The Bounty – the Only European Tall Ship in Hong Kong Now

Press Release
For Immediate Release
26 September 2008
The Bounty – the Only European Tall Ship in Hong Kong
Now Available for Charter
If you find the glittering ballrooms of 5-star hotels too ordinary for your functions or
parties, The Bounty, the only European tall ship in Hong Kong, will surely impress
you.
The 42-metre tall ship replica, brought to Hong Kong by Hong Kong Resort
Company Limited from Australia, is now ready for charter! You will be able to
entertain your guests or friends on the Hong Kong waters in authentic 18th century
European style!
A Unique Venue for Unique Events
With a capacity of 60 passengers, The Bounty makes a versatile and innovative
venue for a wide range of events, from corporate entertainment, product launch,
training and team building activities, to wedding banquets, private celebrations
and creative theme parties. You name it!
Imagine what a fantastic event it will be if you could enjoy a good time with your
guests or friends in a relaxed atmosphere on the deck, sipping premium wine,
sampling quality food, feeling the gentle sea breeze and taking in the breathtaking
sea view on sunset while the Bounty is cruising in the Victoria Harbour!
If you fancy oceanfront alfresco dining, after a sunset cruise on The Bounty, you
could sail leisurely to D Deck, the dining hotspot in Discovery Bay, where you and
your guests can savour the delicacies from around the world from a choice of over
20 international restaurants.
Sailing a tall ship is also an exciting way of training team effectiveness and spirits
for your corporate executives. The Bounty creates an intriguing setting for team
learning programs. The teams will be excited by the physical and mental
challenges, and enjoy the interactive experience while building trust and
communication skills through a series of activities, such as tying the knots, pulling
the ropes, steering the sails, and even climbing up the masts!
The Legend and Glamour Continue
The original H.M.A.V. Bounty has a history of more than 200 years, and carries a
legendary story that is extremely well-known in British naval history (Please see
appendix). Throughout the years, star-studded films and television productions
have dramatized the story, featuring Hollywood’s big names such as Clark Gable
and Marlon Brando.
The Bounty replica was built in 1978 for the Dino de Laurentis film “The Bounty” of
1983, the seventh film and television version of this famous story, starring
superstars Mel Gibson and Anthony Hopkins.
A Distinctive Icon of the Hong Kong Waters
Residing in Discovery Bay, The Bounty has become a distinctive icon of the Hong
Kong waters. If you are interested, you can have a look at The Bounty every
Friday afternoon (3:30pm – 6:30pm) as it sails freely in our world-renowned
Victoria Harbour (around the water of the Central District).
Sail with us! Whether it’s the ultra-modern skyline of the Hong Kong Island that
you would like to admire, or the serene beauty of Discovery Bay waters that you
would like to enjoy, The Bounty will take you there and offer you the best view
from the sea. You and your guests or friends are all promised a spectacular and
memorable cruise! Book a voyage now on www.thebounty.com.hk or call 2238
1134.
Ends
This press release is issued by HKR International Limited. For media enquiries,
please contact the Corporate Affairs Department at 2238-1066.
Appendix
The Legend of The Bounty
The Origin
The original Bounty was built in 1784 as a trading vessel. Under the order of King
George III to the British Admiralty in 1787, she was refitted to create a greenhouse
for shipping breadfruit plants, and was renamed "His Majesty's Armed Vessel
Bounty". On 5 August 1787, Captain William Bligh was appointed Commander of
the Bounty by the British Admiralty, who then went on the voyage to the West
Indies.
A Tough Voyage
The expedition of the Bounty left on 23 December 1787 with 46 officers and crew.
Captain William Bligh's orders were to sail to Tahiti where he was to collect young
breadfruit trees which is a source of food for the native labour.
Captain Bligh was not cruel to his crew, but his short temper led him to criticise his
officers in front of the crew, not the way to help maintain order. Compounded with
tough sailing conditions, there was a great deal of bad-feeling amongst the crew.
To overcome some of these problems, Bligh promoted Fletcher Christian, one of
the main mutineers later on, from Master's Mate to acting Lieutenant.
They reached Tahiti on 26 October 1788 and six months passed before the
breadfruit plants were acclimatised and weather conditions good enough to
commence the voyage to the West Indies. In this time the crew naturally became
lazy. Polynesians liked visits by white men and they treated the Bounty's crew
very well.
The Historic Mutiny
The Bounty left Tahiti on 4 April 1789, Captain Bligh found that the crew had let
some of the sails rot and there were many items missing from the ship. Bligh was
in a bad mood and it became obvious to everyone that he and Fletcher Christian
were arguing. Only three weeks after setting sail for the West Indies, Captain
Bligh was mutinied against and cast adrift in Bounty's 7-metre longboat with 18
loyal crew members. The Bounty was taken by Fletcher Christian and the other
mutineers.
Through Bligh's great skills as a navigator, he was able to sail this little boat to
Timor, a trip of 6,705 kilometres in 41 days with the loss of only one life. This was
one of the most amazing sailing achievements ever completed. He later
purchased another ship, delivered the breadfruit to the West Indies, discovered
Fiji and became the Governor of New South Wales.
Most of the mutineers were dropped off back in Tahiti and the others, led by
Christian, took a number of natives on board and sailed off to find a more remote
island where would be less chance of being discovered. This led to their
settlement on Pitcairn Islands and later Norfolk Islands.