Paris Centenary Dinner at the Yacht Club de France

The Club’s centenary celebrations continued in Paris with a memorable dinner hosted at the Yacht Club de France on Friday 12th December. 

The evening brought together members and friends of the Club to mark 100 years of offshore racing and international camaraderie.

Guests were welcomed by RORC Commodore Deb Fish with drinks, nibbles and champagne, kindly provided courtesy of Géry Trentesaux, setting the tone for the evening. The Yacht Club de France provided a fitting backdrop for the celebration, reflecting the strong and enduring relationship between the two clubs and their shared commitment to offshore sailing.

The dinner formally commenced with a warm welcome from Patrick Simon-Letertre, Interim President of the Yacht Club de France, standing in for Catherine Chabaud while she is occupied in her role as French Ministre de la Mer. He greeted guests and spoke of the longstanding ties between French sailors and the Royal Ocean Racing Club, reflecting on the importance of international cooperation in ocean racing. Deb Fish talked warmly about how RORC races were enriched by the presence of French competitors, noting that you knew you had sailed well if you managed to beat Gilles Fournier and the crew of Pintia in the Cervantes Trophy race.

Guests then enjoyed a three-course dinner, with lively conversation and shared memories of racing past and present filling the room. The atmosphere was both celebratory and reflective, honouring the heritage of the Club while looking ahead to its future.

A highlight of the evening came when the Yacht Club de France presented Commodore Deb Fish with a specially created birthday cake to commemorate the Royal Ocean Racing Club’s 100th anniversary. In a symbolic moment of friendship and shared history, Patrick Simon-Letertre and Deb Fish together cut the centenary cake, joined by past Admiral Andrew McIrvine, past Commodore Jonathan Bradbeer and past Vice-Commodore Eric de Turckheim. The evening concluded with a toast of calvados, kindly provided courtesy of Anne de Bagneaux-Savatier.

The centenary celebrations concluded in Sydney at the CYCA with a drinks reception on 19th December, bringing a remarkable anniversary year to a close.