Laying Up and Prizegiving Dinner 28 Oct 2006
Steak and Kidney is the tradition for this annual event and a hundred Members sat down to enjoy James’, the chef’s, efforts. I like to think that it links us with the be-whiskered gentlemen of the Corinthian Yacht Club in their Mess Dress back in 1872 before the days of worries about High Cholesterol and Waistlines. They probably followed it up with treacle tart and custard!
Back to the present day…. This Dinner marks the official end of the Sailing Season except for the stalwarts in the Dragons and Squibs who ignore the darkening evenings and lowering temperatures and carry on regardless. The rest of us are content to crane out, scrub down and sit back.
RC Sailing Adrian Fluker and Keeper of the Trophies, Kate Sanderson, organised the evening and distributed the trophies. Bobbie Melville was the greatest recipient in the RCODs and honours were shared between Michael Holmes and Rob Campbell in the Dragons.In the Squib Class Robert Coyle, Malcolm Hutchins, Phil Aspinall, Paul Buckley and Adrian himself all received something, which says much for the level of competition within the fleet.
The climax of the evening, however, was the presentation of the RCYC Cup for the Outstanding Cruise of the Year. This cup is not awarded regularly; the last time it needed a good polish was in 2001 when Anne and Arthur Heasley cruised to the Caribbean and the presentation prior to that was 1965. Hardly regular, you will agree.
However, it was the decision of the Sailing Committee and the Cruiser Fleet that it should be awarded to Roger Taylor for his single-handed passage to the Azores in Mingming, his 21ft junk-rigged Corribee. Readers of this website will remember that Roger set out to compete in the ‘Jester Challenge’, sailing from Plymouth on June 3rd, bound for Newport, Rhode Island.
Once well into his voyage it became clear to Roger that the problem was boat speed; he was averaging about 15 miles less than anticipated each day resulting in a projected arrival in the hurricane area at the beginning of the hurricane season. There is Adventure and there is Foolhardiness. After much soul searching and with great regret, Roger altered course for his home port…
It was with great pleasure that David Hill, just-retired Fleet Captain, gave the citation and Martin Makey, Commodore, presented the trophy. Roger’s smile was a treat to see.