BMW Spring Regatta 2025 at Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club
by Vivian Ngan 13 May 07:10 BST
10-11 May 2025
The BMW Spring Regatta attracted 88 boats - a lucky number in Chinese culture. Across four Big Boat divisions and eight one-design classes - including Dragons, Etchells, Flying Fifteens, Impalas, J/80s, Pandoras, Ruffians, and Sportsboats, sailors joined two days of racing on 10 to 11 May in Victoria Harbour, marking the second-last club event of the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club's 2024-2025 sailing season.
The first day of the regatta started with very light air and humid, overcast skies, with the fleet held ashore for almost one hour in the hope that conditions would improve. By early afternoon, the race management team found a decent 8 to 10kts of south-easterly breeze in the Hung Hom area and decided to lower the AP at 1255hrs. The start sequence, having only been delayed by 15 minutes, with the Big Boat Division 0 starting at 1400hrs.
Race Officer Elberti Uiterwaal-Postma sent the faster Big Boat divisions to sail several laps around Shau Kei Wan before finishing near Kai Tak, while other classes were sent to sail two to three laps between Tai Koo Shing and Hung Hom, with course distances ranging from 6nm to 8.5nm. After one hour of racing, the wind significantly abated, resulting in all one-design classes shortening their course, with boats forced to change gears in the super-light conditions to get a finish.
After racing, Elberti Uiterwaal-Postma described what ended up being a tough day: "At one point, the wind dropped to zero, and we were thinking of abandoning all the races that hadn't finished yet, but we said, let's wait and see — then the wind came back, luckily, to 3 to 4 kts, so we were able to finish most of them."
A cold front crossed Hong Kong on Saturday night, bringing a northerly breeze to start Day 2 of the regatta.
The northerly wind meant a shifty and unpredictable day in the harbour as the pressure came over the mountains and into the harbour. It was blocked by the wall of buildings on the Kowloon side, with wind bent in various directions over the racing area. The AP was hoisted ashore at 0900hrs for 40 minutes to allow the wind to settle in.
What little light easterly breeze there was when the fleet arrived at Hung Hom soon died down and changed direction yet again. The AP was raised again on the water at the scheduled start time, and finally, a northerly breeze filled in as the signal boat moved to North Point. Spectators at the newly opened East Coast Boardwalk enjoyed some exciting racing starts and mark-rounding action.
Two races were originally planned for the day, with the Big Boat fleets sent on two windward-leeward courses between Kowloon Bay and North Point, eventually finishing off Hung Hom after completing their loops. Some one-design fleets followed similar routes, with slower fleets rounding Kowloon Bay and Kai Tak. However, by the time the big boats finished their first race, the wind gods ceased their service, and the race management team hoisted the AP over A to call off the day.
Deputy Race Officer Barry Truhol said, "It was a challenging day for the race management team. We started with wind from the North, then from the South, then from the West. We set up for a northerly/northeasterly course. During the start sequence, there was a massive wind shift, but we decided to carry on with the starts to get the races completed. Apart from the wind shift, I don't think many people appreciated the change of course, but with over 80 boats in total, it was difficult to alter overall courses. Most sailors seemed happy."
Big Boat Division 0 was made up of five Cape 31s (Capitano, Out of Africa, H30, Tai Chi, and Rampage 38) and Neo Roma 430 Next. In Big Boat Division 1, Team Sanya (Jiu Ling Yun) travelled from Sanya, China, to Hong Kong to participate in several races organised by the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club, including the Tomes Cup and Nations' Cup.
Tiger Teng said, "We love racing in Hong Kong because we can have a larger number of boats competing in one race. We also enjoy racing in this beautiful harbour. Victoria Harbour is narrow, so the currents are complex. We have to keep clear of commercial traffic, but we love the challenge of sailing here."
There was some very tight racing, and with only two races to count, results were close with some count-back. In Big Boat Division 0, whilst Out of Africa and Capitano finished tied on count-back, Out of Africa lifted the trophy, having won the last race. Admiralty Harbour Whiskey Jack and Daydream maintained their leads in Big Boat Divisions 1 and 3, respectively. Kiasu climbed to first place in Division 2 after taking the bullet of the day.
In the one-design classes, Flying Fifteen Kerfuffle and Pandora Solstice each won their final races, securing their trophies in their respective classes through the count-back system. Dragon Dragonfly, Etchells China Girl, and Impala Pied Piper also rose to first place with improved overall performances. J/80 Invictus, Ruffian Buster, and Sportsboat Serendipity each secured two bullets, ensuring their wins.