

42

| FEBRUARY 2014 AHOY!

Jebsen & Co Ltd Unit 5, G/F Aberdeen Marina Tower 8 Shum Wan Road Aberdeen, Hong Kong T: 3180 3183 F: 2805 6867 Contact:Olivier Decamps olivierdecamps@jebsen.com www.jebsenmarine.com

Saffron Group Limited Saffron Marina T: 9732 2544 info@saffron-marina.com www.saffron-marina.com Brokerage for luxury pre-owned Yachts in Hong Kong Motor Yachts / Sailing Yachts / Houseboats / Speedboats / Junk Boats Moorings & Debentures

Boat Charter Saffron Group Limited Saffron Cruises

GRAPHICS RONSIL DEVELOPMENT LTD Unit 1704, 17/F, Kodak House II 39 Healthy Street East, Hong Kong T: 2834 1633 F: 2834 0201 ronsil@netvigator.com BOAT NAMES / LOGOS / NUMBERS

marine fabrics B.Van Zuiden (Asia) Ltd Flat B 1/F Fast Industrial Building 658 Castle Peak Road Cheung Sha Wan, Kowloon, Hong Kong T: 2148 3423 F: 2368 7455 M: 9668 8833 info@bvz.com www.bvz.com www.sunbrella.com Sunbrella Fabrics

Marine Products PIERCEY MARINE LIMITED 93 Che Keng Tuk Road Sai Kung, Hong Kong T: 2791 4106 F: 2791 4124 E: info@pierceymarine.com W: www.pierceymarine.com 30 years in Hong Kong Suppliers of Top of the Range Marine equipment

DOYLE SAILS

Aon Hong Kong Limited

19H, Hoi Kung Court 268 Gloucester Road Causeway Bay, Hong Kong Contact: Warwick Downes M: 9151 6767 doylesea@netvigator.com www.doylesails.com Doyle Sails Southeast Asia

28/F Tower 1 Times Square 1 Matheson Street Causeway Bay Hong Kong Tommy Ho, Yacht Insurance Specialist Yacht Department T: 2862 4241 F: 2243 8861 tommy.ho@aon.com www.aon.com.hk

North Sails Hong Kong Ltd G3-5, Pak Sha Wan Centre Sai Kung, Hong Kong T: 2327 8180 F: 2327 8160 Contact: Russ Parker M: 9457 3573 russ@hk.northsails.com Contact: Steve Trebitsch M: 6385 0180 Steve@hk.northsails.com www.nz.northsails.com North Sails Asian Service Centre

Training Yachting Ventures Ltd Contact: info@yachtingventures.com www.yachtingventures.com LEARN TO SAIL ON A 45’ YACHT! HKSF Competent Crew & Day Skipper Courses.

Corporate charters. Flexible bookings. Gift Certificates

Lambert Brothers Insurance Brokers (Hong Kong) Ltd

22/F Yen Sheng Centre 64 Hoi Yuen Road Kwun Tong, Kowloon, Hong Kong T: 2877 7777 F: 2877 7666 Contact: Kevin Overton T: 2585 8221 M: 6056 6835 koverton@ lambertbrothers.com.hk Contact: Tom Chan T: 2585 8218 tchan@ lambertbrothers.com.hk www. lambertbrothers.com.hk

Yacht Services

Water Sports

Racing Yacht Services Ltd

Smooth Marine Equipment Ltd No 29C Shum Wan Road Po Chong Wan, Aberdeen Hong Kong T: 2580 8248 F: 2870 0263 Contact: May Chan sales@smooth-marine.com www.smooth-marine.com

Marine

T: 6493 2650 info@saffron-cruises.com www.saffron-cruises.com For the Largest Charter Fleet in Hong Kong Over 32 luxury boats for day / night charters featuring Sunseeker / Azimut / Cranchi / Beneteau / Princess / Atlantis / Jeanneau / Classic Junk Boats etc

YACHT insurance

SAILMAKERS

Contact: Nigel Reeves M: 9768 6437 nigel@racingyachtservices.com Contact: Dan Brennan M: 9122 6637 dan@racingyachtservices.com www.racingyachtservices.com Sail Storage / Boat Preparation / Running Rigging

Sky International Room 703, Henan Building 90 Jaffe Road Wanchai, Hong Kong Contact: Gideon Mowser T: 2827 5876 F: 2827 7120 sales@sky-international.com www.sky-international.com For all your Marine Leisure Needs, from Dinghies to Grand Prix Racing Yachts

Storm Force Marine Ltd 501 Dominion Centre 43-59 Queens Road Central, Hong Kong Contact: Simon Boyde T: 2866 0114 sales@stormforcemarine.com www.stormforcemarine.com

ARE YOU INTERESTED IN REACHING THE BOATING COMMUNITY IN HONG KONG? ...then Ahoy! should be your choice.

