3 minute read
Rob Allen
interview
Rob Allen
Advertisement
On the eve of the 10th 24hr Charity Dinghy Race, Hebe Haven Yacht Club’s sailing centre manager talks to Robby Nimmo about the cut of his jib.
salty
This year is the 10th anniversary of the 24hr Charity Dinghy Race. It’s a huge sailing festival, with a carnival atmosphere, games, books, shopping and food stalls, and live music as teams of eight to 80 people sail continuously around a 1.2 kilometre course just off the club’s pontoons. The main beneficiary is the Children’s Cancer Fund, and we also donate to Ideal (Intellectually Disabled Education & Advocacy League), Treats – a charity for underprivileged children – and Enlighten action for Epilepsy. Part of the stallholders’ profits also goes to charity.
It’s Le Mans-style racing as crews change continuously through the event. It’s like hot bedding, only it’s hot boating. Instead of uni, I became a windsurfing instructor. In Cowes, I trained to teach dinghy sailing and kayaks. And in Barbados I trained in windsurfing and diving. My watersports career began with three seasons in the Med at expensive resorts. In winter, I’d go back to my parents’ hotel in Torquay, which was a bit like working for Basil and Sybil at Fawlty Towers.
I went to Plas Menai
in North Wales and did a Royal Yachting Association Senior Sailing Instructor’s course in November in the freezing cold, and applied for a job at Hebe Haven Yacht Club. I arrived in April 2004, wondering how I was going to sail in Hong Kong harbour and instead I was brought to Hebe Haven by then general manager Lisa Kealty.
For the third year, Sailability’s less-abled sailors also join us in Access dinghies, donated by companies and sponsors throughout Hong Kong.
One of the perceptions with Hong Kong yacht clubs is that you need to be a member to do the sailing courses – you don’t. We have people doing our courses up to their 50s, but you can learn to sail at any age. We run WOW (Women on Water) courses midweek. We also have keelboat and dinghy courses. On a keelboat people usually have one specific role; with dinghy sailing, there are a lot more jobs to do and people often feel they get more freedom.
I got into water sports by luck. We used to go on family holidays to the Caribbean every year and I loved the water sports. I took to it like a duck to water. I was blown away by the scenery. But there was a tin shack and a few dinghies and not much else. I worked for two years to build it up. I was bitten by the Caribbean bug and I left after two years to take a post at the Bitter End Yacht Club in the British Virgin Islands, and then another post in the Maldives.
The grass is not
always greener. I got a call from the club in 2008 and I came back. I had strong feelings for the club and the area and I wanted to help grow the sailing centre. We now have hundreds of kids sailing several times a week.
Allen (back right) with Hebe's young sailors.
When a person is suddenly able to sail a small boat on their own, it’s like turning on a light. job for school kids. Young people who learned to sail here help little kids like they once were. Many go onto become RYA-qualified dinghy instructors, and in their holidays they help us teach children to sail. I really like taking people outside their comfort zone; building confidence on the water tends to build confidence off the water. When a person is suddenly able to sail a small boat on their own, it’s like turning on a light.
It’s great to see young
sailors come through our Assistant Instructors programme – a paid When I am not sailing, I am often at the Spurs In Hong Kong supporters’ club, who I play football for. My favourite hike is to Long Ke Wan. It’s a great beach.
I rarely go to Hong Kong Island. Everything I need is in Sai Kung. I don’t want to see it turn into some suburban enclave. It’s built up enough and has a unique village atmosphere. There are not many places in the world that are this terrific and have cows meandering down the main street.
