The Alfred's News The Alfred's News Winter Edition 2018 | Page 9

Club News
Visiting The Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club in 1969
By Elliott B. Oldak
I am currently an American Starboat Class Sailor living in Annapolis,
Maryland. In August 2013 I retired from a 36 year Civilian career with the
United States Naval Academy (USNA).
In October 1969 while on R & R from Vietnam at the age of 24, I spent a
weekend sailing at the Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club (RPAYC). I crewed on
a Classic wooden 8-Meter Sloop owned by a Dr. Nichols or Nicholson and
his son. I had been bused to the Coogee Beach Hotel from the Sydney R &
R Center and took a room with another US Army G.I. named Bill Gleason. I
had received information, that RPAYC was making sailing available to any
American Soldiers wishing to do so. I jumped at the opportunity and Club
Member, Mrs. Jean Kelshaw sponsored me for the weekend. I stayed in
touch with Mrs. Kelshaw for several years after.
I also was familiar with an RPAYC sailor, Robbie Antell, who was working for
Lowell North. Both Robbie and I were involved with the 1968 5.5-Meter
Class US Olympic Trials in Newport Beach, California. I had Skippered a
boat for the US Army the year before deployment to Vietnam.
When my visit with the Club was over, I was presented with RPAYC Burgee,
a white china mug with the Club emblem and yes... a boomerang! When I
returned home in 1970 to the Knickerbocker Yacht Club (KYC) in New York,
I presented the RPAYC burgee to the Club. They were very pleased to
receive the burgee and it was framed and displayed with other Yacht Club
Burgees in the main dining room of the Club. With the strong economic
recession ten years ago, KYC fell under some challenging times with
membership and finances. As a result, the Club was forced to close its
doors. Luckily, I could retrieve the RPAYC Burgee.
Since taking the USNA position in 1977, I have sailed out of the Annapolis
Yacht Club (AYC). So, it seemed appropriate to now present the RPAYC
Burgee to AYC! The Burgee was displayed with a small information plaque
until AYC had a serious fire in December 2015 destroying many items in the
Club. So almost 48 years later, upon my request through Lisa Hughes,
Commodore Ian Audsley graciously sent me a replacement RPAYC Burgee.
The new AYC Club House is expected to be completed in 2018. A sizeable
restaurant located at the Annapolis City Dock is being used as temporary
quarters in the meantime. On 25 July I met with AYC Commodore, Debbie
Goesslin at the Club Quarters and re-presented to the Club a new RPAYC
Burgee.
I thoroughly enjoyed my time visiting your Club many years ago and I hope
someday to return.