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<figure class="wp-block-video"><video autoplay controls src="https://www.igafencu.com/video/2308/2308_GMHK_Interview_Hanslo.mp4"></video></figure>



<p>The Lai Chi Kok docks in West Kowloon, sheltered by the protrusion of land that is Stonecutters Island, is not a popular destination for most locals. At the very end of a three-minute walk through a labyrinth of rebars, tower cranes, a manually built wooden bridge and all things industrial, sits a luxury yacht, visible enough through the help of orange and white flags. This is where Hans Lo has chosen to meet.</p>



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<p>“Yachting is a luxury business, but behind its glamour lies a lot of hard and physical work. Come right in,” says the yacht builder as he welcomes our team aboard.</p>



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<p>As a fifth-generation member of the Lo family, who began their craft in Shanghai in the late 19th century, then moved Cheoy Lee Shipyards to Hong Kong in 1936, Hans shares in the legacy of helming the oldest shipbuilders in Hong Kong. The Los were also among the forerunners of fibreglass yacht construction, collaborating with Lloyd’s Register to create regulations for GRP (glass-reinforced plastic) boat construction back in the 1960s, and building the then-largest fibreglass yacht, the 130-foot Shango II, in 1975.</p>



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<p>Cheoy Lee relocated its shipbuilding facility from Penny’s Bay to Zhuhai, China in 1996, and today is one of the producers of commercial vessels, considered the best in the world.</p>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="768" height="512" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/ACK4358-copy_p.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-76887" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/ACK4358-copy_p.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/ACK4358-copy_p-420x280.jpg 420w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/ACK4358-copy_p-200x133.jpg 200w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Sweater, shirt, trousers and shoes by Ralph Lauren</figcaption></figure></div>


<p>A Queen’s University Civil Engineering alumnus, Hong Kong-born, Canadian-educated Lo confesses to starting at the bottom in the family shipyard – laying up fibreglass and helping with vacuum infusion on a few projects before moving on to other aspects of yacht building. He quickly grasped the process of a build, and over time took on a broader role; he became Deputy Director of CL Yachts – the pleasure-craft arm of the parent company – in 2019.</p>



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<p>Lo spent a large portion of his youth at the Cheoy Lee facility, returning during summer vacations after his family settled in Vancouver when he was seven years old. “Growing up, my family and I would go to bai san by boat, and as a kid, I thought that was just normal for everybody,” he says. “It was only later on that I realised the reason we were doing this is because our family builds ships. It’s very much a part of our life.”</p>



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<p>True to his great-great-grandfather’s visionary roots, Lo is not standing still; he is thinking grand-scale for CL Yachts. “In 10 years, I hope we’ve established ourselves in Hong Kong and Australia – our biggest targets right now in terms of yacht sales,” he says.</p>



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<p>His 10-year plan has already commenced. At their production facility, they are currently developing an innovative commercial project involving carbon fibre and hybrid technology for a more sustainable approach to the yacht industry – a move towards a greener carbon footprint.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Stance and Ballast</h3>



<p>Now 40, the millennial engineer has grey hairs perfectly sprinkled through both sides of his crew cut; and he embraces them, saying: “Age is just a number and we should be proud of it. As we age, we collect learnings and these make us a better version of ourselves. I’d like to believe that I am in my prime working potential.”</p>



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<p>As we head out to sea for the photo shoot, he proudly shows us around their<a href="https://clyachts.com/range/clb65/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"> flagship yacht CLB65,</a> hailing its development as CL Yachts&#8217; most significant career accomplishment to date. A striking departure from traditional motor yachts, the 19.7-metre craft has received prizes internationally for its creativity, adaptability and versatility. “What makes this project more special is that the interior design was conceptualised by my wife,” he notes.</p>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="500" height="683" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/ACK4447-copy_p.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-76888" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/ACK4447-copy_p.jpg 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/ACK4447-copy_p-205x280.jpg 205w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/ACK4447-copy_p-200x273.jpg 200w" sizes="(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Jakcet by Zegna Trousers by Nanushka, courtesy of The Outnet Shoes by Ralph Lauren</figcaption></figure></div>


<p>The balancing of work and family time has always been smooth sailing for Lo, who uses the fact that he is part of a family business to his advantage. For him, family and work can be the same thing. However, he is changing things up a little to be a better dad and husband than the generation before him. Showing us a recent photo of himself, his wife and their two-year-old, he shares that his father was like an astronaut during his formative years.</p>



