Calendar
Sailing
Rowing & Paddle Sports
Training Courses
F&B / EVENTS
News
Club & Facilities
Marine / Boatyard
Membership
Electoral General Meeting, 13 June
The Youth Room will be closed for minor renovation from 22 March to 28 March and will reopen on 29 March.
Today's pool water temperature is 21°C
View All
Calendar
Sailing
Rowing & Paddle Sports
Training Courses
F&B / EVENTS
News
Club & Facilities
Marine / Boatyard
Membership
Back
Calendar
Back
Sailing
Sailing Calendar China and Overseas Events Sailing and Training Circular Crew Board Seminars

Commodores

Click on a Commodore’s name for the biography, or click here for all the Commodore biographies. 

1890

Hongkong Corinthian Sailing Club founded

1890-1891

Montague Beart (his title was President before the new set of rules were adopted as per below)

(1857-1919) Butterfield & Swire. Elected HKCSC President.

A General Meeting was held on 30 April 1891 when a new set of rules were adopted and it was decided that the Officers of the Club should be a Commodore, Vice-Commodore, Captain, Secretary and Treasurer.

1891-1892

Admiral Edmund John Church, RN

(1842-1904) Commodore in Charge, Hong Kong (1888). Promoted to Admiral (1904).

1892-1893

Admiral Sir James Edward Clifford Goodrich, RN, MVO, KCVO

(1851-1925) Commander of the Victor Emmanuelreceiving ship at Hong Kong (1890). Promoted to Admiral (1913)

1893-1895

Major John Hope Wynne-Eyton

(1852-1911) 53 rdRegiment, Shropshire Light Infantry. A recognized authority on trout hatching.  Major Wynne-Eyton is the last Commodore of the Hongkong Corinthian Sailing Club and is the first Commodore of the Royal Hongkong Yacht Club.

1894
1895

Hongkong Corinthian Sailing Club renamed Royal Hongkong Yacht Club- Major Wynne-Eyton remains as Commodore.
Hongkong Boat Club founded as a rowing club

1895-1896

Commodore Sir George Thomas Henry Boyes, RN

(1842-1910) Entered Royal Navy 1854; Crimea and Turkish Medals, Sebastopol Clasp; Commodore and Naval Officer in Charge, Hong Kong (1893-1896); Director of Transports, Admiralty; retired 1901. Publication: “The Salvage of H.M.S. Howe”.

1896-1905

Sir Francis Henry May, CMG

(1860-1922) Colonial Secretary of Hong Kong (1902-1911). Governor of Hong Kong (1912-1918).

1905

Hon. Sir Henry Edward Pollock, QC, JP

 

(1864-1953) Senior Unofficial Member of the Legislative Council (1917–1941), Senior Unofficial Member of the Executive Council (1926-1941).

1904
1905

Hongkong Corinthian Yacht Club founded
Royal Hongkong Yacht Club and Hongkong Boat Club amalgamate and rowing becomes a RHKYC objective

1905-1906

Commodore Sir George Thomas Henry Boyes, RN

(1860-1922) Colonial Secretary of Hong Kong (1902-1911). Governor of Hong Kong (1912-1918).

1906-1908

Sir Francis Henry May, CMG

(1864-1953) Senior Unofficial Member of the Legislative Council (1917-1941), Senior Unofficial Member of the Executive Council (1926-1941).

1908-1909 Hon. Sir Henry Edward Pollock, KC, JP (1864-1953) Senior Unofficial Member of the Legislative Council (1917-1941); Senior Unofficial Member of the Executive Council (1926-1941).

1909-1910

Albert Denison

Civil Engineer. Danby & Leigh; Denison, Ram & Gibbs. Yacht designer.

1910-1911

Henry Keswick

(1870-1928), British Taipan of Jardine Matheson & Co and Member of Parliament.

1911-1913

Albert Denison

Civil Engineer, Danby & Leigh; Denison, Ram & Gibbs. Yacht designer.

1913-1916

Frank Smyth

(1866-1924) Share and General Broker, Vernon & Smyth.

