THE COMMODORE

This contribution to Flying Fish will be the last one from me as Commodore. If I were to be limited to one adjective to describe the last five and a half years I think I would choose "instructive" or, maybe, "stimulating" although the use of a dozen adjectives could be inadequate when I try to portray my involvement with the 0CC. The Club has become an organisation surpassing, I think, anything Hum envisaged when he founded it in 1954, with thirty members.

I would like to name many people, worldwide, whose loyalty, encouragement, support, hospitality and friendship to me personally I so greatly appreciate. This, combined with the strong support, wise counsel and willingness to give of their time and expertise of my fellow Flag Officers and Committee in this country, has made my task possible and (usually) enjoyable. Lack of space prevents me from publishing what would be a very long list of those to whom I am particularly endebted (which the Editor would probably delete anyway) but I am well aware, as Hum was, that the development of our Club has depended, and still depends, upon the genuine interest of the members. Thank you to all those who keep in touch, who arrange events, contribute to our Journal, send in suggestions and generally show interest. I hope that these members enjoy sharing their experiences as much as we enjoy hearing about them. And as much as I enjoy taking part in as many of the Club's events as I can manage.

events as I can manage. At the moment I am greatly looking forward to visiting Sydney for the Australian Annual Dinner, to which our Rear Commodore (Australia), John Maddox, has so kindly invited me.

It is an understatement to say that the English summer this year has been disappointing. I have enjoyed three sorties across the English Channel -- to Guernsey, to Cherbourg and to St Vaast -- and four weeks cruising on the Brittany coast. We have had some good sailing, but when I heard from Pat and Mike Pocock of their fast passages from Western Australia to Cocos Keeling, the Chagos group, Rodrigues and Mauritius "with no consumption of diesel" I thought sadly of the hours of motoring that had been necessary during our cruising. It was, however, very enjoyable indeed.