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<p>“Being a father was tough in my dad&#8217;s generation. He needed to travel back and forth to Canada, and it made seeing us difficult. I want to be around for my son as much as I can. Being present is important in a young&#8217;s child life,” he reiterates.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Wave Encounters</h3>



<p>Just as we are talking about alternative plans in life, Lo interrupts himself mid-sentence to rush to his yacht engineer, who has accidentally slipped down the stairs. As we make haste back to land, he says that every member of his team plays a crucial role in making the yacht-building business work. And so, to plan B we go – a two-hour photoshoot at the headquarters of CL Yachts where he discusses the nature of pleasure-boating in between outfit changes; with a laugh, he describes one ensemble as a boyband look.</p>



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<p>Luxury yachting is, by definition, extreme and extravagant; some would say over the top. However, as he points out, there is a whole industry that supports the yachting sector and employs hundreds of thousands of hardworking people worldwide. “For us, there&#8217;s luxury in practicality. When you&#8217;re aboard our boats, you&#8217;ll find easy access to everything you want to do. Our boats are true sea-going vessels,” he explains.</p>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="500" height="750" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/ACK4533-copy_p.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-76889" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/ACK4533-copy_p.jpg 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/ACK4533-copy_p-187x280.jpg 187w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/ACK4533-copy_p-200x300.jpg 200w" sizes="(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Knitwear, trousers and shoes by Zegna</figcaption></figure></div>


<p>Surprisingly perhaps, and ironically, the peak of Covid brought a surge in sales. With people unable to travel and go places, many chose to invest in a yacht instead and discovered the joys of boating.</p>



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<p>“[The pandemic] was a huge obstacle that we all had to overcome. But that’s just life. There are always going to be hurdles in our way, and we are always going have to pick ourselves up, go with the flow and with the waves,” he says, with a gleeful wink as he utters the last word.</p>



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<p>After the indoor shoot, Lo and the entire crew jump back onto the yacht to continue with the original plan. After a few shots on deck, he entertains a phone call – a glance at what his everyday life looks like, call after call, meeting after meeting. But he emphasises the importance of taking a break, once in a while.</p>


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<figure class="aligncenter size-full"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="768" height="512" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/ACK4662-copy_p.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-76886" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/ACK4662-copy_p.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/ACK4662-copy_p-420x280.jpg 420w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/ACK4662-copy_p-200x133.jpg 200w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /></figure></div>


<p>“We picked a good day to do the shoot and interview, didn’t we?” he proclaims, as the light of the 5 pm sun glints off his sunglasses. “We’re always due to pause and take a step back so that we can gain a new perspective on things going on in our lives. Working hard, earning money and investing in your future – these are for survival. Enjoying the finer things in life is for living.”</p>



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<p>While Lo has work-family balance down pat, he is still juggling the pleasure of living in the moment and the necessity of planning for the future. Yet, deep in his soul, he believes life should be enjoyed as much as humanly possible. Armed with the knowledge that comes with experience, a strong family support group and another magazine cover for his beloved flagship, he is content to ride the tide to see which way the waves take him.</p>



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<p><em>Interview &amp; Art Direction: Joseff Musa Photographer: Jack Law Fashion Stylist: Jhoshwa Ledesma Videographer: Jack Fontanilla Hair &amp; Makeup: Cyrus Tang Venue: Cheoy Lee Shipyards Boat: CLB65 Cover: Jacket and Pasnts by IRO, courtesy of The Outnet and shoes by Zegna Brands: Ralph Lauren, IRO, courtesy of The Outnet and Nanushka, courtesy of The Outnet</em></p>


For Hans Lo, CL Yachts’ Deputy Director, innovation makes sailing through life worthwhile

