THE COMMODORE

I write this with a heavy heart having only yesterday attended the memorial service to Geoff Pack, whose obituary you will find elsewhere in this edition. It was well described on the service sheet as a celebration of Geoff's life, and what a life. He was young enough to be my son but had packed more into his thirty-nine years than most of us do in our lifetime. This was well reflected during the service when his exploits and achievements were described by several friends with a humour that was Geoff's hallmark. He served the OCC well as a member for many years and as a Rear Commodore for four, and will be sadly missed not only by the Club but by the sailing world as a whole on which he had so indelibly placed his stamp. Our deepest sympathy goes out to Lou Lou and their four children.

On a lighter note, this will be my last message to you as Commodore since my term expires at the AGM in March next year. This column has allowed me to philosophize about our club and about our membership of it, and doing this has also been a mind clearing exercise for me. The result is that, whilst I feel confident that I have achieved a fair amount in my sailing life, I am also dissatisfied in that I know there is so much that I haven't done. I haven't made a circumnavigation, I haven't cruised in high latitudes, but I am also wise enough to know that it is getting too late to rectify these omissions. But what stands out most is an unrequited feeling of under achievement, the thought that if I had tried harder I could have done these things. This of course begs the question of priorities. Cruising under sail is, almost by definition, a slow and time-consuming affair -- that is its joy; an affair that is all embracing, where we can't worry about the office, where the ship takes priority, and where its ordered ways need our constant attention if we are to be successful in our aims. And in this prosaic life where we need to earn a living there is a limit to the time we can allot to our chosen pastime. Be warned, however -- keep opening new doors, never let life stagnate lest it becomes too late to rectify.

Being your Commodore has allowed us to do a lot of cruising by proxy for which I am most grateful. It is not the same as arriving in one's own boat, but our many flying visits to Club rallies have not only shown me the real Club at work but have enriched me in learning from many of our active members, those who really do cruise the oceans in the way that I wish I had had the time to do. I thank you all for the honour that you bestowed upon me and wish the Club every success for the future.