If you are interested please email ahoy@rhkyc.org.hk or contact the RHKYC PR Department on 2239 0307 or 2239 0312

Hong Kong’s prime distributor of goods to the leisure marine industry FEBRUARY 2014 AHOY! |

43

Golf Contact golf@rhkyc.org.hk

Other Sports

Texas Scramble at Kau Sai Chau W ords: Patrick Sherriff | P hotos: David L eung

Held on 2 December at Kau Sai Chau east course, the Texas Scramble had a late morning start on a perfect December day, (no Photoshop or Instagram adjustments to the photo above!). Four teams set off to to try and wrest the trophy from last year’s winners, David Leung et al. In perfect conditions par or below-par golf had to be played to ensure a chance of claiming victory. Despite some adjustments to the team handicaps by our very own Andy Capper, there was some close scoring. However, not good enough to overturn possession of the trophy.

After a quick change and a beer at KSC our players made their way to Shelter Cove for the prizegiving and the end-of-year dinner. Prizes included $800 and $400 gift vouchers for the winning and runner-up teams, trophies and bottles of wine.

The food was excellent, the staff excelled themselves and we had a great evening.

RESULTS Winners

David Leung, Connie Leung, Celina Wong, Chris Li Runners Andrew Wong, Louis Brink, Mark Galloway, Patrick Sherrif Longest drive NM Paulose Closest to the pin Ambrose Lo

Snooker W ords: D onald Day

11 November marked the second time that four fearless snooker players from each of RHKYC, ABC and HHYC met at the Hong Kong Club for a 3-cornered match to find out which club has the best angles and the sharpest eyes.

This time, we had a slightly changed crew and the RHKYC players were James Stewart, Richard Hawkins, Adrian Bell and myself (Gareth Williams once more playing for Hebe with a clear impact on matches won!). Most of the single matches were very close and some frames went into high numbers. Still, we also aimed to let the wine help us with pocketing the black.

Snooker Contact snooker@rhkyc.org.hk

44

| FEBRUARY 2014 AHOY!

We broke for dinner and then returned for the doubles matches.

The event continued until late – when we

were finished the staff had long gone! It was once again a great evening with a lot of laughter and banter, a lot of near-misses and great shots and everyone had a really good time. Thank you to Nick Horvath for organising.

The next 3-cornered match will be held sometime in the spring.

We are also in the process of organising an inter-club championship – let me know if you are interested! You can email me on snooker@rhkyc.org.hk

maybe discretion was the better part of valour in enabling the team to have a convivial meal with our opponents at the Bistro.

Internal League

Squash

Lance making his opponent run in circles

W ords: Richard Kendall and Paul D enham | Photo : Paul D enham

Div 10 There were only two matches last month, and we managed to split them with one win and one loss. We started with a great 5-0 win against DG Audio who is not a shabby team. Then in a tight match against ISRC 2 we went down 2-3, though it could easily have gone the other way. We are now 6th with a 5/4 record and need to have a good run in the second half of the season to make the playoffs, which is how it tends to be most years.

Div 15 A good month has seen us move to second, though the two Football Club teams are just behind us and have games in hand.

First match of the month was against the Football Club. Well, it was a close-run thing, despite the convincing final scoreline. Chris Brooks, first on at #3, took it to 5 games.

He lost the first game convincingly but came storming back in the second and upped his game. But it ebbed and flowed throughout the match, with a tough battle being fought by both players, and it could have gone either way. But a 3–2 scoreline was a good enough start for the team.

Meanwhile, on court 2, Roger Dunn at #5 was quietly prevailing in what was the only onesided match of the evening, winning 3–0.

If it were possible, the temperature on Court 1 increased even higher when Jai Mehta went on at #1. The testosterone count went off the scale as he and his opponent pummelled the ball with all their might; I sympathised with Chris – marking the game – as to whether it was even possible to see the ball, it was travelling so fast.

Jai’s opponent won the first two games, but Jai persevered and worked his way back in. The last game went to the wire, and Jai prevailed to take the match 3–2, by a whisker.

Cam, meanwhile, playing at #2, also had some exciting moments in his match on Court 2. He lost the first game, which didn’t bode well, but

he got the handle of his opponent thereafter and won 3–1.

Last on was Richard Kendall at #4, who provided the only disappointment of the evening. He won the first game, but lost the next two despite a valiant effort scooping balls out of the back corners of the court. Then he squandered a very healthy lead in the fourth game (and, his opponent averred, would have won the fifth if it had gone that far) to lose his match 1–3. Well, the bar was open by that point, and last orders for curry looming, so

Box A: It went down to the last match of the onth, with Paul Denham defeating Francis Longuepee 3/2 to take the title. Francis finshed tied for second with Frank Eggman on 18 points.

