Mr Commodore, Mr President, esteemed guests, ladies and gentlemen It is a privilege to open the 140th sailing season of RPNYC. 140 years is a daunting number by any measure. An organisation with that longevity cannot have achieved that milestone without resilience, obstinacy and esprit de corps. The Club was established in 1883 and received the Royal Charter in 1921. Since that time the club and its members have weathered the repercussions of international hostilities, including two world wars, global economic meltdowns, including the great depression and global financial crisis, and natural disasters and disruptions, including the Kaikoura earthquakes and latterly…