1916-1918

Hon. Sir Claude Severn, KBE, CMG

(1869-1933) Colonial Secretary (1912-25). Severn Road in Hong Kong was named after him.

1918-1919

Robert Sutherland, OBE

Senior Manager, Jardine Matheson. RHKYC Committee (1917). Chieftain, HK St. Andrew’s Society (1923-1924)

1920

Corinthian Yacht Club wound up and members invited to join Royal Hongkong Yacht Club

1919-1922

Frank Smyth

(1866-1924) Share and General Broker, Vernon & Smyth.

1922-1923

Arthur Rylands Lowe, JP

(1873-1924) Founder of Lowe, Bingham & Mathews. Unofficial Member of the Legislative Council. Secretary of the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce. Died of typhoid at the the Peak Hospital.

1923-1924

David Keay Blair

Lowe, Bingham & Mathews (1911). Secretary of HK General Chamber of Commerce. Retired due to ill health (1924).

1925-1927

Capt. Thomas Arthur

Goddard & Douglas

1925-1927

Edgar William Carpenter, OBE, JP

Architect. Assistant Engineer Public Works Department (1912). RHKYC Committee 1917.

1927-1929

Andrew Lusk Shields

(1882-1944). Chairman of HSBC. Member of the Legislative Council. Interned at Stanley Prisoner of War Camp where he died on 24 July 1944.

1929-1932

Edgar William Carpenter, OBE, JP

Architect. Director of Public Works.

1932-1936

Andrew Lusk Shields, JP

(1882-1944). Partner, Shewan, Tomes & Co.; Legislative Councillor; Chairman of HSBC; Interned at Stanley Prisoner of War Camp where he died on 24 July 1944.

1936-1937

Harold Stuart Rouse, JP

RHKYC Committee 1917. General Secretary and Liaison Officer, Public Works Department. Amateur yacht designer. Co-designed ‘Tai Mo Shan’(1933).

1937-1940

Edward Cock, MBE, JP

President, Hong Kong and Whampoa Dock Co. Co-designed ‘Tai Mo Shan’(1933). President, Hong Kong Scout Association (1934).

1940-1950

Noel Victor Amor Croucher, JP

(1891-1980) Stockbroker, Croucher & Co.; Interned at Stanley Prisoner of War Camp. Philanthropist and director of Green Island Cement and Hong Kong & China Gas.

1950-1953

Frederick Stanley Coote

Far East Divisional Manager, Cable & Wireless. Interned at Shanghai Prisoner of War Camp.

1954-1955

Adam Gray Dalziel

(1910-1961) Dairy Farm Co., Blair & Co. RHKYC Rowing Captain (1934-36 & 1946-50). Interned at Stanley Prisoner of War Camp.

1955-1957

Cdr. H. Spencer Cooper, R.N. (Ret’d)

(1901-1972) Royal Navy; JAMCO; HAECO; Chairman, HK Yachting Association.

1957-1963

Prof. Francis Edgar Stock, CBE

(1914-1997) Professor of Surgery, University of Hong Kong (1948-63)

1963-1964

Lt. Cdr. Kenneth Milburn, OBE, RNR

(1915-2006) Director of Marine

1964-1965

Cdr. H. Spencer Cooper, RN (Ret’d)

(1901-1972) Royal Navy; JAMCO; HAECO; Chairman, HK Yachting Association.

1965-1966

Lt. Cdr. Kenneth Milburn, OBE, RNR

(1915-2006) Director of Marine

1966-1969

Geoffrey John Edmonds

(1913-1992) HSBC Trustee Hong Kong

1969-1971

John Montague-Ebbs

(1919-1972) HK Government Marine Department

1971-1973

Jhr. Constantijn Leopold Carel van Kretschmar

(1925-2009) Royal Interocean Lines, Managing Director Outside Europe.

1973-1974

Arthur Reginald Maynard

(1928-2005) United Africa Company. Founded sailing clubs in Ghana, Sierra Leone, Nigeria and Japan. Founding member of Hong Kong Yachting Association (1976) and Hong Kong Sail Training Association. ISAF International Judge.

