Hong Kong Laser Radial & 4.7 Nationals at Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club
by Marek Nostitz Jackowski 14 Dec 2015 10:09 GMT
12-13 December 2015
Veteran J-Asia Laser sailor Isamu Sakai and his top-ranked teammate, junior Marian Frances Williams, emerged as the victors across the Laser Radial and 4.7 divisions after at a hard-fought Hong Kong Laser Nationals campaign. Sakai bested mixed-fleet of 20 Radials, including two visiting sailors from Poland heading for the ISAF Youth Worlds to be held in Langkawi, Malaysia at the end of the year.
Williams held her own against a mixed fleet of fourteen 4.7 sailors hailing from Hong Kong's different sailing clubs. This year's Hong Kong Laser Nationals were held at Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club's Middle Island Facility on December 12-13.
Wind conditions ranged from a shifty 15 to 20 knots on the first day of sailing; the challenging wind meant no sailor was guaranteed a win until he or she had crossed the finish. Broken equipment forced Sakai to withdraw from the last race of the first day, forcing him into a low place after the first day of sailing, with the Polish Yachting Association's Jakub Rodziewicz in the lead and Magda Kwasna in second. Williams fared better, as she ended on the top of the 4.7 leaderboard after the first day, followed by Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club's Emma Fung and Enzo Cremers respectively.
The wind gods were kinder on the second day of the competition, with the breeze blowing at a milder and more steady 12 knots, gusting 15 knots. Favourable wind conditions allowed Sakai to claw his way back to the top following a discard, and the two-day event wrapped up with Sakai taking the top spot; Rodziewicz in second, Kwasna in 3rd and J-Asia's Christopher Bezy in fourth.
Williams took the top 4.7 slot after a sold weekend of sailing with four first place finishes, a second and a third. After a disappointing first day of sailing, J-Asia's Preston Tso bested his Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club rivals Fung and Cremers; while Fung came in third. Emma Fung was also named top junior (Under 16) sailor in the 4.7 Division.
Dominick Hardoon, head of the Hong Kong Laser Class Association said: "Well done to all the competitors and winners, it was a great regatta and I am sure everyone got a lot out of it. A big thank you to all the coaches, volunteers, sponsors Manks and Zhik, and the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club for hosting the event."
Top 5, Laser Radial:
1. Isamu Sakai, J-Asia
2. Jakub Rodziewicz, Polish Yachting Association
3. Magda Kwasna, Polish Yachting Association
4. Christopher Bezy, J-Asia
5. Jacqueline Truhol, RHKYC
Top 5, Laser 4.7:
1. Marian Williams, J-Asia
2. Preston Tso, J-Asia
3. Emma Fung, RHKYC
4. Enzo Cremers RHKYC
5. Stephanie Norton, J-Asia