Po Toi Challenge

WORDS: AHTHENA KUNG, YMC

I have always been curious about sailing; how it works, where the seemingly never-ending list of knots come in, and the difference between all the different types of sailboats. I knew I only needed to find the opportunity to try.

As a member of the Young Members Committee (YMC) this year, I was thrilled to be part of the committee and have the chance to help organise events and try new things too! Mainly focused on rowing, I wanted to get to know the Club better and be more involved with events that help to bring the whole RHKYC sporting community together.

The YMC Po Toi Challenge is a signature race that is known within the Club and was the perfect chance for me to try sailing for the first time! I was ecstatic.

As the day inched closer and closer, the YMC team meticulously planned the event to ensure everything went smoothly (thank you especially Liz Wai, Bosco So and Judy Chan!). The week

of the challenge, I don’t think anyone knew what weather to expect for the race day. The forecast indicated some wind and rain, but could we possibly be so lucky that there could be a hint of sun?

Waking up in the morning of 20 August, I took the slightest peek outside my window and was pleasantly surprised to see clear blue skies! Too excited for the day ahead, I quickly made my way to Kellett Island.

We had a total of 17 boats registered, and over 70 people signed up as crews from different core sports (sailing, rowing, paddling). It was the biggest sign ups ever for the Po Toi Challenge! And, looking around at the different boats, there were many ‘newbies’ just like me onboard.

Hopping onboard the Lisa Elaine, I instantly felt welcomed by my team, and my nerves about my first-time sailing instantly slipped away. With no time to waste (it is a competition, after all!), we quickly pulled out of Kellett Island and headed to the starting point. The sea condition was choppy, and the wind was blowing 8 to 10kts. With three loud horns signaling the start of the race, we were off! During the race, I helped balance the boat, moving from port to starboard each time “tack!” was called. With each tack, I began to understand the concept of sailing a bit more. First and foremost, the importance of working together and communicating well with each other. I was also kindly taught by our more experienced sailors (shoutout to Alex and Yukiko) on sailing tips!

After finishing our race, we went for a lovely seafood lunch at Po Toi, where they have the best calamari in Hong Kong. And as we cruised back to Kellett Island, I realised that over the course of the day, I went from having never tried sailing before and only knowing that sailing involved tying lots of knots, to learning how to tie a bowline and clove hitch, helping lower the buoy as we were getting ready to dock, and having a go at steering! Thank you very much Carl Wilkinson for letting us onboard Lisa Elaine and teaching all this! Looking forward to other boat classes open days for experience.

Young Members Committee would like express appreciation to Wilfer Sails for sponsoring sail ties for the event.

Provisional Results

1st 2nd

Pepper & Salt Boss 3rd Sea Monkey Line Honours Ffreefire

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Light is central to our visual experience of the world around and comes in many forms. Some of which remain invisible to us along with their inherent dangers. For instance, the sun's untraviolet A (UVA) and B (UVB) sun rays are particularly harmful to your eyes. Over exposure to these two unseen light forms can lead to several serious eye conditions that impair vision such as cataracts, premature macular degeneration and photokeratitis (sunburn of the cornea). The solution? Well, prevention is always better than cure and much like a high SPF sunscreen for your skin, your eyes need a high-quality pair of sunglasses that effectively block UVA and UVB sun rays.

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All the bright and blinding lights

That blinding moment as the sun’s rays reach across the water and extend to meet your boat is you experience glare first-hand. Its uncomfortable and inconvenient to say the least. Especially when you are navigating turbulent waves and need to read the wind and water instantly.

Glare is a by-product of light which generally disperses in all directions. But, on occasion it aligns and travels in a uniformed direction creating what is called ‘polarised’ light which in turn is responsible for the experience of glare. As you would have experienced, glare brings a host of common eye discomforts and contributes to eye fatigue which can lead to squinting, watering eyes and even headaches due to prolonged eye strain. To combat glare, you need a pair of sunglasses that have a polarisation filter built into the lens. This filter works to block the intense polarised light allowing only manageable light through to your eyes. Look for an eyewear brand that has a high-efficiency polarisation film capable of reducing nearly all glare (99.9%) to safeguard your visual experience and prolong your eye comfort.

Seeing in the dark

The ability to see in the dark after being exposed to bright light is called “dark adaptation". Practically, it is all about your eyes ability to adjust when light conditions change from illuminous to dark. Your movements from below deck to above deck are one such instance. The factors impacting your night vision are varied and range from sun protection through to diet and even graceful aging. But, spending even a relatively short time in intense sunlight could compromise your dark adaptation and extend the time it takes for your eyes to adjust from minutes to several hours. Luckily, and no surprise by now, wearing a quality pair of sunglasses can help keep your eyes safe as you navigate changing light conditions.

Dangerous blue hues

With an almost regal name, you’d imagine blue light to be somewhat magical. The truth is, High Energy Visible violet/blue light rays (HEV), is a form of light, commonly known as blue light, and is transmitted by the sun, digital devices and LED lighting. It has woven itself into the fabric of our daily lives and habits without so much as a peep. Just like UV, HEV is both beneficial and harmful. On the positive side, blue light can actually help improve memory, elevate mood and even regulate the sleep/wake cycle. Sadly, our eyes’ natural filters don’t provide sufficient protection against the harmful side of HEV light and can sustain cumulative damage due to over exposure which has been associated with Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD). AMD is a condition responsible for more than half of visual impairments. Giving your eyes’ defenses a boost by choosing eyewear that helps block hazardous HEV light is certainly something to consider.

From UV sun rays, to polarised light, through to dark rooms and dangerous light in blue hues, the topic of eye health is as diverse and complex as your boat’s anatomy and sailing terminology to a non-sailor. Yet, it is just as critical. So, why not take the first step in your eye health journey by choosing a high-quality eyewear brand like Maui Jim PolarizedPlus2® sunglasses which block 100% of harmful UVA and UVB rays, eliminate 99.9% of harsh glare and manage 95% of HEV, all while enhancing colour, improving clarity and increasing detail. After all, a view fit for fair winds and following seas is a worthy investment.

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