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2018 Noel Croucher Award

Noel Croucher Award for Sailing - Anthony Day

The Commodore advised that Anthony Day, generally known as Ant, was the Rear Commodore Sailing up until the time when he left Hong Kong in June 2016.
Mr Day’s commitment to the club was wide ranging over a number of years.

On the sailing side he was a regular participant in the Etchells class sailing in Jezebel, notably winning the Top Dog trophy in 2016, just before he left Hong Kong. His boat Explorer was also a regular entrant in the Club’s offshore races. He served on nine committees over the years, including the General Committee 2013-16; Sailing Committee 2011-16; Sailing Development Sub-Committee 2011-2013; Marine Sub-Committee 2013-16; Strategic Planning Committee 2011-12; China Coast Race Week Organising Committee 2004 and San Fernando Race Organising Committee in 1997 and 2013; and was Rear Commodore Sailing from 2013 until 2016.

Over and above his contribution as a sailor and as a club committee member, Mr Day was a key supporter of raising the club’s international profile by helping to bring international events to Hong Kong. Starting with the Flying Fifteen World Championship in 2013, the number of regional and international sailing events that the Club has hosted has grown significantly and in recent years the Club has hosted, or helped run, not only the annual Hong Kong Race Week, but also the Etchells World Championship, the Optimist Asian & Oceanian Championships, the 29er World Championship and the Volvo Ocean Race Hong Kong stopover, in-port racing. Mr Day was a critical player in helping bring the Volvo Ocean Race to Hong Kong, the first time such a prestigious race has been to our waters.

These international, high profile, events are beneficial in many ways to both the club and all sailors in Hong Kong. They helped raise enthusiasm and sailing standards in the class involved, they helped raise standards in our home grown race management team, they helped raise our profile in the international sailing community and they helped raise the profile of the club and our sport with both the public and the government here in Hong Kong. The latter was particularly important in the current environment, as could be seen from this year’s consultation in respect of the clubs which hold Private Recreational Leases.

The Commodore invited Mr Day to receive the Noel Croucher Award for his outstanding contribution to sailing.

Noel Croucher Award for Rowing - Mark Welles

The Commodore then advised that Mr Mark Welles joined the Club in 2005 as a Short Term Member and became an Ordinary Member in 2008, a Full Member in 2009 and was elected as the Rowing Captain in 2011-2013.

Beyond being Rowing Captain, Mr Welles has also been heavily involved in a lot of club committee work. He has been a member of the General Committee 2011-13 and 2015-17, Rowing Committee from 2006-07 and 2010-15; Club Committee from 2017- 18; Strategic Planning Committee from 2011-13; IT Working Group 2013-18 and the Nominating Committee in 2014 and 2016.

Mr Welles has an unfettered desire to enhance the Club and in particular to develop rowing within the Club. He has been linked with rowing and developing the club over the past 13 years. Mr Welles’ involvement in the Club has been wide ranging from his time as Rowing Captain to Club Committee, to Strategic Planning Committee and IT Working Group. Throughout his time on committees and behind the scenes Mr Welles has always sought ways to enhance the club and its facilities to benefit all members.

Over and above his service on various committees, Mr Welles’ contribution has been the development and enhancement of the sport of rowing at the Club and his ambition to widen the enjoyment of the sport to members and non-members alike.
Mr Welles remains one of the most enthusiastic rowers and this enthusiasm continues to rub off on other members. Once claimed to be the oldest rower ever to race at Henley Regatta in the UK, he remains a force to be reckoned with on the water.

However, it has been his commitment to developing and enhancing the sport of rowing both on and off the water that has endured throughout his tenure at the club. He has always been keen to develop the skills of younger members and support overseas racing campaigns. The foundations that Mr Welles laid in place as Rowing Captain have directly lead to the current success and diversity in rowing that we enjoy today. His early contributions to coastal rowing have led us to being the host venue for the Asian Rowing Coastal Championship in 2018 and the World Rowing Coastal Championship in 2019.
A particularly keen advocate to enhance onshore training facilities at the club, he has worked tirelessly to develop the facilities at the new gym particularly to expand land based training to improve on the water competitiveness.

His investment and commitment to the club has ensured future generations can continue to enjoy and develop the sport of rowing in Hong Kong.