INTRO

60 YEARS OF CHANGI SAILING 1936 - 1996

THE BEGINNING
Sailing in the early 1930's in the Changi area of Singapore consisted mainly of competitive racing of "koleks" off the nearby Bedok coast There was also "jong" racing between Batu Biru (on Pulau Ubin) and the Johor mainland of Malaysia. It wasn't until the military cantonments of the Royal Artillery and Royal Engineers moved from Blakang Mati and Pulau Brani that a few boats were sailed by service people in the Changi area in the early 30's. These were 12-foot dinghies, built of teak for the use of the troops. Equipped with mainsail and jib, the boats proved popular and races were conducted at Changi, although the men were a little anxious about sharks in the area! Fairy Cove itself at that time had three boats on the moorings, Gullman, a 40-foot pilot cutter, Vinette,a Laurent Giles cruising sloop belonging to original Changi member Lt Col Arthur Tree built by Thornycrofts Singapore in 1935 and a 20-foot boat. Tree recalls the good times sailing Vinette and the memorable rowing out to the Fairy Cove mooring at night and seeing the pools of phosphorescence caused by the splashing oars. "Moonlight sailing..cool and beautiful!"

            
 
Royal Engineers' Headquarters 1936
The idea of a sailing club at Changi was the brainchild of a Capt. Sterling Wilkinson of the Royal Signals at the time when the new military cantonment in the area was completed. It was 1936, and Wilkinson was not happy with the recreational facilities which were confined to basic ball games of soccer, rugby and hockey. Sure, mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun, but he felt that something MORE STIMULATING and LESS STRENUOUS was necessary in the sweltering heat of the topics. He was a sailing man at heart, and "nothing could be better than messing about in boats" so he went ahead and received permission to organise a club. This was certainly an achievement as sailing, like horseriding, was at that time considered to be an officers' pastime and not for common soldiers!
 

THE CLUBHOUSE
Wilkinson realised that the are of Changi facing Pulau Ubin was an ideal site as it was sheltered from the full brunt of the yearly North-East monsoon by the island of Ubin, and from sudden sumatras by Changi Hill, just behind. The Johore Straits itself offered ideal safe sailing for novices and the nearby expanse of the open South China Sea was a haven for the more accomplished yachtsman. Setting about to build the club, the nucleus was created by press-ganging the 12 men of his own Signal Section to be first members. They hired a temporary meeting place which was a section of an old-abandoned attap-roofed building at the water's edge close to the PWD bungalow...which by the way, is still standing!! Whilst Wilkinson excelled in his duties as administrator and manager, the building of the actual clubhouse was in the hands of Stanley Townsend of the Royal Engineers.

 
Sketches by J Gulston
He was a chief draughtsman of the PWD and an avid boater. They managed to acquire a site some 100 meters down the road where in the days before Raffles, a native (Malay) burial ground had existed. The building of the clubhouse was done in spare time by military labour, utilising whatever left-over materials were available which resulted in negligible costs! The building itself was typical of a Malay house, built of teak and kapur, with attap roofing and bamboo chicks to keep out the rain. It measured a good 30 X 25 meters, and boasted a lounge, bar, changing rooms, showers and toilets! The masterpiece was a light railway running between the two dinghy shelters which permitted the easy launching of dinghies without having to manhandle them. They even had electricity, brought down by means of a bare cable from the mess which was some 500 meters distant, up the hill. It was only insulated at such points where it was fixed to the coconut palms and this resulted in frequent shocks, especially during the North-Easters.
 
 
CHANGI GARRISON YACHT CLUB
officially opened in 1936 flying an official pennant of red and blue. The house-warming in 1937 was the occasion of the first regatta where all neighbouring clubs were invited for team racing and an open air buffet out in the nearby padang. It was also an international affair with Townsend inviting the crew of the German cruiser, Emden then visiting Singapore. History would have it that the home team beat the Germans, knowing the infamous tidal situations better. As a return treat, the sailors were invited aboard the Emden for German beer!
The Club's 1st pennant, 1936
           

THE PIER
saw its construction in 1938 when the 34th Fortress Co (Royal Engineers) built as a bridging exercise, a landing pier extending seawards from just in front of the clubhouse. Race were started from the Race Box on one side of the pier and to help in getting a good and fair start for all races a large one metre square clock face was fixed to the seaward side of the race box and operated by the race officer to mark off the final 60 seconds before the bell. This normally worked well but there were a few times when the race officer had had a few drinks earlier on found it necessary to go to the toilet which meant that the final minute would last some 200 seconds! And there were occasions when having to work the clock from behind, he operated the hands in an anti-clockwise method which was guaranteed to put the sailors off their stroke!! The members painted a large chart on the end of one of the dinghy sheds covering all marks from Serangoon to Pulau Tekong and sometimes prior to a race starting, the sailing committee filled in the course to be raced. This proved invaluable as it was even large enough to be read even from the starting area!

The landing pier (middleground) was the starting point for club races
(drawing by E L Morris)