Photo cap: Cheung Meihan, 1996 Atlanta Olympian, 407 women; Nick Bryan, 1988 Seoul Olympian, Finn Class; Commodore Adrian Pang; and Neil Pryde, 1968 Mexico City Olympian, Flying Dutchman; Nicholas Halliday, 2024 Paris Olympian, ILCA 7; Ron Aylsworth, 2024 Paris Olympian, 49er; Akira Sakai, 2024 Paris Olympian, 49er; Stephanie Norton, 2020 Tokyo Olympics, ILCA 6; and Chiu Hin Chun 2016 Rio Olympian, double sculls and 2024 Paris Olympian, single sculls

Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club recently hosted a memorable evening to celebrate Club members who have represented Hong Kong at the Olympics in either sailing or rowing. It was the Club’s first-ever Olympian Reception, and what a fantastic night it turned out to be!

Celebrations began by showcasing a video featuring the Club’s four 2024 Paris Olympians, which was met with applause and cheers. Commodore Adrian Pang then took to the stage to share a speech and set the tone for the night:

“I am delighted to welcome you all here today to our first-ever Olympian Reception to celebrate our Club members who have represented Hong Kong at the Olympics. It’s truly a special occasion, and I want to start by extending a warm welcome to everyone—especially to our athletes who have recently returned from the Paris Olympic Games and those who blazed the trail before them.

To our newest Olympians, congratulations! You have returned with something incredibly valuable—experience, pride, and inspiration. Competing at the Olympics is an incredible achievement, and we are immensely proud of each and every one of you. You’ve shown extraordinary dedication, perseverance and sportsmanship, and you have represented our sports of sailing and rowing at the highest standard of excellence. You are true ambassadors of our Club, setting a wonderful example for our youth sailors and rowers. Your journey has lit a path for the next generation, showing them that with passion and commitment, dreams can indeed become reality.

But today isn’t just about our most recent Olympians. We are also honored to have with us many of our past Olympians. In fact, so far 23 of our members have competed for Hong Kong at the Olympics and apart from our four Paris Olympians, we are delighted to have here with us today, several of our Past Olympians still resident in Hong Kong. Unfortunately, one of our members who represented Hong Kong, Lee Lai Shan, who won Hong Kong’s first gold medal could not be here tonight as she is out of town.

Now…. let me share some illuminating history with you. In 1960, an Olympic Committee was formed here at the Club to address the requirements for representation in the Olympic sailing events. A problem faced by the Club’s Olympic Committee was that of recognition by the Olympic and Hong Kong authorities and this was overcome by the founding of the Hong Kong Yacht Racing Association under the inaugural Chairmanship of RHKYC member Bill Hancock. The new Association was then accepted as an affiliated member of the Royal Yachting Association and became the national representative body for yacht racing in Hong Kong and was soon officially recognized by Hong Kong’s Olympic authority. The inaugural Chairman, Bill Hancock, went to the Olympics in 1964 in the Dragons, and also that year another of our Olympian sailors in the Finn class, Alan Stevens, carried the Olympic Torch down Pedder Street. As you all know the Hong Kong Yacht Racing Association is now the Hong Kong, China Sailing Federation and its current President Cheung Meihan is a member. Meihan also went to the Olympics in 1996 sailing in the 470 women class.

Also with us tonight are Neil Pryde who competed for Hong Kong in 1968 in Mexico City in the Flying Dutchman class, Nick Bryan who competed for Hong Kong in the Finn class at the 1988 Seoul Olympics and Stephanie Norton who competed in the ILCA 6 at the 2020 Tokyo Games held in 2021. It’s a privilege to have you all here, and it’s high time we celebrate your achievements too.

Although we haven’t had an Olympic Reception before, let this be the start of a new tradition—one where we gather to honor and remember the legacy of all our Olympians, past and present.

So, to all of our Olympians: Thank you. Thank you for your dedication, for your hard work, and for carrying the spirit of this Club onto the world’s greatest sporting stage. You’ve made us proud, and you’ve written another chapter in our storied history. Let’s raise a glass to our Olympians past, present, and future! Here’s to all of you, and to the bright future of our Club!”

With glasses raised, everyone toasted to the achievements of both current and past Olympians, their hard work, and the legacy they’ve crafted.

The Commodore then introduced a new tradition:
“Now, we have one more special tradition that we would like to start. As a token of our deep appreciation and pride, we would like to present each of our Olympians with a Club burgee. But this isn’t just any burgee—it has been specially monogrammed with the word OLYMPIAN and the year in which you competed. This symbolizes not only your incredible achievement but also the legacy you’ve created as part of our Club’s history. So, if our Olympians could please come forward, we’d like to present you with this small but meaningful gift—your own Club burgee to keep, as a reminder that no matter where your journeys take you, you always have a home and a family here at Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club.”

One by one, the Olympians took the stage to receive their personalized burgees to great applause from the crowd. The evening concluded with plenty of photos being taken and it was clear that everyone enjoyed themselves. Definitely the beginning of a wonderful new tradition at the Club!