<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class=" wp-image-3969 aligncenter" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/1603_travel101_Feature_Image-600x397.jpg" alt="1603_travel101_Feature_Image" width="968" height="548" /><br />
Sailing, it seems, is still the preferred route for many arrivals to Sydney. It’s a tradition some 200 years old, from when the British dispatched convicts down-under-wards on a no-expenses eight-month passage aboard whichever flimsy frigate came to hand.</p>
<p>Today’s maritime visitors have clearly been offered an upgrade. The harbour is full of gigantic super-liners, with passengers spending less than two days ashore – a bit of change from the lifetime tariff enjoyed by their 19th century forebears.</p>
<p>The food and sleeping arrangements are also a notch or two up from those offered to those sheep stealers and cutpurses of yesteryear. Given the state of the modern cruise industry and today’s oceanic travel enterprises, however, it might be worth requesting some testimonials to that effect.</p>
<p>In truth, though, the world is now beating a path to Sydney’s door and largely on a voluntary basis, too. With the city’s look and feel soaring, the tourists have poured in. It’s a development that has delighted the locals. Whether in sport, culture or civic pride, the Aussies are a competitive and proud bunch. Nowhere is that more true than in Sydney. And so long as Sydney is beating Melbourne – at pretty much anything – that’s fair dinkum, as they say in these parts.</p>
<p>While both cities lay claim to being Australia’s leading metropolis, the Olympic-boost Sydney received from hosting the 2000 Games opened a gap that, as yet, shows no signs of closing. And, as Sydney-siders will inevitably ask you, just which city is home to both the iconic Opera House and the Harbour Bridge?</p>
<p>Those cruise visitors, then, have clearly got it all wrong. Two days is nowhere near enough to sample everything Sydney has to offer. It’s a city that should be savoured, a location you can truly immerse yourself in.</p>
<p>Assuming you’re not staying on a boat of any description, the choice of accommodation is endless. Business and tourist hotels abound – as well as the more funky option of a night in the likes of the QT – but Sydney is also very much an Airbnb type of place, with a wide number of rentable apartments to be had.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class=" wp-image-3970 aligncenter" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/1603_travel102-600x351.jpg" alt="1603_travel102" width="915" height="603" /></p>
<p>While location is important, so too is style. Will it be the superb Victorian suburbs of Paddington and Darlinghurst that catch your eye? Or, perhaps, the more upscale, secluded villas of Rose Bay or Surrey Hills?   Then, again, there is also the array of modern luxury apartments springing up around Darling Harbour and Walsh Bay. Wherever you choose, just make sure you’re connected to the superb local transport system – a well-planned interchange of trains, buses and ferries. A rechargeable Opal card, covering all these options, is really the first thing any visitor should invest in.</p>
<p>Inevitably, as with all of those cruise ships, Circular Quay will be the starting point for most tourists, with the inevitable first decision being whether or not to climb Sydney Harbour Bridge. Many do. Often at dawn, occasionally in fancy dress. In fairness, it’s a once in a lifetime experience and one that’s well within the physical capability of the vast majority of visitors.</p>
<p>The walks are meticulously managed, with (you’ll be glad to know) a particular emphasis on safety. Connected to a secure cable all the way to the top and back, the only risk is a touch of vertigo. There’s also “short” version of the walk – 150 minutes versus 210 – and pre-booking is pretty much essential. Oh, and don’t overdo the tinnies the night before – every would-be bridge walker is breathalysed before being allowed up.</p>
<p>Of course, if you opt to not walk over the bridge, you can always stroll across it, via the free-to-access pedestrian walkway. The views are just as spectacular and you still get to wave to all the cruise ship passengers. And they will all wave back.</p>
<p>As to what’s at the other end of the bridge, well, there’s Luna Park for a start. This is one spot where you have to spend at least half a day before you can even think about leaving Sydney. It’s one of the most quaint and old-fashioned theme parks in the world, famous for its clown’s face entrance (very Stephen King). While Luna Park may not match up to the high-octane rides of Disney or Universal, it is full of charming funfair attractions and an atmosphere that more than makes up for it.</p>
<p>Back across the harbour and Sydney Opera House (SOH) looks resplendent in full sail, while almost certainly waiting for you to board. As with the bridge, there is a big difference between those who actually go inside SOH as opposed to those who just have their photo taken with the unmistakable landmark in the background.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class=" wp-image-3971 aligncenter" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/1603_travel103-600x350.jpg" alt="1603_travel103" width="973" height="520" /></p>
<p>You really should make the effort to explore the interior, though, taking in a performance or just joining one of the behind-the-scenes tours. It’s not just opera. Ballet, theatre and orchestra all feature heavily in its comprehensive programme, as well as a number of contemporary music concerts. Once you’ve done that, you can then join the throng outside and enjoy the open-air bars and restaurants clustered around the most visually stunning backdrop in the world.</p>
<p>Keeping the Circular Quay as your orientation point, a stroll to the Botanical Gardens should be next on your to-do list. The gardens celebrate their bicentennial in 2016, two centuries of providing a rich, varied and colourful, haven of peace within the city. Follow the park round to Mrs Macquarie’s Point, a finger of land jutting into the harbour offering spectacular views of the Opera House and bridge.</p>
