Commodore’s Message

Commodore Denis Martinet

會長孟憲庭 Hello all, and a rather dispirited hello it is! As I write these notes, we are in the thralls of the dreaded 5th wave, with further restrictions, which I sincerely hope that by the time you read these lines, we will see a light at the end of this rather long and tedious tunnel that Covid keeps on excavating! And what can we expect? In March in terms of our activities I mean! Well, there will be a lot to catch up on all sporting fronts. And we do hope that includes weather fronts too, so as to have wind and waves a plenty. First, we must hope that our pursuit races will be rescheduled, more specifically the One Global HKRNVR Memorial Vase, which was scheduled to take place in January – we do want to make sure we have a TOP DOG to celebrate at season’s end! But one very popular event to look forward to is the Ladies Helm. And trust me it will be no sinecure! The quality of our lady sailors is evident and respected by all. This generally leads to close fought competition where, trust me, no hold is barred, far from it. This makes for some really exciting racing and very tight results. Only last year, we had a three-way tie for first in the Etchells class. Can we expect even more this year? Can we see Janet Lau fresh from her victory during the most recent Around The Island Race stamp her authority further? Or will our sailing Olympians and other Sailing Institute alumni crash the party, not literally it is hoped… So plenty to look for in an event that has become a firm favourite for all. And for once all these Alpha males get to quieten down and take orders… Well hope springs eternal! One other cracking event this month will be the Inter-School Sailing Festival sponsored by long-time partner Boase Cohen & Collins. Initially started in 2003 to encourage more school sailing and sail training, this competition focuses on team racing, a discipline which encompasses more than just controlling one boat but involves a great deal of strategy in orchestrating all your team’s boats. This format is an ideal opportunity for youths to discover the challenges and rewards of teamwork. But sailing is not just about brawn! Yes, physical fitness is important but other elements are needed to prevail such as physics, meteorology, maths, communication and management; all valuable skills that will play a positive role in the growth of each and every one of these young competitors. RHKYC is supportive of any youth development programmes, in line with our recent endorsement of the Youth Stem Challenges Initiative such as BC&C’s continuing support of youth outreach programme is something we must laud and support. So if you have some time, do come and give them a cheer at Middle Island on 12 and 13 March. With the postponement of our blue-ribbon event, the Rolex China Sea Race, the Sailing Office has organised a Category 3 Coastal Race the following weekend, a 100nm challenge around the waters of Hong Kong – something to shake the cobwebs after our forced lack of activities, one hopes! The Young Members Committee Po Toi Challenge will also take place, with a friendly race designed to get younger members together and meet and encourage them to take up some more serious sailing activities. Rowing will also have some fun in the Harbour with the 6th Harbour regatta taking place on Sunday 20th . As you can see, a packed schedule. We can only hope that we shall all be in a position to enjoy it safely once the wretched storm has passed. On to some housekeeping, more mundane but important. The Club’s 2022 Electoral General Meeting will take place on Thursday, 9 June at 1830hrs in the Compass Room. There are seven posts on General Committee for which elections are necessary – including Commodore, Vice Commodore and Honorary Secretary. 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 Thursday, 14 April by email to commodore@rhkyc.org.hk. Not wanting to be labouring the point but I will anyway! Please do single out and recommend any individual you think shows the right attributes and fresh motivation. We are a members' Club and we need to have a pool of people that reflect the diversity and varied interests that make up the very special place that is the RHKYC, ensuring it continues to thrive in these fast-changing times. One new face will be our freshly appointed Operations Manager Peter Murray, who started mid-February. Whilst he may have some very large clogs to fill, he was a sailor in his native Barbados, competing in Optimists and sponsored by Mount Gay – this explains no doubt why he chose the Beverage over the Food! A warm welcome to him and I very much look forward to seeing you all at the Club!