Presentation Night 2024: Kilts, Haggis, and a Quaich Full of Fun!
Published 22:38 on 18 Feb 2025
This year's Presentation Night took a delightful Scottish turn, breaking with tradition and landing exactly on Burns Night! And what a night it was, filled with trophies, tartan, toasts, and a touch of Highland magic: A true night of tradition and celebration.
Our Master of Ceremonies, the ever-charismatic Chris Burke, kicked off the evening in style, reciting a piece from Tam O'Shanter and raising a toast to the King. With Highland Cathedral playing softly in the background, the scene was set for an unforgettable night.
A feast fit for a Highlander. For the occasion, our club welcomed a new catering team, and they nailed it. Whether you were a meat-lover, a veggie enthusiast, or a proud haggis-avoider, there was something for everyone:
Starters: Scottish broth soup or smoked salmon
Main: Chicken breast stuffed with haggis OR a veggie haggis and mushroom Wellington OR just Chicken
Dessert: Cranachan
Safe to say, no one left hungry
The Ceremonial Haggis & Whisky Quaich. After the starters, Chris led a grand procession as the haggis was ceremoniously piped into the room, accompanied by the tune Scotland the Brave. The grand moment arrived, Sarah Rose, our Commodore passed the whisky quaich around, ensuring that every guest had a proper toast. Most notably, Chris Burke, who is normally only seen clutching a cup of tea, had no hesitation in putting his lips to the whisky. A truly historic moment, one that may even require photographic evidence .
Before anyone could even get a proper taste of the haggis making its way around the room, Tim Rose shot up like a man on a mission. With a twinkle in his eye and a dram in his hand, he delivered a speech it could make even a bagpipe blush. A heartfelt toast to the lovely lassies. Not to be outdone, Sarah Rose later fired back with a response so sharp and witty, a toast to the lads, with whisky as the referee!
Series Racing & Trophy Winners. Later, Sarah handed out the trophies for the present winners of the series and the trophy racing.
The series racing, held across multiple Sundays throughout the year, rewards dedication (and perhaps a little luck with the wind). The winners for all the 2024 series are listed on the website, with a grand total of 27 champions taking home the glory.
Meanwhile, the trophy racing, also taking place on Sundays, saw fierce competition, with winners proudly claiming their well-earned silverware. The full list of trophy race champions16 in totalis available on the club's website.
And what a sight it was! So many trophies were handed out, and it was fantastic to see the younger sailors stepping up to claim awards after so much training and dedication. One special shoutout must go to our young star, Nova Robinson, who was awarded the Best Novice 2024 trophy! Though she couldn't attend the evening to collect it in person, her achievement still deserves a huge round of applause.
Toasts & Traditions. After a lovely dinner and with dessert being served, keeping with tradition, the Master of Ceremonies led a heartfelt toast to absent friends, a reminder of those who have been part of our journey.
Special Awards & Unexpected Tears. A huge congratulations to Liz Matthews and Andy Monk, who were awarded the prestigious Commodore's Cup by Sarah for their outstanding contributions to the club.
But the night had one more surprise up its sleeveFi took the stage to present the Cup for Best Endeavour to none other than our Master of Ceremonies himself, Chris Burke! His dedication, tenacity, and unwavering passion for sailing as one of the club's oldest members have been an inspiration to us all, and we couldn't let the night pass without raising a well-deserved toast in his honour! Caught off guard, he may or may not have blinked away a tiny tear.
Auld Lang Syne & Gay Gordons Take Over the Balcony
As the evening ended, the entire room joined in a rousing rendition of Auld Lang Syne, arms linked, voices raised, and feet moving. Before long, a full-blown Gay Gordons dance party had broken out on the balconya fittingly joyful end to a fantastic evening.
Final Thoughts
All in all, Presentation Night 2024 was an unforgettable eveninggreat food, great company, and a fantastic celebration of our club's achievements and plenty of Scottish spirit, both in culture and in liquid form! Not everyone may have fully understood the Scots being spoken, but luckily, the whisky served as an excellent translator! And judging by the number of kilts on display, we may have just started a new tradition.
Here's to another successful yearsee you on the water