Box B: With not too many matches played, Angus Stewart and Keith Garland finished equal top with 10 points closely followed by Roger Dunn with 9.

Box C: Proving that age is no barrier to good squash, Adrian Pierce finished top with 10 points after beating Naomi Denning and Bruce Hut and moves to Box B next month. Naomi came second with 8 points.

Squash Contact squash@rhkyc.org.hk

We collect and deliver your car FREE OF CHARGE (Subject to Distance) We provide good, quick repair service at reasonable

Our competitive Labour charges:

FROM

Lubrication Service Tune Up Engine Engine Decoke & Grind Valves Engine Overhaul Brake System Overhaul Clutch Mechanical Overhaul Air Condition Freon Recharge Alternator Overhaul Starter Motor Overhaul

$190 $720 $2,000 $5,000 $1,000 $1,500 $400 $600 $600

ALL REPAIRS WIITH THREE MONTHS GUARANTEE

Our Business hours: 8am – 6pm, Mon – Sat & Public Holiday Our 24hrs. Emergency Towing Agent “We Tow Towing” 6128 0999

Please call us at 2565 6166 Fax: 2856 1047 E-mail Address: fookie@netvigator.com

FOOKIE MOTORS CO. LTD

Shop 7, G/F Paramount Building 12 Ka Yip Street, Chai Wan, Hong Kong

FEBRUARY 2014 AHOY! |

45

Other Sports

Masters 3 We are now halfway through the season and we remain undefeated and in first position. The two matches saw us defeat the #3 team Jaws due to strong contributions from #s 3, 4 and 5 in Bruno Van Der Schueren, Sander Holman and Angus Stewart. The other match saw us register a 3-2 win against the Hong Kong Club.

Valentine’s Day

St. Valentine’s Day Dinner Compass Room | Friday 14 February

Events | Promotions

Come and celebrate St. Valentine’s Day with your loved one with a romantic candlelight dinner and live entertainment by our pianist. A four-course Valentine’s Dinner menu is priced at $1,399 per couple. For reservations, please call Angie Chan on 2239 0389 in the F&B Office or email events@rhkyc.org.hk

Chinese New Year Auspicious Dishes Bistro | 3 to 14 February Braised Boston Lobster with E-fu Noodles 龍馬精神 (波士頓龍蝦燴伊麵) Baked US Oysters with Ginger and Spring Onions in a Clay Pot 年年好市 (焗薑葱美國生蠔煲) Wok-fried Scallops with Crab Roe and Broccoli 黄金滿屋 (蟹子西蘭花炒帶子) Deep-fried Whole Mandarin Fish, Pine Nuts and Pickle Sauce 年年有餘 (松子仁酸瓜汁炸貴花魚) Braised Pork Knuckle and Lotus Root with Lettuce in a Clay Pot 橫財就手 (蓮藕炆豬手伴生菜煲) Braised Black Mushrooms, Bamboo Piths and Mixed Mushrooms with Oyster Sauce 竹報平安 (蠔油炆冬菇竹笙雜菌)

Wedding Parties Sweet Treats To celebrate the special day, why not treat your sweetheart with a handcrafted heart-shaped Valentine’s cake. Cake designs are shown below; each cake weighs one pound. Orders must be received one day in advance. To order, please go to any of the restaurants in person, call the F&B Office on 2239 0389 or email foodbev@rhkyc.org.hk Blueberry Cheese 藍莓芝士 Dark Chocolate Mousse 特濃朱古力慕絲 Available throughout February

If you have just become engaged or are about to… Congratulations! Our Banquet Team has plenty of experience in organising engagement parties and wedding celebrations. Give us a call on 2239 0339 / 2239 0327 and have a chat with our Banquet Experts about how to make your dream party come true or email banquet@rhkyc.org.hk

Spring Dinner It’s time for you to get together for a grand meal with your colleagues or family to celebrate the Year of the Horse. We have lots of value-for-money packages for you to choose from. For bookings and enquiries, please call the Banquet Office on 2239 0339 / 2239 0327 or email banquet@rhkyc.org.hk

46

| FEBRUARY 2014 AHOY!

