Where Does Your

f the 11,428 tonnes of municipal solid waste landfilled each day in 2018 in Hong Kong, some 3,565 tonnes (or 31%) comprised food waste! In line with its sustainability policy to minimise (and support new technologies that minimise) its environmental footprint, the Club has adopted a multi-pronged approach to reducing, reusing and recycling its food waste.

Reduce. Members now have options to order ‘medium’ sized portions of certain popular dishes to minimise the potential for food waste. That said, given the increase in portion and plate sizes across the developed countries over the years, perhaps a mind-shift is needed towards consuming just the right amount of food, rather than supersized portions. The F&B team has also downsized menus and eliminated dishes that are rarely ordered to address the problem of unused ingredients.

Reuse. The Club is a partner of Foodlink Foundation – a registered Hong Kong charity dedicated to fighting hunger, building self-sufficiency, and fostering nutritional wellness among those in need. The Club participates in Foodlink’s Hot Food Program and Banquet Program by keeping surplus food refrigerated until collection by Foodlink where it is then re-heated and served on-site to those in need. In total, our donations to Foodlink over the past two years translated to an average of 50 meals a month for its beneficiaries.

Recycle. As it turns out, we cannot turn water into wine but we can turn food waste into water. The kitchens at the Kellett clubhouse are running a trial of an ORCA machine which converts food waste (pretty much everything other than ribs from tomahawk steak cuts) into liquid using ORCA’s proprietary microbial mixtures. The liquid can be safely discharged into the Club’s existing plumbing, saving the original food waste a trip to the landfill. The trial machine digest 13kg of food waste per hour and is being used approximately 12 hours a day. That’s over 4000 kg of food waste a month!

Food is expensive. Beyond the sticker price to the consumer, food production typically involves deforestation, the use of fertilisers and pesticides and the consumption of fossil fuels in transportation, so please be aware of the food cycle and eat mindfully and consciously.

embers will be well acquainted with the Clubs motor boats that they see out on the race course. These craft are used mainly for mark laying and as secondary committee boats. We have four Cheoy Lee 28 feet open cockpit launches; named M63, M64, M65 and M66; one Cheoy Lee 28 covered launch, Kellett VII and the Noel Croucher, an Aqua Star fishing vessel.

Noel Croucher was built in 1975 in the UK and was fitted with a Ford Lehman engine of about 125 horse power. She is 32 feet long and 11 feet six inches wide. The Aquastar company is still in business today although they are now located in Guernsey and build motor yachts. The Noel Croucher has been re-engined at least twice. The present John Deere engine was installed in 2007. The Noel Croucher is based in Middle Island.

Noel Croucher

Kellett VII

M66

Builders plate of Noel Croucher

The Club purchased the M64, M65 and M66 from Cheoy Lee Shipyards in 1984. The M63 was purchased in 1986. The craft are 28 feet three inches in length and 9 feet six inches wide. These vessels were originally fitted with a Sabre 120 hp engines and cost $159,500.00 each. All four craft were re-engined between 2002 and 2007 with larger engines so that they could achieve 17 knots. This made it easier to get to the other end of the race course to move the marks. The M boats are all based at Kellett Island.

Kellett VII is also a Cheoy Lee but she was built in 1992 at a cost of $1,300,000 for Hebe Haven and named the Kam Loong. She is 28 feet three inches in length and 9 feet six inches wide which is the same hull as the M boats. She is fitted with a Perkins 120 horse power engine and this engine is still in the vessel. The Club purchased her in 1995 and she is based in Shelter Cove.

As members will note these vessels are becoming Grand Old Dames, especially the Noel Croucher, and therefore the Marine Committee are in the process of sourcing replacement vessels to take over their role as mark layers, committee boats and as store boats to operate between Kellett Island and Middle Island. A specific has been drawn up and quotations have been asked for from various boatbuilders.