3 minute read
Commodore’s Message
from Ahoy! March 2021
by Koko Mueller
After a prolonged absence from our favourite aquatic playground, the longest absence to date over the last 12 months at eight weeks, I suddenly realised that we have missed out on a plethora of iconic races and activities with more cancelled or postponed. Well I can assure you that our sailing and rowing teams have been, and will continue to, working tirelessly to catch up and try to squeeze in as many events in a diminishing number of available slots! As with Paris’ motto, we have been tossed around but will not flounder!
Still, plenty of water-borne activities to feast upon over the last few weeks and in the foreseeable future; the Everest of the Seas the Vendee Globe (and our congratulations to Yannick Bestaven for winning!), Jules Verne attempts (and our commiserations to both Sodebo and Gitana for having to retire) and the ongoing America’s Cup sailed on amazing floating machines or are they flying? Well exciting no matter which, making the forthcoming final an exciting and unique event.
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Talking of flying, our very own RHKYC Team Agiplast have travelled to Gaeta in Italy to participate in the inaugural Liberty Bitcoin Youth Foiling World Cup, the first of three events sailed on the foiling 69Fs, the last of which we expect to be held here in HK later this year or early in 2022.
Closer to home, but no less competitive Sunday 7 March will see the third anniversary of all classes hosting their Ladies Helm race on the same day and linked to International Women’s Day, with Big Boats also joining this year.
Rowing and Paddle Sports are traditionally very busy in March, with members competing in and organising several regattas throughout the month. The first weekend, will be the 5th Harbour Regatta, a Club organised sprint regatta in Victoria Harbour where competitors will compete in a one-on-one knockout format, making for great viewing! The event will conclude with a formal dinner to celebrate the 5th anniversary of the regatta. Meanwhile, on the paddling side, the Club’s dragon boat team, Royal X’s season should be well underway with our members training hard, several days a week in preparation to compete at a variety of regattas including the Club’s own race, the Middle Island Cup that will take place on the 28th .
You may have heard that we had to postpone our iconic Rolex China Sea Race, which was postponed from 2020. Well we are now firmly looking at an impressive event in one year to commemorate its 60th Anniversary. This diamond anniversary will indeed be very special and more details and innovations will be announced in due course! Meanwhile The Notice of Race and online entry have been opened, so please visit: www.rolexchinasearace.com and register.
When looking at the history of this event, one realises it is not short on adventures and records: Reverie took line honours in the inaugural race in a time of 107h 29m 57s – the record now stands at 38h 30m 07s achieved by MOD 70 Beau Geste in 2018 – nearly a 2h improvement per year! A storm with 70-knot winds wreaked havoc on the fleet in 1988. And five full years before Maiden and Tracy Edwards conquered the male dominated Whitbread, our very own Rolex China Sea Race had an all-female crew on Lady Fling!
When looking at our heritage and traditions, the archives contain interviews of past and sadly departed members, some of whom we have heard of, let alone met: Pat Loseby, Hector Ross, Reg Maynard, Richard Hownam-Meek and Tina and Gene Yourieff. We are restoring and adapting these audio files and will share the contents of these files as podcasts or in an article – such as the one you will find in this edition in which Hector Ross in 1992 reminisces taking part in the very first China Sea Race 30 years earlier in 1962.
On more mundane but important administrative matters, the Club’s 2021 Electoral General Meeting will take place on Thursday, 10 June at 1830hrs in the Compass Room. There are eight posts on General Committee for which elections are necessary – including Rear Commodore (Club), Rear Commodore (Sailing), Honorary Treasurer and Rowing Captain. I would like to invite our Life and Full Members to put forward for consideration by the Nominating Committee (of which I am the Chairman) the names of members who they think could be suitable for these positions and who are either Life Members or who have been Full Members for at least two years, and I would be more than happy to receive your nominations before Wednesday, 15 April by email to commodore@rhkyc.org.hk.