Fondues Bistro | 3 to 28 February

Swiss Cheese Fondue Gruyere and Emmenthal simmered with White Wine, Kirsch and Garlic, served with French Bread

Beef Bourguignonne Cubes of NZ Beef Tenderloin in Hot Vegetable Oil, served with Coleslaw 牛肉火鍋 – 紐西蘭牛柳粒烹調於蔬菜油、配酸椰菜沙律

Swiss Chocolate Fondue Dark Couverture Chocolate flavoured with Grand Marnier, served with Fresh Fruit, Dried Fruit, Marshmallows and Banana Cake 香橙酒瑞士朱古力火鍋 – 配生果、乾果、棉花糖及香蕉蛋糕

Boston Lobster Promotion Compass Room | 3 to 28 February Appe tisers / S o u p

Lobster Salad Thai Style, Green Papaya, Cashew Nuts Lobster Tartar, Fennel Salad, Crostini, Light Tomato Dip, Pesto Pan-fried Lobster, Scallop, Potato Latkes, Shellfish Mayonnaise Lobster Chowder, Chives, Lemongrass Foam M ain C o urse s

Surf and Turf – Char-grilled Cajun Half Lobster – Dry Aged Australian Beef Tenderloin, Balsamic Jus Half Lobster and Langoustine Risotto, Avruga Caviar, Green Peas Half Lobster and Dover Sole Fillets, Portobello Mushroom, Noilly Prat and Soy Sauce Whole Lobster Thermidor, Asparagus, Artichokes, Pink Peppercorn

Stews Middle Island and Shelter Cove | 3 to 28 February

Seafood Stew Salmon Cubes, Prawns, Mussels, Fennel, Tomato Sauce 番茄汁燴海鮮 – 三文魚粒、鮮蝦、青口、茴香菜、番茄汁

Irish Stew Lamb Cubes, New Potatoes, Carrots, Pearl Barley, Onions, Thyme 愛爾蘭燴羊肉 – 羊肉粒、新馬鈴薯、甘筍、薏米、洋葱、香草

Beef Bourguignon Beef Cubes, Mashed Potatoes, Mushrooms, Carrots, Onions 法式紅酒燴牛肉 – 牛肉粒、馬鈴薯蓉、蘑菇、甘筍、洋葱

French Spring Chicken Stew French Spring Chicken, Bacon Strips, Potatoes, Mushrooms, Onions, Herbs 燴法國春雞 – 法國春雞、煙肉條、馬鈴薯、蘑菇、洋葱、香草

Events and Promotions

FEBRUARY 2014 AHOY! |

47

Events | Promotions

瑞士芝士火鍋 – 配法式麵包

Marqués de Cáceres Wine Dinner Compass Room | Thursday 20 February

Events | Promotions

Marqués de Cáceres is a family-owned and independent winery, founded by Mr Enrique Forner in 1970.

Wines and Beer of the Month Santa Cristina Pinot Grigio 2012 – Tuscany, Italy The aroma is intense and ample with yellow fruit, white flowers and orange blossom. Full in flavour, soft and savoury. The finish and aftertaste recall the fruit first felt on the nose.

Present in more than 120 countries, Marqués de Cáceres is recognised worlwide for its consistent quality and excellent value for money wines. It is the leading Spanish wine brand, especially in Europe and America. Marqués de Cáceres wines, and particularly Gaudium, are usually served during official receptions of the Royal Family and the Spanish Government.

Pre-dinner Tasting Dinner Speaker Price Reservations

1930hrs 2000hrs Mr Xavier Vicente, Brand Ambassador of Marqués de Cáceres Only $688 per person (or $638 per person for booking of 8 persons or more per table) Call Janice Yip in the F&B Office on 2239 0340 or email events@rhkyc.org.hk

Pre-dinner Tasting Marqués de Cáceres Rosado 2012

Santa Cristina IGT 2012 – Tuscany, Italy Vibrant aromas of red cherry and raspberry. The flavours are soft and balanced on the palate with supple tannins and great depth of fruit. The ripe red fruit notes linger on the finish.

Semi-poached Scallops and Mussels, Roast Button Mushrooms, Citrus Dressing

Both wines of the month are available in all Food and Beverage outlets at $275 per bottle

Pan-seared Tuna Fillets, Green Asparagus, Spanish Pimiento and Capsicum Jus

Lucky Beer Available in all Food and Beverage outlets at only $30 per bottle

Menu and Wines Marqués de Cáceres Deusa Nai Albariño 2011 ❧

❧

❧

Marqués de Cáceres Reserva 2008 ❧

❧

❧

Char-grilled French Baby Chicken, Zucchini, Caramelised Onion, Asian Herb Sauce Marqués de Cáceres Gran Reserva 2005

Monthly Wine Fairs Your attendance at our wine fairs does not place you under any obligation whatsoever to purchase wines. It is also basically a free wine tasting with no obligation – marvellous! The $50 ‘entry fee’ is returned to you in the form of a $50 dining voucher to spend at our F&B outlets! Many members are catching on to this and inviting groups of friends to enjoy the two-hour wine tasting and then using the F&B vouchers to offset a meal another day within two months! The wine fairs are a great opportunity for you to taste wines and learn more about them. And, if you do wish to purchase wines on the evening, you can enjoy a 5% discount on the already low prices!

Kellett Island, Wednesday 5 February, 1830hrs to 2030hrs Shelter Cove, Friday 7 February, 1930hrs to 2130hrs For reservations, please call Angie Chan in the F&B Office on 2239 0389 or email events@rhkyc.org.hk

48

| FEBRUARY 2014 AHOY!

