Asia Pacific China Coast Regatta 2006 - Race Reports and results

Total Lubmarine Asia Pacific China Coast Regatta 2006
Organised by Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club
Goto Related Articles: CCRW and Hainan Race Reports 2001 2002 2003

Day 3 - Sunday 22 October 2006
http://www.chinacoastraceweek.com
All the CCR 06 Regatta Reports are prepared by Lindsay Lyons, the RHKYC's Sponsorship and Promotions Manager. Photos credits must go to the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Clubs very own Guy Nowell photograghy.

After a Saturday night beach party fuelled by Mount Gay Rum, there were plenty of bleary faces on the pontoon on Sunday for the final day of the Total Lubmarine Asia Pacific China Coast Regatta 2006, but only two boats were absent for the first start of the day.

Race officer Jimmy Farquhar was out on the water early to find the breeze and set the first windward leeward course of 1.9nm leg length. The early breeze was a promising 15 knots, but by the warning signal for IRC A I had softened to 10 knots. The starts were all clear, with Drumstick and Moonblue II getting the best start in IRC A and the majority of the fleet favouring the left side of the course.

More sedate racing than Saturday saw Jelik take line honours ahead of Island Fling for Div A and Maina take the double for IRC B on a shortened course. In IRC Premier Cruising, Moonblue shrugged of Saturday's gremlins to take first place on corrected time ahead of Hocux Pocux 2, while Ling Yuan claimed first place in IRC C ahead of Impala 1.

The final race of the series challenged competitors with an Islands race, with IRC A and Premier Cruising being set a 17mn course and the remainder of the Divisions a 15nm course around Po Toi Island to allow for softening winds during the afternoon. Competition was hotting up with Hi Fi, Island Fling and Jelik tied on 8 points after discard and everything open in the other Divisions.

The start for IRC A was tight, with Ffree Fire 52 and Siren called over and Island Fling feeling a weight of guilt that saw them join the culprits in a revisit to the line. Unfortunately, Ffree Fire 52 didn't clear the line and was scored OCS, allowing Mandrake to take first place and Hi Fi to win the series by one point over Island Fling and Jelik, another point behind.

The breeze held to finish most competitors in 10 knots, with Hocux Pocux 2 taking the gun but edged out on corrected time by Moonblue 2 and Impala 1 overcoming Ling Yuan to win IRC C. On a shortened course, Sex Drive suffered a loss of libido to allow Xanadu II to win on corrected time, however still prevented them claiming the title for a fourth year.

At a well attended prize-giving, MC'd by Regatta Chairman, Warwick Downes, Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club was delighted to welcome Ms Caroline Huot, Managing Director of Lubmarine Asia Pacific to present the overall prizes:

HKPN
3RD GA ARTHUR HO
2ND XANADU II MARTIN WONG
1ST SEX DRIVE DEBORAH FU

IRC PREMIER CRUISING
3RD MOONBLUE ANDREW RICKARDS
2ND MOONBLUE II PETER CHURCHOUSE
1ST HSBC STREWTH GEOFF HILL

IRC DIVISION C
3RD BOSS HOGG FRANCIS CHEUNG
2ND IMPALA 1 MIKE BURRELL
1ST LING YUAN H WONG

IRC DIVISION B
3RD MISTRESS MARGARITA HELMUT HENNIG
2ND MAINA RAPHAEL BLOT
1ST DEXTER LOWELL CHANG

IRC DIVISION A
3RD JELIK FRANK PONG
2ND ISLAND FLING PAUL WINKELMANN
1ST HI FI NEIL PRYDE

Goto Related Articles: CCRW and Hainan Race Reports 2001 2002 2003

The China Coast Race Week is part of the AY Grand Prix Championships. Check out the annual AYGP 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 and 2006-07 Championship results and the AY Photo Library images of the 2003/04, 2004/05 AY Grand Prix Champions party in Koh Samui with selected shots taken during the season here...

Total Lubmarine Asia Pacific China Coast Regatta 2006
Organised by Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club

Day 2 – Saturday 21 October 2006
http://www.chinacoastraceweek.com

With a forecast of strengthening winds, and given due warning of a long slog out to the start line, 38 entrants were on the water early for the start of Race 2 of the Total Lubmarine Asia Pacific China Coast Regatta, which is being sailed out of Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club’s Middle Island sailing centre on the south side of Hong Kong Island.

Race Officer Jimmy Farquhar took the committee boat out beyond Lamma Island to make the most of the available 12 knots, which was swinging from 60 to 100 degrees, setting a 1.5nm leg to the windward mark. IRC A and Premier Cruising were set a six leg windward leeward course, while IRC B and IRC C were given a shorter four leg course. HKPN Division was set a Geometric course designed to finish at the windward mark.

By the first start, the wind had filled in to 16 knots, proving consistent throughout the day even if a little shifty. IRC A were raring to go … a little too much, as Drumstick and Hi Fi led the fleet astray, resulting in a general recall and the lengthening of the start line by the RO.