1974-1976

Anne Cornelis Willem Blaauw

(1922-1997) Managing Director, John Cowie & Co. Chairman of the Europe Area Committee, Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce.

1976-1978

Brian Dennis Keep, OBE, JP

(1930-2016) Director of Civil Aviation, Hong Kong Civil Aviation Dept. Airports Advisor, Swire Pacific. Yachts raced: Enterprise, 505, Ruffian, Quarter Ton.

1978-1980

Robert  Lawrence Wilson, MH

(1938-2022) Insurance Agent. Rowing Captain (1967-71). Founding member and President: Hong Kong, China Rowing Association (1978-2015); President, International Dragon Boat Federation (1991-93); Founding member and Chairman: Hong Kong Water Sports Council (2013-15).

1980-1984

Keith C. Mowser

Sky International.

1984-1986

Michael William Philips

(1936-2022) Member, Lands Tribunal

1986-1989

Jeremy Philips

(1934-2012) Senior Superintendent of Police.

1989-1990

Frank F. Pong, BSc., J.P.

Graduate, University of Birmingham, England; Director, Shiu Wing Steel Ltd.; Chairman, UK Sailmakers (HK) Ltd.; Adviser, China Cup; Hon. Voting Member, Hong Kong Jockey Club.

1990-1992

Colin Graham Jackson

(1945-  ) High Court Judge.

1992-1994

John Victor Locke

(1938-2013) Teacher, King George V School; Trombonist; Founder, San Fernando Race (1979). Founder, San Fernando Race Foundation (1987).

1994-1996

Anthony Robert Scott, I.S.O.

(1939-2013) Director of Corruption Prevention, Independent Commission Against Corruption.

1996-1998

David C.L. Kong

(1954-  ) Executive, family business.  Retained ‘Royal’ in the RHKYC name and registered the Chinese name (香港遊艇會) for the Club (1997). Founded the Premier Cruising Class.

1998-2000

Lowell G.U.W. Chang

(1943-  ) Executive, family business. With HRH Prince Henrik of Denmark, co-founded the Royal Silver Cup Interport (1988). President, Hong Kong Yachting Association (1992). Founding chairman, Around the Island Race (2003). Amateur boat builder whose boat won Dragon World Championship (1987).

2000-2002

John Andrew Harry Leigh

Lawyer. Director of Sir Elly Kadoorie & Sons Ltd., CLP Holdings Ltd. and Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels Ltd.

2002-2004

Alan K.L. Lau

 

2004-2006

Inge Strompf-Jepsen

Architect & Interior Designer, Jepsen Designs.

2006-2008

Harald F. Dudok van Heel

Managing Director, Vanheel Management Ltd.

2008-2010

Warwick B. Downes

(1950- ) Managing Director of own companies. President, Hong Kong Sailing Federation (2014-15); Arranged a Volvo Ocean Race stopover (2018). Founding member: Hong Kong Water Sports Council (2013-15).

2010-2012

Ambrose H.Y. Lo

(1957- )  Chief Operating Officer (2000 - 2005) of a multinational IT company.  Founder and President (1980-82), University of Toronto Alumni Association (Hong Kong).  Founding Chairman (1991-93), Market Research Society of Hong Kong.  Member (2008-2014), Local Vessels Advisory Committee of HKSAR Government.  Chairman, RHKYC Charity Foundation (2012- ).  Board Member (2010- ) of various charitable NGOs.  

2012-2014

Hans Joachim Isler

Managing Director, H.D. Isler & Co. Ltd.

2014-2016

Mark Whitehead

(1957- 2018) Lawyer. Jardine Matheson & Co.; Schindler Lifts; Hong Kong Land; Hong Kong Air Cargo Terminals (2010-18).

2016-2018

Robert Stoneley

KPMG. Rowing Captain (2003-5).

2018-2020 John C.W. Woo  
2020-2022 Denis M.G. Martinet  
2022-2024 Lucy Sutro