RHKYC China Coast Regatta - day 1
by Guy Nowell, Sail-World Asia 12 Oct 2018 15:45 BST
12-14 October 2018
RHKYC China Coast Regatta 2018. RO keeping an eye on things © RHKYC / Guy Nowell
The first edition of this regatta was held in 1993 – 26 years ago. The China Coast Cup (as it was called) was launched 26 years ago, masterminded by Neil Pryde and Steve Ellis, and happily driven forward by everyone who regretted the demise of the old China Sea Series. The inaugural China Coast Cup welcomed 46 yachts on the start line. Fast forward to 2018, and although there are fewer boats on the start line (32 when the HKPN fleet joins in tomorrow) the size of the boats has definitely increased. In 1993 TP52s hadn’t been invented, and nor had ORMA 60 trimarans.
The first event was held out of Clearwater Bay Golf Club & Country Club Marina, and enjoyed outstanding weather conditions. Run under the long-defunct IMS rating system, the regatta included an offshore race to Pedro Blanco which saw 2m seas and 25kts of breeze. Stirring stuff. Overseas competitors included Orion Express from South Africa, a Japan-chartered X-99 (Roxanne) plus lots more and a whole bunch of international rock stars. The Caribbean Night was one to remember – for those who can remember it at all. There are probably a few swimsuits remaining at the bottom of the waterfall pool behind the marina clubhouse?
The 2018 edition of the event once again welcomes overseas visitors: two Chinese teams - Ark 323 (TP52) skippered by Hongquan Li, and Lighthorse Alpha Plus, a Ker 46+ skippered by Shawn Kang. There’s also George Hackett from the Philippines on a sparkling new Ker 43, Misty Mountain. All the other competitors are racing under the Hong Kong flag, and the fleet is an interesting mix of high performance and racer cruisers.
SHK Scallywag Fuku, an ORMA 60, is the only multihull in the fleet after Karl Kwok’s MOD70 Beau Geste pulled out of the 3-day inshore series with instruments and electronics problems. However, be sure that Beau Geste will be back in action for the dash to Hainan that starts on 18 October. The other big boats in the IRC 0 division are the two China teams along with Sam Chan’s TP52 FreeFire and Frank Pong’s Jelik.
Today’s racing presented with 14kts of breeze, only slightly variabe, out of 060 degrees, and the programme was a windward/leeward for everone to start with (except Premier Cruising who had made representations to the RO and are slated for one long islands course a day for the duration of the regatta. That was followed by islands courses for all and sundry.
There were a few fudged drops and some interesting mark roundings in the first race as crews found their sea legs. Ambush sustained a crew injury (“Honey, I forgot to duck”) and retired, but everyone else made it round the courses intact. SHK Scallywag Fuku came out to play regardless of the lack of opponent, and impressed with some fast and close passes through the fleet before setting off on her own windward-leeward course – quick (very quick!) in a straight line, but not so fast around the corners. Helmut Hennig’s new stretched Mills 40, Quest, came off the block fighting, but Misty Mountain (probably) forgot that the start sequence was based on 6-minute intervals, and was scored OCS. Hero, with Tiffany Koo on the handlebars, took the first race for IRC1, so will have to be renamed ‘Heroine’. Sam Chan’s Free Fire was - very properly - on fire, and scooped IRC 0.
After the lunchbreak, all classes were sent off on islands courses that took some all the way up to Bluff Island at the entrance to Port Shelter, and absolutely everyone through the thoroughly scenic Ninepins. Gioven the breeze angle, this turned out to be as good as a protracted windward-leeward course with obstacles along the way – Beaufort Island, Sung Kong, Waglan etc. It was a grand afternoon for some tactical coastal racing booth upwind and downwind, and a good time was had by all.
Who’s there who has always been there? Fred Kinmonth, Regatta Chairman, and Nick Burns are racing on Mandrake III, and before that of course there was Stella. Back in the day, Inge Strompf-Jepsen sailed the first event on X-Rated, and then subsequent China Coasts on Fox in Sox – now Inge is the PRO and very much in charge on the top deck of Kellett VIII. Frank Pong lost a crewmember over board in 1993, but reports that the crew are better behaved now. Sam Chan was there the first time round, and Denis Ma is sailing on Rampage II having previously owned Bliss and the first Rampage. Peter Churchouse was there too, and he never gives up – but the moustache has a few grey hairs in it these days. There a good many more, so hats off to the Hong Kong sailors with longevity!
After the trip round the islands, it was back to Middle Island for a few drinks, some consumable prizes, and a few well-chosen words from Fred Kinmonth. Ladies and Gentlemen, please reassemble tomorrow morning for more of the same. The weather forecast is good.
Sad note: China Coast Regatta is alive and kicking, but if you look at the photographs from 1993 it is very evident that the air is less clean than it was 26 years ago. We’ll bring you some just as soon as we have scanned the slides!
Standing by on 72.
Short Results: aggregate after day 1
IRC 0
1. Free Fire
2. Ark 323
3. Lighthorse Alpha Plus
IRC 1
1. Hero Racing Team
2. Mandrake III
3. Phoenix
IRC 2
1. Blackjack
2. Avant Garde
3. Juggerknot
IRC 3
1. Dexter II
2. Whiskey Jack
3. Andiamo
Premier Cruising
1. Moonblue 2
2. Clove Hitch
3. Lisa Elaine
Full results at https://www.rhkyc.org.hk/sailingresults.aspx#CHINA%20COAST%20REGATTA%20-%20RESULTS