February 2012

Kung Hei Fat Choy to all members and staff! I wish you a prosperous, healthy and happy Year of the Dragon. I thoroughly enjoyed my first experience of the fireworks, Lion Dancers and God of Wealth, plus my opportunity to assist the Commodore in bringing the lions to life by dotting their eyes.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the staff at the Club for the hard work they have put in throughout the festivities over the last couple of months. They truly are an asset to the Club.
The third annual friendly cricket match between our Club and the ABC took place on 3 January.

Unfortunately the RHKYC lost for the third time in a row, by 109 runs! I’m sure everyone who took part – and the spectators – still had a great time!

On a happier note, I would like to thank members for their co-operation in complying with the new Motor Vehicle Idling (Fixed Penalty) Regulation, and switching off their engines while their cars are parked in the car park.

We have also been making good progress on securing Corporate Partnerships to further enhance our races and regattas in 2012. The Tomes Cup presented by Leica was a huge success in January, and I am sure that the forthcoming Class Regatta presented by Jeanneau will be equally successful. I am sure that members will be pleased with enhancements that can be made in conjunction with our new and existing corporate partners.

The 2011 Members’ Survey produced some interesting and informative results, and you can read more about these on page 37. An increase in respondees of over a third was fantastic, and I would once more like to thank everyone who took the time to complete the survey. Your views have been heard.

At a ceremony held at Queen Mary Hospital in December, the Club received a Certificate of Appreciation from The Hong Kong Red Cross (Branch of the Red Cross Society of China) in recognition of our valued support over the years. We are absolutely delighted to be able to make a difference to the lives of patients and families and look forward to continuing (and building upon) our community service.

The Club has signed on as venue partner for the ‘Happy Hearts Love Sharks – Hong Kong’ wedding contest awards ceremony, in the interests of inspiring and educating both our members and the wider public about the positive impact that shark-free weddings can have on our oceans. This contest, started in Canada in 2009 and run locally by the Hong Kong Shark Foundation, is on now and the award ceremony will be held at the Club on World Oceans Day, 8 June. If you are getting married and are having a shark-free wedding banquet you can join the competition. Please find full details at the official website, http://www.happyheartslovesharks.org/hk
 

Don’t forget it’s St Valentine’s Day on 14 February and we are having a special dinner in the Compass Room, where you can treat your better half to a sumptuous and romantic candle-lit dinner.

I look forward to seeing you all around the Club.

Mark Bovaird
General Manager