Volvo China Coast Regatta 2016 – Opening strokes

by Guy Nowell, Sail-World Asia on 22 Oct 2016 This year’s incarnation of the China Coast Regatta, with Volvo in the title sponsor’s chair, got under way today in the vicinity of the Ninepin Islands in the eastern part of Hong Kong. Regatta Chairman Anthony Root noted in the event programme that “last year we tore up the old course book and created an entirely new set of courses. This year we have refined the courses to ensure that they create tactical challenges for even the most experienced competitors, and to take full advantage of the extraordinary beauty and diversity of Hong Kong’s waters.”

Yesterday we were wondering if the regatta would take place at all – Typhoon Haima brushed past Hong Kong, the No 8 Typhoon Signal was raised, Hong Kong ground to a halt (“Typhoon causes $5bn losses”, said the newspaper – how did they work that out?) and the Volvo China Coast Regatta Welcoming Drinks were poured down the drain – so to speak. But this morning all was calm (these things are relative), and by 1030h RO Inge Strompf-Jepsen set up a start line in a highly unseasonal southwesterly breeze, near North Ninepin.

Three windward leewards for IRC 0, 1, 2 and 3; a sausage course and then a trip around the islands for IRC Premier and HKPN. 8kts on the start line, but an unattractive and muddy-looking start to the day, with surprisingly calm seas (was there a typhoon here just yesterday?). Sunshine later – oops, forgot the sunblock – and eventually a dying breeze that made the last race of the day a long drawn out affair for all concerned.

After three races, three boats share the same points (7) at the top of the scorecard in IRC 0. Marcel Leidts’ Zannekin, having blown away the opposition in IRC 1 last year, ‘warmed up’ today with 4, 2, 1 finishes. Centennial III, a visiting TP252 from the Philippines, and Frank Pong’s evergreen Jelik, both collected 7 points, too. Free Fire tried to help with some mark-moving and found it not to her liking, and went to The Room for redress. Ragamuffin 100, here last year in preparation for the Hong Kong Vietnam Race, has been bought by sailing tyro Seng Huang Lee and rebranded as Scallywag. The crew look rather familiar, so maybe it’s a case of “same, same, but different.” Scallywag is rather better suited for long ocean races than short, sharp round-the-cans stuff, and collected three last places while scoring three line honours finishes. When you are carrying a rating of 1.934 you actually have to finish before you start in order to stay on the scoreboard. It’s a Dr Who thing.

After running a close second to Zannekin in IRC 1 last year, Black Baza (Steve Manning/Anthony Root) now believes she has the game to herself, scoring 2, 1, 2 today and looking pretty comfortable. “We have started the way we aim to continue,” said Root later. Closest competition came from Mandrake III (Nick Burns/Fred Kinmonth) with 9 points from three races.

IRC 2: with Tiffany Koo on the handlebars, Hero Racing Team (formerly Blondie IV) made absolutely no mistakes, winning three races straight out of the box. William Liu’s A40 Sea Wolf knows her way around China Coast waters pretty well now, and finished the day in second place.

Plenty of fireworks at the top of IRC 3 as Lowell Chang’s Dexter II (1, 1, 2) eased past Whisky Jack (Nick Southward 2, 2, 1) leaving everyone else in the wake. It’s a long drop to Andiamo (John Woo) in third place on 11 points.

We enjoy seeing the IRC Premier boats and the HKPN competitors out on the course, but they have a habit of heading off round the nearest island and disappearing, never to be seen again. “It was a damn long way home, and not much breeze,” said Dean Chisholm, Darling, when safely and thankfully back in the bar at Middle Island - and they’d only gone to Bluff, Table, Bluff and back.

Race Officer Inge Strompf-Jepsen was pleased with how Race Day 1 went, saying “We are lucky we got all of the planned three races in for IRC Racing Divisions 0, 1, 2 and 3 and that the wind kept up though there were a few wind shifts that we had to deal and it was only in the last race that the wind started to get a little bit lighter. We had to extend the HKPN and IRC Premier Cruising divisions’ time limit so they could get a finish.”

So today was a sort of pipe-opener. The powerful north west monsoon breezes that so often define the China Coast Regatta were substantially disrupted by the passing of Typhoon Haima. It’s a bit of a meteo-lottery around here at the moment. Fortunately sailors are for the most part accommodating souls, and will take what the weather gods offer and make the best of that which is available.

Racing restarts at 1030hrs tomorrow. Expect island courses.

Provisional results to date are available online at http://www.rhkyc.org.hk/VCCR16ProvisionalResults.aspx