"ROOKIE" Wins the Colin Smith Trophy

The Etchells 787 "Rookie" Team and family members, with the Colin Smith Trophy (Photo from Jonathan Seah)

“Rookie” Wins the 2025 Colin Smith Trophy

In the highly competitive Etchells fleet of the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club (RHKYC), few awards carry as much meaning as the Colin Smith Trophy. Presented annually to the boat with the most improvement in ranking over the season, it celebrates not only progress on the water, but the spirit of dedication, learning and inclusivity that defined the man it honors. This year, the trophy went to Etchells 787 “Rookie”, owned by Nico Nicoletti and Jonathan Seah.

Colin Smith – Olympian, national coach and mentor to generations of Hong Kong sailors – passed away in September 2018 at the age of 90. Born in Adelaide in 1928, he first made his mark in Australian waters, competing in nine Sydney Hobart Races and claiming the 1968 South Australian Championship. He later served as Australian National Sailing Coach and, in 1991, also won the Tasar Class Grand Masters title.

Moving to Hong Kong in the early 1970s, Colin represented the city at the 1972 Munich Olympics in a Flying Dutchman (alongside lifelong friend Bill Steele), became Hong Kong’s National Coach, and went on to guide teams at multiple Olympic Games, Asian Games and world championships. On the racecourse himself he was no less accomplished, winning the Rolex China Sea Race with Henry Kaye. He also cruised extensively throughout Asia aboard his yacht “Rapid” with his wife, Mei Han.

It was as a coach to the Etchells class that Colin left his deepest imprint on the RHKYC. Known for making time for everyone – from world-class sailors to enthusiastic newcomers – he shared his encyclopedic knowledge freely and with infectious enthusiasm. As long-time fleet member Jamie McWilliam once described him, he was: “a sailor, Olympian, and coach extraordinaire”. The Colin Smith Trophy, introduced in the wake of his passing, keeps that generous spirit alive. By rewarding the most improved performer each season, it reminds us that sailing is as much about personal growth and community as it is about podium finishes – and is a fitting tribute to a legend who believed every sailor, no matter their starting point, could always get better.

(All the historical information above is from Jamie McWilliams’s October 2018 post in Sail World “Colin Smith: eight bells”).