One Global HKRNVR Memorial Vase

One Global HKRNVR Memorial

WORDS: VIVIAN NGAN | IMAGES: GUY NOWELL | VIVIAN NGAN

The finale of the Top Dog Trophy Series 2021-2022, One Global HKRNVR Memorial Vase took place on 7 May, completing a series of four pursuit races to decide the top performing boat for the season. With a consistent 8 to 10kts easterly breeze, the regular race management team of RO Gareth Williams and AROs Lucy Sutro, Sean Taylor and Victor Tsien elected to send the competitors on a 6.6nm course taking the fleet through Lei Yu Mun Gap and into Hong Kong’s Eastern Approaches, rounding Junk Bay Mark before returning into the eastern end of Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbour to satisfy the requirement of the HKRNVR Deed of Gift.

Vase

In 1950, the HKRNVR Memorial Vase was presented to the Club in honour of the members of the Hong Kong Royal Naval Volunteer Reserves who died during the Battle for Hong Kong. The presentation of the then 116 year old Georgian silver vase with dolphin handles, which was purchased out of the HKRNVR pre-war mess funds, was handed to Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club Commodore, N.V.A. Croucher by Lieutenant Commander J.C.M Grenham RNVR (Ret.) for a competition to perpetuate the memory of HKRNVR members who gave their lives during World War II with the request that an effort be made each year to set a course which represents an early wartime Naval Patrol. In making the presentation Lieutenant Commander J.C.M. Grenham said:

“As most of you know, the inaugural meeting for the formation of the HKRNVR was held in the old Yacht Club. The Chairman was Andrew Lusk Shields, Commodore RHKYC, and later Hon

Commander HKRNVR. The Vice-Commodore was H. S. Rouse – the first CO of the HKRNVR. Form the meeting, held in early 1933, emerged the HKNVF and HKRNVR.

A close liaison was maintained with the Yacht Club – all officers were members and almost all the boat boys formed the nucleus of the seamen personnel. RNSA Dinghy races were held every

Wednesday from the Cornflower.

On your Roll of Honour the names of Peter Dulley, Donald

Wagstaff, John Gifford Hull, John Colls, and

H. Stopani Thompson appear whom you all knew personally as keen yachtsmen.

I now have pleasure in handing to you as Commodore Royal Hong Kong Yacht

Club, the HKRNVR Memorial Vase. It must have a nautical history by reason of its dolphin design. It was made by

T. Hemming in the reign of William IV 1834.

We of the HKRNVR wish it to be sailed for annually, the course, if possible, to embraces our Loop Patrols, details of which will be given to your sailing committee.”

Asuccession of starts based on RHKATI ratings began with the Pandora fleet at 1400hrs and culminated around an hour later with three TP52s FreeFire, Rampage88 and Phoenix, with the format of the race allowing the later starts to catch the slower fleets and overtake them.

Although the wind softened to only 2kts with drizzle at Junk Bay, it luckily picked up again in the harbour allowing the fleet to finish the 6.6nm course plus Kowloon Bay and E1 mark for three more rounds before the target finishing time at 1630hrs.

Again, RO Gareth Williams executed perfect accuracy by calling the first finisher only 5 seconds from the target finish time. Whilst Pandora Windfall led the fleet for the majority of the course, VX One Serendipity overtook her on the last leg and took the gun at 16:30:05, just a nail biting 5 seconds ahead of Pandora Windfall with Dragon Zephyr claiming third.

As the fourth and final constituent event of the Top Dog Trophy Series designed to identify the most successful boat over a variety of pursuit races, courses and conditions. The current series includes the results for the Sun Hung Kai & Co. Around the Island Race (14 November 2021), the One Global Lipton Trophy (20 November 2021), the One Global Tomes Cup (30 April 2022) and of course the One Global HKRNVR Memorial Vase. Patrick Pender was joined this season by his 12-year-old son Nathan, racing on Serendipity throughout the Top Dog Series. Serendipity’s win not only guaranteed the Pender’s would lift the HKRNVR Memorial Vase, but it also ensured Serendipity’s name will be commemorated on the Top Dog Trophy for the first time.

One Global HKRNVR Memorial Vase 2022 Saturday 7 May 2022

NAME OF BOAT SAIL NUMBER CLASS SKIPPER POSITION

Serendipity Windfall 346 Vx One Patrick Pender 516 Pandora Tom Ho

Zephyr 55

Dragon Tam Nguyen Les Freaks Sont Chic 1428 Etchells Marco Pocci 1 2 3 4

Taxi 1047 Impala Kent Kan

5 Davinloong 46 Dragon Lowell Chang 6 Rainbow Chaser 731 Impala Sunny Chai / K K Lee 7 Gnu 262 Impala Randy Yeung 8 Noddy 1393 Etchells Jamie McWilliam 9 Panopae 159 Pandora Joseph Wong 10

Top 10 Top Dog Trophy Series 2021-2022

NAME OF BOAT SAIL NUMBER CLASS SKIPPER

Serendipity Davinloong

346 Vx One Patrick Pender 46 Dragon Lowell Chang Les Freaks Sont Chic 1428 Etchells Marco Pocci Noddy Windfall 1393 Etchells Jamie McWilliam 516 Pandora Tom Ho Rainbow Chaser 731 Impala Sunny Chai / KK Lee Panopae 159 Pandora Joseph Wong

Gunga Din 1243 Etchells Nick Burns

Taxi 1047 Impala Kent Kan

Gnu 262 Impala Randy Yeung

POSITION 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

The club would like to thank the fabulous volunteers who ran the racing on the day, Race Officer Gareth Williams, ARO Lucy Sutro, Sean Taylor and Victor Tsien and the capable team of assistants: Dawn Allen, Di Williams, Guy Uding, Jacky Lam, Victor Yung and Safety team of Kwan Shi Ming and Peter Duigan. The culmination of the Top Dog Trophy Series 2021-2022, the One Global HKRNVR Memorial Vase was finally completed after being postponed four months. We would like to express a heartfelt thanks to One Global Property Services, our Title Sponsor and Peroni, Partner of the event, for their valuable support in these exceptional times. Their support and commitment have made this event possible despite the challenges we have faced during pandemic time.