2003 Noel Croucher Award

On behalf of the Club, the Commodore congratulated Dr Eric Carter who had been nominated to receive the Noel Croucher Award 2003 for his special contributions to rowing.

The Commodore advised that Dr Carter was not only renowned for being a dentist who kept his mouth open longer than any of his nervous patients, he was also well known throughout Asia for his rowing achievements and enthusiasm. Dr Carter rowed to elite level in Australia, before coming to Hong Kong, where he carried on fervently with the sport, joining the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club in 1982 and has since been a key member of many of the crews that have represented the Yacht Club at home and overseas. He had a particular penchant for Japan and built up friendships with a number of officials in the Japanese Amateur Rowing Association, thereby establishing close ties for the Yacht Club in Japan, and leading to the Yacht Club being invited to participate in Regattas that would not normally have witnessed the appearance of foreigners. Dr Carter carried on with his "ambassadorial" role in other countries, facilitating Yacht Club entries in Regattas in the Australian Masters, and the Asian Pacific Championships in Australia, where the Yacht Club won a number of medals, and the request that the Yacht Club should return as often as possible to participate.

More recently, Dr Carter has given up his weekends to travel to Hanoi, to coach the Vietnamese crews who will be representing Vietnam in the Asian games. In furtherance of this, Dr Carter has pursued coaching qualifications, which means that he has participated both as a sportsman, and also in enabling others to participate and improve at the sport. That was most cogently evidenced in his recent participation at the Central Japan Championship in a double scull, stroked by his son Robert, with Dr Carter providing the ballast.

Dr Carter has not just been content with personal glory in the water and with developing relationships with other clubs, he has also been selfless in his dedication to the Rowing Section serving on the Rowing Committee four times, serving on Strategic Planning Committee and developing the technique of others through organising tho Novice Rowing Courses for a number of years and coaching innumerable club crews.

Dr Carter has been a truly valued member of the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club Rowing Section for over 20 years - and is a very deserving recipient of this award. The Commodore then presented the prize to Dr Eric Carter for his outstanding contribution to the Club's Rowing Section.

The Commodore then proceeded with the formal Items of business on the Agenda.