Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club's Autumn Regatta - Preview
by Koko Mueller, RHKYC 13 Sep 2017 13:51 BST
16-17 September 2017
Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club © RHKYC / Guy Nowell
The 2017 Autumn Regatta takes place on the weekend of 16 and 17 September in Victoria Harbour. Since 1889 this regatta has heralded the start of the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club's official sailing season which runs from September to May.
The Autumn Regatta is a two-day event with one race taking place on the first day and two back-to-back races on the second. The race on Saturday will also be designated as the RHKYC Bart's Bash. Money raised from sailors' charity contributions will go to the Andrew Simpson Sailing Foundation (ASSF). This year the funds will support disabled sailing and disadvantaged young sailors.
Open to sailors from across Hong Kong, the regatta will feature a variety of yachts; Big Boats, Dragons, Etchells, Flying Fifteens, Impalas, J/80s and Pandoras. Other types of keelboats may also be considered by the organising authority prior to entry.
Over 100 boats are expected to enter and the race course will likely take the fleet up the harbour towards Shau Kei Wan, Tai Koo Shing and Hung Hom and with the actual course being decided on the day by the Race Officer after considering the prevailing winds and tides.
This year's event will be supported by sponsors St. James's Place who are continuing their collaborations with the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club after an incredibly successful Sunset Series. Joining them are new sponsors, ICE Yachts, who will begin a multi-event partnership that sees them also involved in the Around the Island Race and the Spring Regatta and Foundation Global Education who also begin a wider partnership with the Club engaging in sailing events and classes/courses for the younger members of the Club. Partnering with the event are ETA Logistics and The Artist who will be providing their unique brand of Craft Beer for the prize giving event.
The prize giving for the event will take place at RHKYC's Kellett Island clubhouse at around 1830hrs on Sunday evening, after racing has finished.
This year's sailing season will be exceptional. From 30 September to 7 October, the Club is hosting the 2017 Optimist Asian & Oceanian Championships with sailors coming in from across the world. Later in October, the Volvo China Coast Regatta will be held from 13 to 15 October followed immediately by the Volvo Hong Kong to Vietnam Race which starts on 18 October. In November the biggest spectacle in the harbour will be in the form of the Turkish Airlines Around the Island Race with well over 200 yachts circumnavigating Hong Kong Island on 12 November. In December the Club again welcomes international sailors as they arrive for the 29er Hong Kong Open (Pre Worlds) from 27 to 29 December and the 2018 29er Zhik World Championship from 2 to 8 January. Then of course, Hong Kong will be treated to the Volvo Ocean Race Stopover mid January.
Hong Kong Race Week will again see international sailors back in our waters from 20 to 25 February and the following month the Club hosts the 2018 Rolex China Sea Race which starts on 28 March.
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