My membership at the club was from 1959 to 1961. It was an immense pleasure to have been part of the Club some 38 years ago.

Anecdotes!? I offer the following recollections which you may consider worthwhile for publication:

Up to and during my time there weren't any sharks in the Johor Straits, although there were in Singapore Harbour 'just around the corner'! This was due, so the story goes, to the Army - presumably in the form of the founding Royal Engineers, dynamiting the whole area killing all the sharks and no doubt most other sea life too. The sharks did not return but most of the abundant sea creatures did - porpoise, manta-rays, sea snakes and so on, so the waters were relatively safe for swimming and sailing.

My boat was the "Undine", a 14-foot wooden clinker-built gunter rigger RNSA known as a Rensa. She looked after me very well and taught me sailing without once dumping me in the water. Probably and sadly, she is no longer alive.

On race days, several of the baots were considerably 'over ballasted' with liquid refreshment which was rapidly reduced to empties for ammunition against any other vessel which looked likely to overtake - particularly if the overtaking skipper called for water at a mark. One of the most notorious culprits was a Group Captain, so no one bothered to argue with the rank and make a protest! So much for racing rules!!

Christmas 1960 was very memorable for us. As we were not on duty on Christmas Day we stocked up with picnic things and cricketing bits and sailed off just across from the Club to the tidal island of Sekudu. No doubt still a favourite close venue. The tide was low at mid-morning and so we had about 6 hours of lovely sunshine, blue skies and clear. warm water, good foor and drinks and cricket on an ever decresing sandy 'pitch'. We just managed to up stumps and reboard Undine and the other boats before was Sekudu was again awash and only a rocky outcrop. The lovely day was rounded off, after showering and changing, with some drinks at the RAF CYC bar and then on to a lovely dinner at a hotel along the Changi beach road. We cannot recall its name now.

My wife Tricia has some memories of her own to relate. as a peramble to her contribution, could I just say that out first meeting was, as she relates, 'a blind date' and she was expecting a yacht (my 14 feet Undine!) to have at least deck chairs and martinis!! Could you just imagine the tiny foredeck...!!

Finally for me; in about three years time (1999) we shall both be retired at the big 60 - as well as almost being the millenium year, so we have sort-of-promised ourselved a holiday in Singapore to revisit our 'youth' for a last look. Should this become a reality, we should very much like to visit Changi Sailing Club for a final time. We therefore, would very much appreciate your club's approval for such a visit, when, hopefully, we can see of what remains of Changi Village, RAF Changi and HQFEAF (where I worked) and the Hospital etc. , as we believe that the new and magnificent Singapore International Airport is close by. However, our memories will remain, regardless.

Yours most sincerely
Ray Newton

We met on a blind date at the Changi Yacht Club 37 years ago, instantly fell in love and have been married 35 years in September. I am petrified of the water, hate sailing but you know how it is when you want to impress a new handsome boyfriend - so I did a lot of sailing with Ray and enjoyed it if I remember rightly, the shimmering blue water, dolphins, swaying palm trees, mangrove islands. Being young, slim and in love what more could one ask? I am afraid time has put the grey in our hair, weight around the 'plimsoil line' and I no longer have to 'sail to impress'. I do occasionally accompany him to his sailing club but am mainly confined to 'galley duties' and recently had to cook a hot lunch for 35 Topper-sailing youngsters!

My momories are mainly of Queen's Birthday Parades in Singapore on the Padang when we have to be woken up in the WRAF block (which was supposed to be haunted by Australian nurses) at 2:30am. Breakfast at 3:00am of runny-yolked eggs and 'bullet-proof' fried bread and boarded coaches to be at the naval shore-base by 4:30am.

On parade at 5:30pm, full ceremonial rehearsal and off the parade ground before the sun came up because the heat was so intense. The girls always used to snigger when the Navy (men) on parade used to fall down like nine-pins. The Gurkhas were always last on and last off because they used to march at 'double-time' pace.

There was always a list of girls wanted for dances from all over the island by various men-only establishments which always meant a visit to Cheap Jack's in Changi Village for a new dress with handbags and shoes made to match from the left-over material and all made within 72 hours. What a lovely life - our memories are ast and fond, of life in Singapore and we could go on forever, but the letter will never get finished. Bye for now.

Kind regards
Tricia Newton