Yacht club charts course for 100-year mark on horizon

THE growth of competitive sailing in Hong Kong in many ways parallels the growth of the territory - from relative obscurity to a player on the international stage. On May 15 next year the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club (RHKYC) celebrates the centenary of its charter, a milestone for any sporting body, but as members reflect upon the achievement, they will also have an uncertain eye upon the future and what it holds fortheir club. Reaching such a milestone invariably means passing with dignity into that untouchable realm of becoming part of the ''establishment''. But in Hong Kong, history and being part of the ''establishment'' has not necessarily meant that an institution or organisation remains sacrosanct from the inevitable march of progress. So it is not surprising that the RHKYC and its successive committees have constantly been waging a battle to ensure its moorings are firmly fastened. It is significant that as Gillian Chambers was penning the closing chapters of her informative history of the club earlier this year, members were being asked to vote on a range of options, including the development of Shelter Cove complex. The club's base at Kellett Island in Causeway Bay has steadily been encroached upon as surely as the Hang Seng Index has continued its giddy rise. Ever-increasing harbour traffic, ongoing reclamation work and talk of a new highway along the Hong Kong Island corridor have all conspired to breed a feeling of anxiety and uncertainty. And it isn't the first time the club has been swallowed up, literally, by Hong Kong's rapid growth. The club's original premises in North Point was landlocked by reclamation work forcing the move to Kellett Island in 1939. In those days Kellett Island was an island, but after World War II it was linked by a causeway and later became truly part of the island when extensive work was carried out in conjunction with the construction of the Cross-Harbour Tunnel in the late 1960s. The club profited from the reclamation, gaining invaluable extra space for car parking and hard standing for the smaller craft. But there is no denying that from the beginning, the club has struggled for its very existence. It was therefore significant the club's 50th anniversary fell during the Japanese occupation when most of the members were either incarcerated or fighting on some far-flung battle front. As the handover to mainland China in 1997 edges ever closer, the club's committee must quickly decide where to channel their resources to ensure the viability of not just the club but the sport. The commodore, Vic Locke, summed up the club's position in the closing pages of Chambers' book when he said: ''Only a fool would contemplate the future without seeing potential problems ahead for the club, but the history of the club has paralleled the history of Hong Kong. The club has survived two World Wars, occupation and endless typhoons and we have reached our position today through the commitment of the members. ''The Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club is one of the world's great yacht clubs. I am confident it will maintain this position through the enthusiasm of its members coupled with dedication of its loyal staff, well into the foreseeable future.'' The club has certainly had its enthusiastic members over the years. No history of the club would be complete without mentioning two of them; Noel Croucher and Pat Loseby, who, in their own way stamped indelible marks upon the sport in Hong Kong. Croucher was linked with the club for more than 50 years up until his death on March 6, 1980. His drive and enthusiasm saw the club through the dark days after the the war and he worked tirelessly to unshackle the club from the onerous burden of a large loan taken out to build the Kellett Island club house. Much of his work went on behind the scenes but Chambers maps out in some detail his outstanding contribution. Equally, Loseby will claim a special niche in the history of the club as a women who blazed a trail toward equality of the sexes from an era when women weren't even afforded full membership rights. Hers has been a special chapter in the history of the club and it hasn't gone unrewarded. She remains a vice patron of the club, a rare and special honour. And Loseby made another contribution which will endure in Hong Kong waters long after she has gone, the hoi lung, a hot concoction of lemon squash, and rum she and her friends blended to warm the body and soul after a cold day's racing. Hoi lung is the name of a dragon she formerly raced. It would be remiss not to mention Hong Kong's fine tradition in yachting's most sought after team trophy, the Admiral's Cup, sailed off Cowes, England, biennially. No single event did more to put Hong Kong on the international sailing map in the 1970s than the deeds of Bill Turnbull, Bill Jeffrey and Hector Ross who entered the 1975 event and finished a creditable eighth. Better was to come two years later when Hong Kong finished third behind Britain and America. The 1979 Admiral's Cup Series Fastnet Race will go down in the history books not so much for the outstanding seamanship of the competing crews but the tragic loss of 14 lives and several craft. Hong Kong's three aboard the two Dubois 44s, Vanguard and Uin-na-Mara, plus the Peterson-designed Mile High (renamed La Pantera) saw the territory finish third, this time behind Australia and America. Sadly Hong Kong's involvement in the America's Cup waned as the new decade begun. But on the positive side, many world-class yachts are now stopping off in the territory to complete in the biennial South China Sea Race to Manila. In 1984 there was a record entry for the series which featured yachts from Singapore, Japan and the Philippines. But all eyes were on the two Maxis, Nirvana and Condor, who match raced most of the way with the former taking line honours. Over-all series honours went to Neil Pryde's Sunstreaker. Rowing also has a special place in the history of the club. While it may not enjoy the widespread popularity that it did in Victoria Harbour and later Middle Island, it still flourishes at its new base in Sha Tin. The club's rowers have been no less intrepid than the sailors and can certainly lay claim to more success at an international level over the years. Rowers have regularly competed in such places as Australia, England, The Netherlands, Sri Lanka, India, Japan and closer to home, Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, Korea and China. Next year will be a truly important landmark for not only the club, but Hong Kong, where tradition has often been forced to stand aside for progress. Hong Kong's sailors and rowers have fought long and hard to keep their chosen sports afloat and Champers' book is a testimony to that determination. While there is time to reflect on a fine achievement, there is precious little time to dwell as the milestone passes into history. New challenges are clearly visible on the horizon and it remains to be seen whether the incumbent committee can steer a safe course into the year 2000 and beyond.