<p>As to the identity of the Mrs Macquarie in question, she was the wife of Lachlan Macquarie, Governor of New South Wales between 1810 and 1821. The couple’s influence was extensive and it was they who set about turning the crime-ridden shantytown into a modern, civilised urban development. It is thanks to the couple’s championship of culture and beauty that Macquarie is still a name that resounds across the city today.</p>
<p>Whether as much attention is being paid to the Macquaries’ guiding principles as the city continues to expand, though, is something of a moot point. The new Barangaroo development on the edge of the Central Business District (CBD), for instance, has met with considerable opposition from residents in Millers Point with regard to the consequent loss of social housing. Nothing, however, is standing in the way of the city’s determination to create an ambitious commercial, residential and leisure suburb in this primest of waterside locations.</p>
<p>It’s a process that Darling Harbour – one wharf along at Cockle Bay Point – has already undergone. Some 10 years ago this thriving area of the city was very different, with none of the apartments, restaurants and attractions that characterise it today. Now it’s an unmissable item, whether for a visit to the Maritime Museum (with its impressive replica of Captain Cook’s <em>Endeavour</em>), The Star complex (with its theatre and casino) or the trio of Merlin-operated attractions – Tussauds, Sea World and Wildlife.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class=" wp-image-3972 aligncenter" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/1603_travel104-600x360.jpg" alt="1603_travel104" width="956" height="643" /></p>
<p>This is where your Opal card really starts to come in handy. From Darling Harbour alone, you can enjoy ferry access to the Manly beaches, Watsons Bay and the mightily impressive Tarronga Zoo. On a Sunday, you can travel on as many ferries as you want to for less than US$1. This is why you’ll find yourself bobbing from one point of interest to another, especially if you’ve allowed yourself more than two days in town.</p>
<p>As with many New World cities, Sydney is very keen on its own admittedly short history, with many museums offering insights into its birth and growing pains. Recommended is the Sydney Museum, which is notably strong on Admiral Arthur Phillip’s post-1788 colonisation of Australia, the conflict with aboriginal tribes and later development of the settlement.</p>
<p>Equally striking – if not more so – is the Justice and Police Museum (only open on Saturday and Sunday), which provides a stark résumé of the criminal underclasses of the city in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Then there’s the Hyde Park Barracks Museum, with its recreation of a prisoners’ half-way house dating back to the aforementioned Governor Macquarie’s time.</p>
<p>For an actual “walk through time,” though, it’s back to Circular Quay and a stroll through The Rocks, the site of the homes of the very first settler-built homes. Once notorious as a crime and disease-filled ghetto, The Rocks is now home to restaurants, bars, galleries and numerous shopping opportunities.</p>
<p>With the forethought to book ahead, a visit to Susannah’s Place, a preserved terrace street, provides an authentic insight into living conditions endured by Sydney families for more than 150 years.</p>
<p>It goes without saying, you really ought to check out what sporting events are taking place during your visit. Aussies take their sports exceptionally seriously and a trip to Sydney Cricket Ground for a Test or a Big Bash game definitely won’t disappoint. Similarly, Australian rules football will baffle and excite, while a day at the races may deplete your wallet. A game of rugby – of either code – will certainly get you fired up.</p>
<p><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class=" wp-image-3973 aligncenter" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/1603_travel105-600x231.jpg" alt="1603_travel105" width="907" height="434" /></p>
<p>Out of town, Sydney offers another marvellous gem in the Blue Mountains, some two hours drive west. Again, no visitor should pass up an opportunity to take in the Three Sisters rock formation or a journey to the valley floor via the Katoomba Scenic funicular railway. You should also make a point of visiting the Featherdale Wildlife Park en route. Here you will get the chance to see an array of indigenous animal life in a sympathetic setting. No journey to Oz, after all, is complete without a koala-kangaroo-possum selfie.</p>
<p>The Australians, of course, love the outdoor life and why wouldn’t they? They are, after all, blessed with a climate that all but guarantees the hottest of summers and the mildest of winters. The top of any sun worshipper’s checklist, then, will be the renowned Bondi Beach, the legendarily expansive stretch of sand set in Sydney’s eastern suburbs. While parking may be a problem, and getting your surfboard aboard a bus is far from ideal, the locals would be outraged if you came all this way and missed the beach off your itinerary.</p>
<p>The barbie on the beach is a well-established Australian tradition, so join in with a bucket of prawns and a cold one if you get the chance. If you have been fortunate enough to be in Sydney on December 31, then pick your vantage point early in order to fully appreciate the 12-minute firework display that welcomes in the new year pretty much before anywhere else in the world. Except, maybe, for Melbourne and Kiribati – and those two locations are well behind Sydney in pretty much every other respect.</p>


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For Hans Lo, CL Yachts’ Deputy Director, innovation makes sailing through life worthwhile

Sidney Pointiers