❧

❧

❧

Slow-cooked Beef Medallion, Sautéed Spinach with Prosciutto and Raisins, Black Olives, Natural Jus Marqués de Cáceres Gaudium 2005 (limited quantity) ❧

❧

❧

Oven-baked Apple Tart, Custard Sauce Marqués de Cáceres Satinela Semi-Dulce 2012 ❧

❧

❧

Freshly Brewed Coffee or Gourmet Tea

Wine Delivery Order Form – February 2014 ‘Try Before You Buy – No Obligation!’ All the wines listed below are featured at the monthly wine fairs at both Kellett Island and Shelter Cove. If you Kellett Island Wine Fair – Chart Room, Wednesday 5 February, 1830hrs to 2030hrs, guests welcome.

Shelter Cove Wine Fair – Shelter Cove Clubhouse, Friday 7 February, 1930hrs to 2130hrs, guests welcome.

Wine Fair entry is only $50 per person which includes the sampling of all the wines on the list, complimentary canapés and a $50 dining voucher which can be used in F&B outlets within two months. Another way to look at it is that you’re attending these wine fairs free of charge! See the website for further details. Book now with Janice Yip in the F&B Office on 2239 0340 or email events@rhkyc.org.hk

White Wines

per bottle

Santa Cristina Pinot Grigio 2012 – Tuscany, Italy (wine of the month)

$136

Mitolo Jester Vermentino 2010/11 – McLaren Vale, Australia

$156

Castello Romitorio Costanza Bianco 2011 – Tuscany, Italy

$183

The aroma is intense and ample with yellow fruit, white flowers and orange blossom. Full in flavour, soft and savoury.

The finish and aftertaste recall the fruit first felt on the nose.

Classic minerality and texture. It presents fresh lifted fruit with notes of melon and citrus and a slightly spiced edge.

Refreshing, balanced acidity rounds out to an elongated finish.

qty

amount

Events | Promotions

do enjoy the wines and wish to make a purchase, you can enjoy a 5% discount on these already low prices!

Aromas of fresh fruit blend harmoniously with hints of vanilla and a pleasant herbaceousness.

Cullen Margaret River White 2011 – Margaret River, Australia

$183

Torbreck Woodcutter's Semillon 2011 – Barossa Valley, Australia

$231

A combination of fresh and complex citrus, guava and melon aromas. Ripe but fresh with the rich middle palate representing a complex blend of tropical and citrus fruit flavours.

Medium-bodied with delicate scents of calamansi, limestone, candle wax and toasted brioche. Notes of almond kernels, soft pineapple, roasted cashew and white peach. Underlying notes of citrus oil and minerals maintain the wine’s freshness whilst a crisp spine of razor-like acidity neatly laces together the finish.

RED Wines Santa Cristina IGT 2012 – Tuscany, Italy (wine of the month)

$136

Gagliole Rubiolo Chianti Classico 2010 – Tuscany, Italy

$183

Vibrant aromas of red cherry and raspberry. The flavours are soft and balanced on the palate with supple tannins and great depth of fruit. The ripe red fruit notes linger on the finish.

This wine is very fruity and fresh with sweet and harmonious tannins.

$198

Cullen Margaret River Red 2011 – Margaret River, Australia

$211

Torbreck Woodcutter's Shiraz 2011/12 – Barossa Valley, Australia

$257

Shaw and Smith Pinot Noir 2012 – Adelaide Hills, Australia

$289

Mitolo G.A.M. Shiraz 2009 – McLaren Vale, Australia

$321

Deep crimson with brick red hues. This wine shows liquorice, nutmeg and cassis notes which provide a lift to the subtle hints of French oak. Well-rounded on the palate, the firm tannins are complemented by nuances of chocolate, blackcurrant and earth.

Attractive blend of black fruits, plums and violets. Medium weight and containing an abundance of delicious fruit and ripe cherry flavours on the palate.

Dense, rich and opulent. This wine combines great fruit purity with texture, complexity and finesse. It is elegant, structured and powerful.

Red fruit aromas in the strawberry, raspberry and cherry spectrum. Palate is mid-weight, yet surprisingly supple and rich. Fruit focused at this stage and will develop additional layers with bottle-age.

Notes of black cherry and dark chocolate with leafy espresso and mocha tones. Impressive richness and earthiness showing savoury dusty tannins with intriguing length.

• • • • •

All wines are delivered to your designated address by the supplier and are subject to availability of stock.

Mixed cases accepted. Order 12 or more bottles to enjoy free delivery service. For lesser quantities, orders can be collected from the Main Bar. The cost of the wines will be charged to members’ accounts.

