RHKYC Autumn Regatta 2017- a 'challenging' weekend

by RHKYC Media/Guy Nowell, Sail-World Asia on 18 Sep 2017 The weather forecast was unappetising – a case of “not very good, and worse” – and there was much speculation as to whether there would be any breeze at all, with two typhoons in the region doing their best to suck the breeze out of Hong Kong.

But that didn’t stop 88 boats turning out for the first day of the RHKYC Autumn Regatta. This is a two-day affair that marks the official start of the racing season for Hong Kong’s premier yacht club. It was undoubtedly a day of challenging conditions for racing, beginning with a nine-start sequence that was delayed as the breeze swung a full 180 deg, meaning that all the all the marks had to be reset and new course selections made and announced.

Racing kicked off at 1411hrs with easterly courses chosen, and with the start line at Hung Hom. First fleets off the line were the J/80s and Sportsboats, folllowed by the Etchells (after a general recall) and then the Impalas. The Flying Fifteen sequence was postponed as the wind dropped, and then restarted in a new westerly breeze that demanded downwind starts for the subsequent classes.

The later starters got the benefit of the breeze and caught up to the rest of the fleet, but there was a hole the size of Texas on the approach to the Tai Koo Shing mark, and the race turned into a drifter with 40+ boats battling it out in no breeze and a foul tide – almost half the combined fleet trying to make something out of nothing, and everyone trying to round the mark at the same time. “We were quite well positioned at the mark end of the line-up,” said Jamie Boag, sailing Etchells 1133. “And then we got mugged by a slo-mo disaster zone.”

After the pile up, and the moment the boats escaped round the mark – literally - the westerly re-arrived and sent the fleet powering back up the course. Reports came in from around the race track of first 6kts then a few minutes later 14kts. First to finish at Hung Hom was J/80 Footloose at 15h 58m 12s, with all boats finished racing by 16h 33m 10s.

This, the first race of the regatta, was also designated as the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club Bart's Bash 2017 – “the biggest sailing event in the world”. Bart’s Bash is a global charity fund-raising sailing race taking place simultaneously at a myriad of venues all round the globe, involving thousands of sailors and hundreds of boats. Going into racing on Saturday, RHKYC was listed as ‘Top Venue’ with more participants than any other club in the world.

On Sunday two more boats appeared on the sign-on sheets, making a total of 90 for the weekend. The forecast for the second day’s racing was still miserable, but RO Barry Truhol was pleasantly surprised to find westerly breeze at 6kts and more in front of the Clubhouse, and plenty enough for racing around the harbour. “What do you know, we've got wind!” But would it last?

Racing kicked off at 11.00, with the Sportsboats and J/80s beating up to the Central mark, close to the Hong Kong Convention Centre. Then a spinnaker run to PWD mark and then to Dock Buoy, before turning back to finish up at PWD. Fleets started at six-minute intervals on strictly similar courses ranging in length from 3.7nm to 6.8nm. It was a grand sight to see the smaller class boats racing alongside Frank Pong’s RP76 Jelik!

And then race 3. First away were the Impalas, but they were no more than half way to their first windward mark when the breeze switched from west to east – and dropped - and the race was abandoned on the first leg. The committee boat hoisted the L flag, and competitors followed towards Hung Hom where the new easterly start line was set. But between setting up courses and going into sequence, the wind dropped to 4 knots, surged briefly to 6, and then settled down at a whimpering 1.5. Up went the AP, but after 20 minutes there was no more than 3kts anywhete on the coiurse and a decision was made at 1420h to abandon racing for the day.

Even with the steady westerly breeze this morning, it was another day of challenging conditions that was mastered by some crews and not so much by others. In the end, it was Drew Taylor and Joachim Isler on their Mills 41 Ambush who took home the silverware in IRC Division 1, Noel Chan’s Rampage II came out on top of HKPN Division 1, and Richard van den Bergs Juggerknot took first for IRC Division 2. All other leaders of their divisions and classes can be found at http://www.rhkyc.org.hk/upload/Sailing/Race-and-Regattas/AutumnRegatta/AUR17_IRC2.htm.

After racing, sailors enjoyed a prize giving on the Main Lawn with cold craft beers served by The Artist and videos of the new ICE Yachts fleet. Prizes were presented by representatives from each of the sponsors, and we thank all of the sponsors and partners for their support – St James’s Place, ICE Yachts, Foundation Global Education, The Artist, and ETA Logistics.

For more information please visit the Club website http://www.rhkyc.org.hk/AutumnRegatta.aspx