IRC B and C recorded a clean but extremely competitive start, with Dexter pushing the envelope to the limit and getting a great start at the front of the B Division fleet. With only five boats in HKPN starting with Multihull Atmosphere, the HKPN start was all clear.

With Jelik completing laps in 20 minutes, she predictably took line honours IRC A, with Island Fling throwing away a placing at the bottom mark when she failed to drop, then ran over the kite, allowing Free Fire 52 and Hi Fi to pass her.

In IRC B, a battle royal developed between Raphael Blot’s Maina and Paul Bankowski’s Jaywalker, with the former getting the gun a mere two seconds before the latter crossed the line. Pete Churchouse’s Moonblue II claimed the double in Premier Cruising while Ling Yuan did the same in Division C and Sex Drive in HKPN.

In 15 knots the IRC A division was cautious in its second start, with Ffree Fire 52 crossing the line 11 seconds after the gun, only to have jib problems which pushed her into last place on corrected time. Moonblue also lost a promising position when their jib jammed during the hoist after the first leeward mark.

The IRC B Division literally threw caution to the wind, with Dexter, Maina and Jaywalker all called over. Having returned, Jaywalker still managed to make up enough time to take the gun ahead of Ambush, however lost out badly on corrected time, with Selma Star from the Philippines taking first place ahead of Mistress Margarita. Ling Yuan, Moonblue II and Sex Drive again took their Divisions on corrected time.

With the wind lifting to 20 knots Farqhar set the final windward / leeward for the IRC divisions, allowing for an upwind finish. In the Division A start, Siren played a blinder at the pin end, narrowly avoiding being called over, with Ffree Fire 52, Mandrake and Island Fling in hot pursuit. Moonblue added to their miseries as their main halyard snapped just after the start, again leaving them in last place in Premier Cruising.

Full results are available at http://www.rhkyc.org.hk/chinacoastraceweek/results06.htm

Should you have any queries, please contact Lindsay Lyons, Sponsorship and Promotions Manager Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club, Kellett Island, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong. Tel : +852 2239 0391 Fax : +852 2239 0364 Email : Lindsay.Lyons@rhkyc.org.hk

Total Lubmarine Asia Pacific China Coast Regatta 2006
Organised by Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club

Day 1 – Friday 20 October 2006
http://www.chinacoastraceweek.com

In spite of a rowdy set of welcome drinks, 37 out of 38 entrants lined up for the first race of the 2006 Total Lubmarine Asia Pacific China Coast Regatta, staged off the South shores of Hong Kong Island and watches by the event’s Title Sponsor, Lubmarine Asia pacific.

With the strongest entry list for some years, IRC Division A featured several boats new to Hong Kong, while a special C Division was created to allow the Impala Class to participate in the event.

Race Officer Jimmy Farquhar took some time to set the line and make a decision on laying the windward mark, hoping that the swinging 6 to 10 knot breeze would settle in time for the 1200hrs start. In the event, the windward mark was omitted and Farquhar sent the IRC A and Premier Cruising Divisions off in a 13 knot South Easterly for a 21nm Islands course past Po Toi, Waglan and back to Middle Island via Stanley.

Neil Pryde’s Farr 52,Hi Fi, was first across the line in a very finely judged start, with the TP52’s of Sam Chan and Paul Winkelmann in hot pursuit, however it was Frank Pong’s 75 footer,Jelik which forged her way to the front of the fleet, holding that position until she took the gun some 3 hours later. Hi Fi finished only 7 minutes behind, taking first place on handicap, with the Burns / Kinmonth owned Farr-Mills 51, Mandrake, taking second and Robert Knight’s DK46 Drumstick third.

In Premier Cruising, the race committee awarded Moonblue II the virtual prize for best dressed boat, renamed Jailbreak for the occasion! However Pete Churchouse still had to bear the indignity of watching his previous model (Moonblue) finish ahead of him on the water and in first place overall.

At 1205hrs, spectators were treated to a 21 boat start for IRC B and C Divisions, which was fiercely contested by Steve Manning’s Walawala, Paul Bankowski’s Jaywalker and Raphael Blot’s Maina, with Maina joining Wild Hi Fi for an OCS call which cost them dearly in the final race positions. An 18nm course took competitors in the same direction as the racing division, and it was Jaywalker which took the gun after 3 hours and 12 minutes, five minutes ahead of Maina and the Burgurlu / Isler / Taylor owned Ambush. After application of handicap, Lowell Chang claimed the Mount Gay Rum for X99 Dexter.

The final start was for the small, but enthusiastic HKPN Division, lacking only Salt Rose on the start line. A shorter course of 15nm proved to the liking of Martin Wong’s Petersen 37, Xanadu II, which celebrated the double ahead of Deborah Fu’s Sex Drive.

The breeze had shifted to a North Easterly which obliged by giving a constant 9-10 knots breeze for the finishing run and is forecast to strengthen for Day 2 which features 3 three Windward / Leewards for the IRC fleets and a Geometric and an Islands course for the HKPN fleet.

- End -

Goto Related Articles: CCRW and Hainan Race Reports 2001 2002 2003

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