Free delivery to Hong Kong, Kowloon and New Territories (excluding outlying islands, Lantau Island, Tung Chung and Discovery Bay).

Delivery is available every weekday except public holidays (subject to delivery schedule).

Name (Please Print):

Membership No.:

Telephone No. (Home/ Office):

(mobile):

Delivery Address: Preferred Delivery Date:

TIme:

Signature: date:

FAX THIS FORM TO 2239 0341. FOR ENQUIRIES PLEASE CALL 2239 0340. • Deadline for Ordering: 28 February 2014 •

Pull out and fax back

Mitolo Jester Cabernet Sauvignon 2011 – McLaren Vale, Australia

CLASS SECRETARIES

Club Lines

Rowing Secretary Michael Shasha rowing.secretary@rhkyc.org.hk Sailing Secretary John Breen sailing.secretary@rhkyc.org.hk Big Boat Simon Blore cruiser@rhkyc.org.hk Dinghies Swanson Chan dinghies@rhkyc.org.hk Dragon Phyllis Chang dragon@rhkyc.org.hk Etchells Ronan Collins etchells@rhkyc.org.hk Flying Fifteen David Bone flyingfifteen@rhkyc.org.hk Impala Dave Norton impala@rhkyc.org.hk J/80 Ben Bulmer j80@rhkyc.org.hk Match Racing Seah Chin Yew matchracingsec@rhkyc.org.hk Pandora Joseph Wong pandora@rhkyc.org.hk Ruffian Oliver Cully ruffian@rhkyc.org.hk Sportsboats Sam Levine sportsboat@rhkyc.org.hk Youth Sailing Class Sofia Mascia ysc@rhkyc.org.hk

SPORTS CONVENORS

Bowling Convenor Simon Boyde bowling@rhkyc.org.hk Golf Convenor David Leung golf@rhkyc.org.hk Snooker Convenor Don Day snooker@rhkyc.org.hk Squash Convenor Francis Longuepee squash@rhkyc.org.hk

CLUB CONTACTS

General Manager Mark Bovaird 2239 0300 mark.bovaird@rhkyc.org.hk Executive Secretary Polly Lee 2239 0301 Club Operations Manager Michael Wong 2239 0338 Financial Controller Tim Gallagher 2239 0315 Membership Manager Tracy Leung 2239 0371 PR & Communications Manager Koko Mueller 2239 0342 Member Relations & Communications Manager Linda Davy 2239 0312 Corporate and International Partnerships Manager Torrey Dorsey 2832 2817 Marine Services Manager Roger Eastham 2239 0308 Boatyard Manager Simon Pickering 2239 0311 Sailing Manager Alex Johnston 2239 0362 Training and Development Manager Richard Knight 2812 7063 Race and Regatta Promotion Lindsay Lyons 2239 0391 Sail Training Administrator Gloria Yeung 2239 0395 Assistant Sailing Manager Iris Yang 2239 0314 Rowing Manager Jonathan Cantwell 2239 0322 Boatyard Office Manager Connie Chan 2239 0304 Food & Beverage Manager Shirley Tam 2239 0321 Technical & Projects Manager Carton Lam 2239 0303 Human Resources Manager Susanna Chung 2239 0310 Ship Shop Manager David Ho 2239 0336 Assistant Marine Manager Joanne Ho 2239 0309 House Manager Lorence Leung 2239 0352

January 2014

Membership Movement LIFE MEMBERS Mr Lowell Chang Mrs Phyllis Chang ORDINARY MEMBERS Mr Frederic J E Azemard Mr Bruce A D Perkins Mr Garrett T Quigley Mr Jonathan A C Roberts Mr & Mrs Wayne R J Crossley Mr & Mrs Guillaume M B Douin Mr & Mrs Atik Gurtas Mr & Mrs Anthony K K Ngai Mr & Mrs Willem S van Walt Meijer FULL MEMBERS Dr Daniel K K Ng JUNIOR MEMBERS Mr Leung Ka Lok Mr Eugene P L Ng Mr Thomas G Richardson

CADET MEMBERS SPONSORED BY A MEMBER CHANGE OF MEMBERSHIP Timma Flanagan STATUS FROM JUNIOR TO Anouar Kabbaj Chloe V S Y Li ORDINARY Brandon Tang Mr Andrew Baird Omkar T Varma Miss Sophia W B Chan INDIVIDUAL DEBENTURE CADET MEMBERS MEMBERS Colette L Auyang Mr Chui Kam Fai Tristan M Auyang Mr & Mrs Christopher Maxime Cannamela J Craig-Wood Hannibal L C Chan Ms Chris W M Tang & Deniz Gurtas Mr Chow King Yin Alexandra J Hardee Dr & Mrs Jacinto M L Tong Patrick J Hart Mr Leonine Timothy C T Tsang Mr Wong Tzun

