Zannekin, Mandrake, Hero Racing & Dexter II are winners
By RHKYC Media
24:10:2016: Day 3 of the Volvo China Coast Regatta kicked off with racing east of Tung Lung Chau. With the north easterly breeze at 6-8 knots, it was decided to send the entire fleet on a windward leeward for the first race of the day. The shorter Q1 course with two laps was chosen to make sure boats had ample time to finish and then continue to an islands race. IRC Racer 0, 1 and IRC Premier Cruiser were sent on a 6.6nm course with 1.65nm mile legs.

Race 5 for IRC Racer 0 was the first start at 1030hrs. A moment after the start, the individual recall was signaled. Ker 46 Zannekin, fearing they were marginally over the line, came back at once, but it was actually the TP52 FreeFire who was already a distance away from the start line who was early. After a second radio call from the committee boat, FreeFire returned to restart considerably trailing the rest of the fleet.

Race 5 for IRC 1 started shortly after with another individual recall for the Mills 40 Straight Up, GTS 43 Mandrake III and the Ker Custom 42 Black Baza. All boats quickly returned to the line and restarted. With the suboptimal start, Mandrake III and Straight Up pushed their boats to gain back valuable ground to take first and second on handicap by the end of the race.

Race 4 for IRC Premier Cruiser began at 1044hrs. The Beneteau 50 Lighthorse sailed another great race to keep up their weekend flush!

IRC Racer 2, 3 and HKPN divisions were sent on a 5nm course with 1.3nm legs. Just before IRC Racer 2 started, the AP was hoisted to allow the race committee time to adjust the top mark. After a brief delay, the AP was removed and IRC Racer 2 went into their sequence and started at 1100hrs. Continuing with the theme of the morning, an individual recall was signaled for China Cup No.33 who quickly returned to restart. This was their first race of the regatta as they were delayed in delivering their boat to Hong Kong due to Typhoon Haima. Race 5 for IRC Racer 3 started shortly after at 1106hrs. The division seemed to be relieved to have their own start with fewer boats to contend with on the line. HKPN set off shortly after at 1112hrs.

With the wind gradually swinging to an easterly breeze of 100° and 6-7 knots, the islands course 15 was chosen for all divisions. After many individual recalls during the starts for the first race of the day, if was great to see clear starts for all divisions for the islands race. The 14nm race started in 6 knots of breeze with IRC Racer 0 heading off at 1218hrs followed by separate starts for each division. The fleet beat to Club Mark 16, followed by a broad reach keeping South Nine Pin to starboard, followed a beat keeping East Ninepin to port, followed by another reach to Club Mark 17 and downwind to Steep Island and a beat to the finish off Tung Lung Chau East.

Race Officer Inge Strompf-Jepsen commented on racing “With less wind than we had anticipated today and a rather shifty breeze that rotated from 060° to 130° we were very happy to get in a windward leeward and an islands race in for all classes. I am also extremely relieved we were able to get out for all three days of racing considering the two typhoons that were affecting the area in the lead up to Volvo China Coast Regatta. We have been very fortunate to have had breeze, clear skies and flat water for this regatta!”

Provisional results to date are available online at http://www.rhkyc.org.hk/VCCR16ProvisionalResults.aspx
Volvo China Coast Regatta website: http://www.chinacoastregatta.com

Image credits to RHKYC / Guy Nowell

Volvo China Coast Regatta - Day 2 Race Report.
By RHKYC Media
23:10:2016: With limited breeze in the vicinity of Middle Island, the AP was raised on shore at the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club’s Middle Island Clubhouse at 0740hrs. Shortly after, Race Officer Inge Strompf-Jepsen and the race management team went in search of wind. After a few hours of building breeze, the committee was relieved when the wind settled at 6+ knots and the AP was removed on shore at 1131hrs.

With the given wind conditions and direction, it was decided that any island course would turn into a reaching race. Therefore race management decided it would be best to hold a windward/leeward race for all classes. The committee boat anchored south-east of Lamma Island, and all divisions were sent on Course Q2 with an axis of 075°.

IRC Racer 0 was the first start at 1256hrs in 5 to 6kts of breeze. IRC Racer 0, 1 and IRC Premier Cruising were sent on a three-lap windward/leeward course with 1.5nm legs towards the Beaufort Gap. The first boat to finish in IRC Racer 0 was Seng Huang Lee’s 100ft super maxi finished at 14hr 10min 10sec, but Sam Chan’s TP52 FreeFire took the win with a corrected time of 2h06m17s.

IRC Racer 1 started at 1302hrs with the Ker 40 Signal 8 (Hannings/Jacobs/Kendall/McWilliam/Pender) first to round the leeward mark quickly followed by Ker Custom 42 Black Baza (Steve Manning/Anthony Root) then GTS 43 Mandrake III (Nick Burns/Fred Kinmonth). After three laps, Mandrake III prevailed on handicap by 1 minute and 42 seconds.

Mandrake III co owner Nick Burns quotes “Great race today, Inge came up with an excellent solution to run one windward/leeward off Lamma vs trying to do an island course, I would have been happy to do another windward/leeward today if the wind had remained steady!”

