Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club Team Represents Hong Kong In New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup

Sept. 12, 2011 - PRLog -- The Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club (RHKYC) has entered a team to represent Hong Kong in the New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup.   The RHKYC was one of the 18 world-wide teams invited to join in the Inaugural New York Club Invitational Regatta in 2009 and assembled a team which finished 11th in the closely fought racing.

This year, the New York Yacht Club (NYYC) has expanded the format to include 22 teams from across the globe and has once again invited RHKYC to participate.  With the Club’s support, member Nick Burns has organised a team to represent Hong Kong and the Club, and is hoping to improve on their 2009 result.

The event, last held in September 2009, will be held September 10-17 in Newport, Rhode Island.  There will be five days of racing, with 11 windward/ leeward races planned in all.  Day 1 is on Tuesday 13 September, with racing starting at 1100hrs.

The 22 yacht clubs participating this year have come from far and wide; they represent 16 nations spanning six continents.  All are converging upon Rhode Island to participate in an event described as “the ultimate sailing contest among amateur competitors proudly representing their homelands”.

Representing Hong Kong, the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club will be competing against:-

Yacht Club Argentino (ARG)
Cruising Yacht Club of Australia (AUS)
Royal Bermuda Yacht Club (BER)
Royal Canadian Yacht Club (CAN)
Real Club Nautico de Barcelona (ESP)
Nyländska Jaktklubben (FIN)
Itchenor Sailing Club (GBR)
Royal Ocean Racing Club (GBR)
Royal Yacht Squadron (GBR)
Norddeutscher Regatta Verein (GER)
Royal Cork Yacht Club (IRL)
Yacht Club Capri (ITA)
Yacht Club Punta Ala (ITA)
Japan Sailing Federation (JPN)
Royal Norwegian Yacht Club (NOR)
Clube Naval de Cascais (POR)
Royal Cape Yacht Club (RSA)
Eastern Yacht Club (USA)
Annapolis Yacht Club (USA)
Newport Harbor Yacht Club (USA)
New York Yacht Club (USA)

The  NYYC 2011 Invitational Cup will be raced in completely identical boats chartered from NYYC, the Swan 42s, and the skills of the competing teams will determine the result.

For the 2011 challenge, the best available sailors were chosen from the RHKYC, featuring many members who were part of the successful 2010 Rolex Commodore’s Cup event in Cowes, England, where the Hong Kong team placed second to the Irish team.  One requirement of the event is that all the sailors have to be non-professional Hong Kong residents, who have been club members for some considerable time.  The RHKYC team comprises

Name   Position
Nick Burns   Skipper
Patrick Pender   Helm
Tiger Mok   Tactician
Peter Backe   Trimmer
Anthony Day   Trimmer
Lauren Mead   Trimmer
Tim Storey   Pit
Joachim Isler   Mast
Peter Austin   Bow
Maureen Mueller   Reserve

The RHKYC team is very much looking forward to this year’s event and, of course, bettering their 11th place finish at the inaugural event in 2009.  If memories of the 2009 event are anything to go by, they will have an enjoyable time - “The racing was close and demanding, the setting was splendid, and a week of fantastic social events capped off a perfect regatta”.

The team arrived at the beautiful old NYYC clubhouse at Newport, Rhode Island on Saturday and are busy with two days of familiarisation and practice on the chartered boat Mutiny before the event starts, then look forward to two fleet races per day from Tuesday 13 to Saturday 17 September.  

Speaking from New York, Nick Burns shared his outlook “The current procession of hurricanes is luckily avoiding New York and the forecast looks good for excellent sailing. Hopefully Hong Kong, with a very strong team, will be able to bring back the Trophy.”

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香港遊艇會隊出賽
由勞力士呈獻的「紐約帆船會邀請賽」

香港遊艇會今年再度獲得邀請參與「紐約帆船會邀請賽」。首屆賽事於2009年9月舉行，當年香港遊艇會於十八隊來自世界��地的隊伍中獲第十一名。

本年度共有二十二隊來自世界各地的參賽隊伍參與。會員Nick Burns在遊艇會的支持下組隊代表香港及香港遊���會參加了今年的比賽，希望爭取更佳成績。

賽事將於九月十至十七日在美國羅得島之紐波特舉行。五天賽事共十一場迎風及順風之比賽，第一天的比賽將於9月13日（星期二）上午十一時舉行。

二十二支隊伍分別來自六大洲、十六個國家。各地帆船好手將聚集在羅得島，參加這個被譽為是一個「令代表國家的業餘選手引以為傲的終極帆船大賽」。

香港遊艇會隊伍將會和以下各遊艇會之代表隊進行激烈的比賽。

Yacht Club Argentino (ARG)
Cruising Yacht Club of Australia (AUS)
Royal Bermuda Yacht Club (BER)
Royal Canadian Yacht Club (CAN)
Real Club Nautico de Barcelona (ESP)
Nyländska Jaktklubben (FIN)
Itchenor Sailing Club (GBR)
Royal Ocean Racing Club (GBR)
Royal Yacht Squadron (GBR)
Norddeutscher Regatta Verein (GER)
Royal Cork Yacht Club (IRL)
Yacht Club Capri (ITA)
Yacht Club Punta Ala (ITA)
Japan Sailing Federation (JPN)
Royal Norwegian Yacht Club (NOR)
Clube Naval de Cascais (POR)
Royal Cape Yacht Club (RSA)
Eastern Yacht Club (USA)
Annapolis Yacht Club (USA)
Newport Harbor Yacht Club (USA)
New York Yacht Club (USA)

所有隊伍均以同一設計之Swan 42帆船作賽。 隊伍可以用自己，或由大會提供的的帆船，而船上所用的帆，則必須由大會提供。

今年的香港遊艇會代表隊齊集了頂尖好手，當中包括多位之前在2010勞力士會長盃獲得第二��的參賽選手。比賽其中一項要求是所有參加��必須是香港居住的業餘選手，且作為遊艇會��員已有頗長時間。

香港遊艇會隊員：

姓名   崗位
Nick Burns   船長
Patrick Pender   舵手
Tiger Mok   策略員
Peter Backe   調帆員
Anthony Day   調帆員
Lauren Mead   調帆員
Tim Storey   控制艙
Joachim Isler   桅桿長
Peter Austin   船頭
Maureen Mueller      後備

香港遊艇會各隊員均十分期待這個比賽，他們目標是超越2009年第十一名的成績。大家十分��受2009年的賽事，他們形容 ：「賽事非常刺激，加上大會安排之各項陸上社交活動，實在是一個完美的帆船賽。」

香港遊艇會代表隊於星期六已到達紐波特，並展開為期兩日的訓練，以盡快熟習大會提供的帆船「Mutiny」，緊接十三日至十七日的分組賽事。

正在紐約的Nick Burns指，「幸好紐約避過了颶風的吹襲，預計���來數天的天氣非常適合帆船比賽。希望香港���表隊能獲獎而回！」

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Sailing and rowing club. One of the oldest and most prestigious clubs in Hong Kong, RHKYC today has evolved into a multi-faceted and cosmopolitan organisation and its membership enjoys a comprehensive range of facilities, both afloat and ashore.