On the night prior to the big evem , a 60-knot northwesterly blew the club ' s flagpole down and it took the temporary grandstand with iL Al this late stage it was impossible to restore the area . Fortunately , or unfortunately , 011 tlie fo llowing morning , the northwesterly turned into a most violent southerly with constant rain squalls . Green Point , under these conditions . was not a pleasant place for the laying of a foundation stone by a member of the Royal Family .
Prince PhlJjp . upon arrival , realised this and then made a decision : · r cannot think of a better place than the bar in a yacht club to lay a foundation stone-I now lay the stone by remote control .' He added : ' I hope next time I come here you have built something on to the foundation stone . I am always a little worried about foundation stones , because after much eruhusiasm and the like they lay the stone and then forget it . So . be warned- ! am coming back to check
on it .' Prince Philip noted that he was invited to perfonn the ceremony as a remioder that the club was named after Prince Alfred who visited tl1e club a hundred years ago .
When the news filtered through to the hundreds of spectators gathered on Green Point to witness Prince Philip lay the foundation stone , that it had already been laid by him by · remote control '. a certain chord of disappoinnnent became eviden1 . A decision was then taken , for better or worse . that the stone should be set . Roy Cowley grasped the golden trowel , spread a layer of cemen ~ and Jack Gale lowered rJ1e foundation stone on to it ~ foundation by means of n chain hoist . TI1e crowd applauded when the Slone was finally in position , however many claimed rhat Jack Gale was no substitute for the Du ~ e !
A Comminee meeting of 17 March 1969 carried unanimously the morion to proceed with the con ·
The new marinas , B ( in the foreground ), C and D .
The foundation stone as originally laid .