SIMPSON MARINE TEAM LOVES THE LIFE

David Walder and Richard Allen with the Penghu Regatta participants

SIMPSON MARINE COULD NOT HAVE ENJOYED SUCH SUCCESS OVER THE LAST 30 YEARS WITHOUT GENUINE PASSION FOR THE LIFESTYLE. AND IT DOESN’T GET MUCH MORE PASSIONATE THAN SAILBOAT RACING . SEABREEZE SPOKE TO TWO MEMBERS OF THE TEAM WHO TAKE THEIR LOVE OF SAILING TO THE LIMIT

At most sailing events in Hong Kong you will find David Walder, Senior Broker, taking part. He is often joined by Richard Allen, Group Sales Director in Hong Kong.

How old were you when you learned to sail and have you always raced sailboats?

DAVID: I learned to sail aboard small boats at the Royal Cinque Ports Yacht Club in Dover, England at four years old. I had an Optimist and then moved up to a Mirror dinghy. Later I moved to the Solent and started racing yachts. I race almost every weekend now and I have made many good friends around the world aboard all kinds of boats.

RICHARD: I learned to sail when I was five at Warsash sailing club on the Solent in England. I enjoyed racing from the start and used to be part of the British sailing squad.

What is it you enjoy the most about sailing competitions?

RICHARD: No other sport combines the mental and physical challenges as well as sailing. On top of that, I like the technicalities of the rules and the complex tactics we use for sailing.

DAVID: There are a lot of larger than life characters involved. It doesn’t matter if the person is a CEO of a multinational firm or a student – being on the boat is a great leveller. Everyone has to gel, pull together, there is this incredible teamwork aspect. And winning of course. Short races around the buoys are my favourite. There is more to do, more fun. The losses and gains are notable and bigger. I have a low boredom threshold.

The Rolex China Sea Race (CSR) from Hong Kong to the Philippines has a special mystique about it. Tell us what makes CSR special.

RICHARD: Anytime you go out on a yacht there is a special moment after the sails are up, the fenders put away and the engine shut down. There is this peace and tranquillity that settles in and makes all the time and effort spent to get there worth it. CSR is special in that you get to leave Hong Kong. The first night can be cold and wet and blowing hard. The weather improves each day and then you end up in the Philippines. What’s not to like about an event like that?

Simpson Marine sponsors the Penghu Regatta. What makes this event a success?

DAVID: This small group of islands right off Taiwan is just stunningly beautiful. With consistent winds and warm water, it is almost the perfect place for sailing. The water is beautiful and the people are so friendly. I can’t wait to get back. RICHARD: The purpose of this regatta is to get people on the water and they are doing a very good job of that. It is a special group of islands, there are few places like it that are still so unknown, and that means it is not crowded.

Might we also find you out cruising a yacht when you’re not on the racecourse?

DAVID: I loved to cruise power boats on the Solent in England. I have also cruised or chartered boats in Holland, Portugal, and the Mediterranean. Morocco was probably the most exotic place I have visited on a boat. Today you can often find me somewhere between South Bay, Po Toi and Turtle Bay unwinding with friends.

Making new friends, getting away from it all, enjoying nature and the sea, working with a team or travelling to new places: everyone has their own reasons that make the yachting lifestyle extraordinary.

Take a moment to email seabreeze@simpsonmarine.com and tell us what you love about being on the water. In a future issue of SeaBreeze we’ll share with readers what it is that draws others to the freedom of the sea.