Show Time! at RHKYC Autumn Regatta

by Guy Nowell, Sail-World Asia on 16 Sep 2014 Every now and again Hong Kong surprises us. Just when you thought that the city had descended into a Slough of Despond (or at least a Slough of Pollution) once and for ever, out comes the sun, the thick and choking curtain of suspended particulates and aerosol haze steps aside, and suddenly it’s show time!

Last weekend was one such occasion. Just to prove it, take a look at the photos – and there are a whole lot more in the gallery of images up now on www.guynowell.com. The RHKYC’s Autumn Regatta (powered by Audi, fuelled by Mumm champagne, and ignited by Blackwell’s rum), otherwise known as the Club’s Opening Regatta for the 2014-15 sailing season, was blessed with steady 8-12 kts breezes, clear blue skies, the sort of fluffy white clouds that you only ever see on greetings cards and in your distant memories, and a view of Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbour and its surroundings that was second to none. Somebody pointed out that this was in fact the weekend at the end of ‘Golden Week’ in China when factories close down and practically the whole country goes on holiday. A easterly-northeasterly breeze in Hong Kong and little or no atmospheric pollution? Draw your own conclusions.

A massive entry of 99 boats signed on for what is one of Hong Kong’s biggest sailing events of the year. The racing was good, and the view was a bonus. After a three-race series – one on Saturday afternoon and two on Sunday – the winners were as below. But in reality, everyone who was out on the harbour for two days was a winner. As the Bard said, 'Days such as these are all too few.'

Class - Winning Boat – Owner or Helm - Score

Big Boat 1 – Ambush - Isler/Taylor - 2,1,1
Big Boat 2 - Calamansi - Rob Berkley - 2,1,1
Big Boat 3 - G.A - Arthur Ho - 1,1,1
Dragon - Zephyr – Tam Nguyen - 1,3,1
Etchells - Jezebel - Day/Backe - 1,2,3
Sportsboats - R2B2 - Dion Houghton - 1,1,1
Flying Fifteen - Tomffoolery - Tom Sheppard - 1,1,2
Impala - Taxi - Florence Kan - 2,3,2
J/80 - Footloose - Henry Wong - 1,1,1
Ruffian - Victory 9 - Li Fook Hing - 1,3,1
Pandora - Panache - Albert Yung - 1,1,1