Edward Hughes Andy C Y Lo Jack G B Nicoll Mark R H Pang Sofia Singer Travis K H Tai Grace Walker

ABSENT MEMBERS Mr Clement Chow Mr Douglas S Elliott Mr Gregory D C Miller Ms Angela C M Ng Mr & Mrs Chan Tit Kin Mr & Mrs Jeremy F Bolland Mr & Mrs Jason Fedder Mr & Mrs John D Fitzpatrick-Nash Mr & Mrs Christopher C V Kaye Mr & Mrs John Pinkel Tiffany Chiu

RESIGNED MEMBERS Mr Jean-Michel Florent Miss Fleur G C De Koning CORPORATE NOMINEE Miss Mak Hiu Tung SUBSCRIBERS Mr Thomas Scholz Mr Christopher H Poon Dominic K K Kwok Oceanway Corporation Ltd Candice C Y Lam – Director Mo Jun Heem Christopher van de ven Wan Chun Wah

NJK Nyländska Jaktklubben History NJK is the largest and oldest registered yacht club in Finland. It was founded in 1861 upon approval of its rules by Czar Alexander II in St. Petersburg. At the time Finland was called the Grand Duchy of Finland and it was part of the Russian Empire.

Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club

Kellett Island, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong, SAR Kellett Island Tel: 2832 2817 Fax: 2572 5399 Middle Island Tel: 2812 7202 Shelter Cove Tel: 2792 2744

www.rhkyc.org.hk www.facebook.com/rhkyc www.facebook.com/rhkycrowingsection www.racebook.com/rhkycevents www.facebook/rhkycsharks www.facebook.com/rhkycmatchracing www.twitter.com/rhkyc

Facilities • Marina and mooring for visitors • Harbour office with connections to sail makers and fitters • Banquet and meeting room Sailing The Club has a match racing centre targeting at youth sailing. Two weekly coaching sessions are organised each year for members practising their sailing skills.

The sailing season is from May to September. The most popular classes of boats sailed include: 780 (match racing), 606, J/80, Laser, 29er, 49er, E-dinghy, Zoom8 and Opti Kadett. Major races include the Open Spring Cup and Nordic Open Match Race.

Björkholmen södra, 00200 Helsinki, Finland Tel: (358) 9686-9880 Email: kansliet@njk.fi

50

| FEBRUARY 2014 AHOY!

Web Site: www.njk.fi

Birth Announcement

Obituary Jeanne Chien (錢何珍宜) 1935-2013 Aged 84, devoted wife of Teddy Chien Hok Hung and loving mother of David and Enid, passed away peacefully in the morning of 19 December.

A member for 18 years.

A funeral service was held on 2 January.

Anthony and Hongyu Root are seen here being presented with their new iPad mini 64GB by General Manager Mark Bovaird.

Anthony’s name was drawn out of the hat to win first prize in the Member Satisfaction Survey Lucky Draw. Second prize (three months’ free membership subscriptions) was won by Andreas Brechbuhl, third prize (dinner for four in the Compass Room valued at $2,000) went to Wong Lye Sin and the fourth prize (a Ship Shop gift voucher) was picked up by Terence Lee.

Farewell

Oliver James Nicholl – 1922-2013 Died peacefully in hospital on 29 December after a short illness. A member for 43 years.

Beloved husband of Pat, loving father of Rupert and Olivia and grandfather of Robyn and Elliot. A private family cremation was held in the UK. Tony Scott – 1939-2013 Passed away peacefully at home at night in Brighton, England on 20 December after a short illness. Beloved husband of Eva, loving father of James and Michael and grandfather of Mark and Amy. Tony was born in London on 29 November 1939.

He graduated with honours in 1962 from the University of Keele, where he read Politics, English and Philosophy.

He moved to Hong Kong soon afterwards and joined the police force here, rising to the rank of Superintendent. In 1976, Tony joined the Independent Commission Against Corruption, where he then worked for the next 20 years, spending the last 10 years as Director of Corruption Prevention. He was made a companion of the Imperial Service Order in 1992 for his work for Her Majesty’s Overseas Civil Service.

Chan Yung Fuk, MI Coxswain, and Ng Pik Chui, Amah, both retired on 31 December after 22½ and 21½ years with the Club respectively.

Top: Marine Services Manager Roger Eastham presents Chan Yung Fuk with his farewell gift.

Left: General Manager Mark Bovaird presents a gift to Ng Pik Chui.

Milestone Birthday

Tony was an active member of the Club for 38 years and served as the Commodore, Vice Commodore and Honorary Secretary, as well as on the General Committee, Membership Committee and Marine Committee in the 80s to 90s. During his time in Hong Kong he owned five yachts, all in different classes, including Fast Company, a J-35, and enjoyed racing them in the harbour most weekends. He also participated with enthusiasm and competitiveness in many off-shore races, notably the China Sea races to Manila and San Fernando, and acted as the Chief Scrutineer for the China Sea Race 1998.