IRC Premier Cruising started at 1308hrs with Beneteau 50 Lighthorse Shawn Kang rounding the leeward mark a good 4 minutes before Warwick Custom Moonblue 2 Peter Churchouse. Keeping up their lead Lighthorse took line honours and their division win.

IRC Racer 2, 3 and HKPN divisions were sent on a shorter 7.5nm course with 1.25nm legs. The IRC Racer 2 and 3 planned start was at 1314hrs but at about a minute to the gun, a fishing boat more concerned with bringing in their nets drove directly through fleet. The AP was raised while the boats scattered and once the fishing boat was clear, the sequence was restarted and the race set off at 1322hrs. At one point there was quite a pile up at the first rounding of the leeward mark but once that was all cleared up Seawolf William Liu IRC Racer 2 and Dexter II Lowell Chan IRC Racer 3 took the wins in their respective divisions.

HKPN started at 1328hrs but with weakening breeze their race was shortened at the top mark on their final windward leg. Kiasu was the first boat to finish in their division and also won on HKPN handicap.

Tomorrow will be the final day of racing with the warning signal at 1025hrs with the race committee hoping to get in a windward leeward followed by an islands race before heading to Kellett Island for the Volvo China Coast Regatta Gala Prize Giving Dinner.

Provisional results to date are available online at http://www.rhkyc.org.hk/VCCR16ProvisionalResults.aspx
Volvo China Coast Regatta website: http://www.chinacoastregatta.com

Image credits to RHKYC / Guy Nowell

Volvo China Coast Regatta - Day 1
By RHKYC Media
22:10:2016: The Volvo China Coast Regatta got underway on Saturday in the wake of Tropical Cyclone Haima which brought Hong Kong to a standstill just 24 hours before; including the forced cancellation of the Regatta’s Welcome Drinks and Skipper Briefing. It was a great first day of racing with clear skies, a flat sea state and southerly breeze of 6 to 8kts - a complete contrast during yesterday’s typhoon.

The first race kicked of at 1030hrs for the five boats in IRC 0 including Seng Huang Lee’s super maxi Scallywag (ex Ragamuffin 100) and Marcel Liedts’ Ker 46, Zannekin. The busiest start line was for IRC Racing 2 and 3 with 16 boats vying for position.

Today’s racing went to plan with IRC Racer Class 0, 1, 2 and 3 competing in three windward/leewards whilst IRC Premier Cruising and HKPN were set a windward/leeward followed by an island course.

The weather brightened progressively throughout the day and the wind remained study; only dropping slightly in the last race of the day.

Race Officer Inge Strompf-Jepsen was pleased with how Race Day 1 went saying “We are lucky we got all of the planned three races in for IRC Racing Divisions 0, 1, 2 and 3 and that the wind kept up though there were a few wind shifts that we had to deal and it was only in the last race that the wind started to get a little bit lighter. The HKPN and IRC Premier Cruising divisions were sent off on a 16nm islands course but we had to extend the time limit per the Sailing Instructions so they could get a finish.

Racing tomorrow will see all fleets being set on a long islands course. Racing starts at 1030hrs.

Provisional results to date are available online at http://www.rhkyc.org.hk/VCCR16ProvisionalResults.aspx
Volvo China Coast Regatta website: http://www.chinacoastregatta.com

Image credits to RHKYC / Guy Nowell / AsianYachting

Volvo China Coast Regatta - Tropical Cyclone Haima Looms
By RHKYC Media

20:10:2016: The Volvo China Coast Regatta Race Committee together with the Sailing Office are keeping a beady eye on the weather as we near the start of the Volvo China Coast Regatta. Tropical Cyclone Haima is forecasted to be closest to Hong Kong on Friday forcing race organisers to put together a backup racing plan in case a signal 3 or 8 is still in force during the first scheduled day of racing on Saturday – which at this rate is looking quite likely.

The original plan sees the IRC Racer Class competing in three windward/leewards on Saturday, one long islands course on the Sunday and finishing on the Monday with a windward/leeward followed by an islands course. All of the other classes will have a windward/leeward and an island course on Saturday, a long islands course on Sunday and a windward/leeward and island course on Monday.

However, Race Officer Inge Strompf-Jepsen said, “Saturday is looking more and more unlikely to become a race day, we therefore plan to move the day of geometric courses to Sunday and then see what the wind conditions are - of course hoping the typhoon has not sucked all the wind out of the area on it’s departure!”

The Race Committee has continued last year’s programme of developing new courses that create race tracks that challenge boat and team capabilities whilst enjoying the beauty and diversity of Hong Kong’s islands.

A quality fleet of 36 boats across 6 divisions will compete in this year’s Volvo China Coast Regatta. Returning this year under a new name and owner the 100ft super maxi Scallywag Seng Huang Lee is sure to be a site on the race course against the many boats which are less then half her size. Other boats to make the journey to Hong Kong are the TP52 Standard Insurance Centennial from the Philippines who will compete in IRC0 against Hong Kong’s Sam Chan’s TP52 FreeFire.

The Volvo China Coast Regatta is book-ended by the Welcome Drinks on Friday 21 October (weather permitting) and a Prizegiving Dinner on Monday 24 October – both at the Club’s Kellett Island clubhouse.

Image credits to AsianYachting / RHKYC / Guy Nowell

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