SPORT
Chapter 15
The history of sport and sporting clubs in Hong Kong dates back to the early days of the Colony and records show that yachting, cricket, swimming and horse racing were all enjoyed during the forties and fifties of the last century.
Yacht Racing
The oldest sporting club still in existence is the Victoria Recreation Club which was founded on 25th October 1849 to promote yacht racing, rowing and swimming. Yacht racing continued under the auspices of that club until 1869 when the Hong Kong Yacht Club was formed. There were several yacht races in the harbour in 1845 but the first record of a race outside the harbour limits was in 1864. In 1868 the first race to Macau, a distance there and back of 72 miles, was won by the "Wave", a cutter of 20 tons in 21 hours. The best time recorded in those day was in 1875 by the "Naiad" in 12 hours 31 minutes and this record was held until 1924 when "La Cigale" sailed the course in just over 12 hours and 23 minutes. The Macau race is still an annual feature of the Club. The yachts of those days
days were schooners of 30 to 50 tons.
In 1893 permission was obtained through the Admiralty for the club to be called the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club. The Club house until 1908 was situated on the site at present occupied by the Navy Coal-yard in Kowloon where there was a sandy beach. In 1908 a new club house was built at North Point and in 1939 the club moved to Kellet Island where it still stands.
Regular regattas are held by the Yacht Club and on the occasions when the whole fleet of cruisers and dinghies is out, two hundred or more members of the club participate. Interport rowing is being revived and recently the club was invited by Club Nautique de Saigon to visit them. Hong Kong was successful in winning all the events.
Swimming
The Victoria Recreation Club since its inception in 1849 has always taken the lead in the swimming activities of the
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