Commodore’s Message

Well, the season did start with a bang! Not that of fiberglass against carbon fiber, though mark roundings were indeed a hazardous place, but Autumn Regatta debuted our season with a record attendance of 119 boats of all shapes and sizes! What a treat then for our title sponsor HSBC Expat and partners Peroni, Pharmabelle, Sail World and new partner Mercedes Benz debuting as supporting sponsor. Despite the timid presence of Aeolus, great fun Commodore Denis Martinet 會長孟憲庭 was had by all. A special nod of appreciation to our sponsors, who thanks to their support enable us to put together exciting events and attractive goodies. The latter have been piling up of late as prizegivings are still not allowed. Well rejoice as we will arrange some winners’ cocktails over the forthcoming weeks to pass on cups, regalia and some of the afore-mentioned rewards! So if you come across some of our sponsors, please do take the time to thank them and make them feel welcome. And indeed, if you or anyone you know is interested in learning more about partnerships and corporate hospitality opportunities, please contact our Head of Sponsorship and Corporate Partnerships Nadia (nadia.cuvelier@rhkyc.org.hk). Looking at the forthcoming calendar for October, there is barely a day to catch your breath! First our pinnacle Big Boat event, the China Coast Regatta, will take place from Middle Island from 8 to 10 October for IRC and from 9 to 10 October for HKPN. Traditionally we can expect the best of Hong Kong’s sailing conditions with 10 to 20kts, blue skies, warm friendly waters and cool refreshments post racing in one of Hong Kong’s most idyllic locations. Our biannual Hong Kong to Vietnam Race will have to be cancelled this year for the all-too-well-known reason. Instead, the Club will organise a 100nm Category 3 no life-raft race within Hong Kong waters, with a specific double-handed division. More details on the race can be found on our Club website. Closer to shore, but still around Middle Island, Dragon sailors will take part in their Class Championships off Lamma in the latter part of October. Competition promises to be fierce. With so many races planned, we will need all the help we can get. You will be pleased to know that we are almost back up to full strength regarding Club coxswains. Keep in mind that most of them are new, and while willing they will need your understanding and patience as they get to know and master all aspects of running races in our waters. I am sure they will not forget the top mark again for a long time! On another note, work is progressing on the new mark laying boats at Seaward Boats in the UK. The first hull has been moulded and interior stringers, bulkheads and engine bed fitting in progress. The engine itself has arrived at the factory and awaits installation. The new deck moulding has been completed. There has been a slight delay in the work due to supply chain problems due to… you guessed it our dear friend Covid. Lastly, congratulations to our very own Nicolai Jacobsen who recently competed in the Moth Worlds coming away with the prize for Best Junior (under 23 years) finishing in 18th place overall. A fantastic achievement given he was competing against an incredible line-up of Olympic Medallists, World Champions and other extra-terrestrials! Sometimes it’s not about just the fun that we are having but importantly the fun and thrills we can bring to others. Our RHKYC Charity Foundation recently supported Love 21, an organisation that empowers the Down Syndrome and autistic community to reach their full potential through sport. This programme saw a group of children taking part in dragon boating at Middle Island with the help of a number of Club volunteers over some Summer weekends. More detailed will be shared shortly in our monthly video but I wanted to thank those involved from far and close for this heart-warming initiative. So off to a very good start all around – See you at the Club.

香港遊艇會的新賽季由「秋季帆船賽」打響頭炮，這場開鑼賽錄得 一百一十九艘不同型號的帆船參賽呢！這場賽事由 HSBC Expat 冠名 贊助，Peroni、Pharmabelle、Sail World 作為支持伙伴，更有 Mercedes Benz 支持，成為贊助伙伴。即使賽事一度受颱風吹襲的威脅，賽事仍能 如期順利舉辦，大家都樂透了！

在此，特別鳴謝所有贊助商的支持，讓我們能舉辦一場盛大的賽事之餘亦 送上吸引的禮品。在社交距離措施限制下，我們尚未能舉辦頒獎典禮，禮 品將稍後送上。但大家不用失望，我們在未來數周將會為大家舉行優勝 者的雞尾酒會，為賽事勝出者頒發獎盃及上文提及的禮品等。

所以，如果大家有機會的話，請向我們的贊助商致謝，讓他們有賓至如歸 的感覺。倘若大家知道任何人士對於與本會合作舉辦活動感興趣，可請 他們向本會的贊助及國際協助總監顧明雅（Nadia）女士查詢，電郵地址 為 nadia.cuvelier@rhkyc.org.hk 。

踏入十月，本會的精彩賽事源源不絕。首先，本會首個大船級別賽事「中國 海岸帆船賽」於十月八至十日在中途島舉行。IRC組別帆船將一連三日， 由十月八至十日作賽，而HKPN則於十月九至十日才展開比賽。一般來說， 十月時份作賽，我們都會迎來極佳的航海天氣，包括在藍天碧海，十至二 十節風力下追風逐浪，可謂一流呢！

不用多說，大家都知道兩年一度的「香港往越南帆船賽」因疫情再度取 消。取而代之，本會將舉辦一場一百海浬的三級無救生筏的境內賽，有關 賽事詳情，請瀏覽本會網頁。 十月下旬，「Dragon 級別」帆船運動員將於中途島至南丫島一帶舉行級別 錦標賽，屆時一定有一場激烈的賽事上演呢！ 由於精彩賽事陸續上演，我們需要大量的人力及物力資源。我很高興向大 家宣佈，我們的船主團隊運動已回復正常。但大家留意，這個團隊尚新， 希望大家忍耐一下，相信在不久的將來他們會懂得如何處理賽事。我肯定 他們不會在航道設置時，再次遺漏「上風泡」呢！ 新的賽事工作船隻（mark laying boats）在英國 Seaward Boat 進行得如 火如荼。首隻船的船身及內部零件已在裝工中，機械零件亦已運抵工廠， 等待安裝。新的甲板亦已成型。當然，在疫情下，有些供應商未能如期送 貨，令新船的完工日期有所延誤。 最後，恭喜本會會員 Nicolai Jacobsen 在近期舉行的「Moth Worlds」帆 船賽中榮獲二十三歲以下組別的「最佳青年獎」。Nicolai 以第十八名為是 次旅程畫上圓滿句號。這可真是一個不錯的成績，因為他是與奧運獎牌 選手，世界賽高手及其他各地健兒同場作賽呢！ 正所謂「獨樂樂不如眾樂樂」，有時我們把快樂傳播開去，感染身邊的人 更為重要。香港遊艇會慈善基金會近日夥拍「Love 21」，一個為社區中 的唐氏綜合症及自閉症小孩，透過運動去發揮潛能的機構，舉辦了一名為 香港遊艇會慈善基金會 x Love 21 社區共融龍舟訓練計劃」。此計劃由 本會一班龍舟健兒，由八月中旬開始，逢周日義務教導「Love 21」學員有 關扒龍舟技巧及知識。有關此計劃的詳情，將於本月的「香港遊艇會視 頻」播出。衷心感謝各義工的善心及支持。 約定你，在會內見！