In 2004, Tony moved to Brighton with his family. He continued his love of sailing there, racing his latest yacht Arpège at the Brighton Marina Yacht Club on Sundays and sailing to France on the Royal Escape races and to the Isle of Wight for the Round the Island races. Tony’s funeral was held in Brighton on 11 January. It was well attended by family and friends including a number of the Club’s absent and former members.

Rod Maynard was back in Hong Kong last month to celebrate his 50th birthday in the Main Bar with family and friends. Happy Birthday Roddy!

FEBRUARY 2014 AHOY! |

51

Club Lines

Sirett Hayley and William Sirett would like to introduce Millicent Rose Sirett, born at 0630hrs on 3 January weighing 5lb 4oz and perfect.

Congratulations

Club Lines

Mission to Seafarers Christmas Lunch On 19 December, 22 retired seamen came to the Club to enjoy a Christmas buffet lunch in the Bowling Alley followed by a tour of the Club and the hardstanding. Everyone had a lovely time and is looking forward to their next visit to the Club for the Chinese New Year fireworks.

Delusional Traits – book-reading and signing with David Clarke, former Rowing Captain Chart Room | Friday 28 February | 1930hrs Absent member David Clarke gave a reading of his first book, Rare Traits, in January last year and we are delighted to welcome him back for a reading of the second book in his trilogy, Delusional Traits.

1970 – During the last 452 years, gifted artist Annie Carr has killed in self-defence a number of times and never had to face the consequences. This time things are different. When she is witnessed brutally stabbing and killing a man, an uncompromising district attorney wants her executed. Desperate for a way out, Annie resorts to a dangerous tactic – she tells the truth about herself.

2012 – Sara Farsley has worries other women would kill for: she enjoys perfect health and she isn’t ageing – at 46 she still looks and feels no different from when she was 30. When Sara was young, her mother told her they would both live forever.

But how could that be true when her mother, a killer known to be delusional, is long dead? Having lived her life trying to forget her past, Sara is persuaded by her family to find the truth, and the deeper she digs, the more bizarre the truth becomes.

Delusional Traits continues the story of the 15th Century Renaissance artist John Andrews and others like him. The now almost 600-year-old John never met his daughter Paola, born in Naples in 1518, but not only is he certain that she shared his rare traits, he is also convinced that she is still alive. His hopes are raised when his art-and-computer-expert friend Ced Fisher shows him a number of brilliant paintings by an artist called Annie Carr that cannot be distinguished from the work of a 19th Century female artist. But then John’s hopes are dashed when he discovers that Annie Carr is dead. Or was her death a delusion?

Signed coies of Delusional Traits will be on sale to members.

Free to all members and guests but please book your place, either online or by emailing social@rhkyc.org.hk

52

| FEBRUARY 2014 AHOY!

San Fernando Thank You On behalf of the San Fernando Race Foundation I would like to thank those who made donations in Vic Locke’s memory. The funds provided will go towards the daily running of the home and education of the youths we look after there. The very moving message sent by Harold Joseph (below) shows just how valued the support of the Club is and how the support of the Foundation has changed the lives of many youths over the years. Support for the home was driven by Vic over many years and this will continue in the years to come.

If you have not already made a donation and wish to do so this can be done either by writing a cheque made out to the San Fernando Race Foundation Ltd and sending it to the Club or writing to the Club’s Financial Controller (Tim Gallagher – tim.gallagher@rhkyc.org.hk) asking him to add an amount you wish to donate to your bill.

Best regards, Colin Dawson “I may not know you personally, Sir Vic Locke, but all I know is that you are a big part of what I am today. Four months from now, I am going to walk on the stage to receive my diploma, an event that you and the whole yacht club family desires for all of us and it will not be possible without you, Sir Vic. Thank you for your love, your kindness, your compassion, the blessing you have shared, thank you for everything. I know God prepared a good place for you. Rest in Peace, Sir Vic Locke.

Harold Augustin Joseph, Aged 20, November 2013”

The private bank for sailing Proud supporters of EFG Mandrake and leading events worldwide. www.efgsailing.com

facebook.com/EFGInternational

Photos: Pierrick Contin / Paul Wyeth / Lloyd Images

瑞士盈豐銀行

Practitioners of the craft of private banking 瑞士盈豐銀行 瑞士盈豐銀行 EFG is the marketing name for EFG International and its subsidiaries. Hong Kong: 18th Floor, International Commerce Centre, 1 Austin Road West, Kowloon, Hong Kong, T + 852 2298 3000.

In Asia, also present in Singapore, Shanghai, Taipei and Jakarta. EFG Bank is part of EFG International, which operates in over 30 locations. www.efginternational.com