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2014 Noel Croucher Award

Noel Croucher Award for Sailing - Roger Eastham

The Commodore was pleased to report that the Noel Croucher Award 2014 had been awarded to Mr Roger Eastham, who had been nominated for his truly exceptional contribution to sailing over many years, in person at his leaving party on 31 October 2014 attended by many of his fellow members and sailors.

The Commodore advised that having first experienced Hong Kong in 1977 as a volunteer at the Outward Bound School, Mr Eastham returned after graduation in 1981 on a three-month contract to commission the training ship ‘Ji Fung’, a posting which was to turn into a two-year contract and prove the start of a long affair with the marine scene in Hong Kong. The energy and enthusiasm he possessed, together with an unbridled curiosity for just about everything, was reflected in the number of different events and classes which he had a hand in introducing to Hong Kong.

X99s and Magic 25s were Mr Eastham’s ‘babies’, and the existence of a thriving J/80 fleet was due in a major way to Mr Eastham’s perseverance in finding a suitable one design class which would be popular Hong Kong-wide and could also be harnessed to help develop the Hong Kong Match Racing scene. He was a founding member of the Hebe Haven 24-hour Charity Dinghy Race and retained a strong interest in supporting this event – as a co-operator, Mr Eastham never let cross-Club politics get in the way of a good event or a sensible idea. He was one of the few Club members to live up to the ideals of the Club’s Mission Statement set by the members.

Mr Eastham had also been a valued and much sought-after crew member for events as varied as China Sea Race, San Fernando Race, Kenwood Cup and Admiral’s Cup, not to mention practically every Asian regatta going. Mr Eastham’s passion for the sea and for sailing was apparent in everything with which he showed an interest, and RHKYC had been the beneficiary of that passion in countless ways since he joined the Club in 1986. As well as 10 years working for the interests of the Club in a wide ranging and demanding role, Mr Eastham found time to sit on the Local Vessel Advisory Committee for Class IV Vessels, the Water-land Interface Task Force of the Harbourfront Commission and the Safety Committee of the Outward Bound School of Hong Kong.

For many years, regardless of whom he worked for at the time and which club the boats sailed from, Mr Eastham was the ‘go-to’ man for sinkings, dismastings, groundings, termite infestations … the list was endless. MRCC and sailors from all clubs in Hong Kong had Mr Eastham’s number on their phone and he must have been involved in co-ordinating the rescue of almost every yacht ever grounded in Hong Kong in recent years.

This list of his achievements was by no means comprehensive, but perhaps most impressive was Mr Eastham’s success in maintaining a rewarding family life with his wife and his two children, who were no doubt very happy to have him finally arrive in Australia earlier this month. Equally, RHKYC members, staff and Hong Kong’s marine community were very sad to lose him.