Audi Hong Kong to Hainan Race - fleet blasting south at flank speed

by RHKYC Media / Guy Nowell, Sail-World Asia on 17 Oct 2014 The warning signal for the 2014 Audi Hong Kong to Hainan Race sounded on schedule today and with 15kts of easterly breeze available throughout the harbour, Race Officer Simon Boyde had no qualms about setting a Club start some 200 yards west of the Club line in order to stay away from a gaggle of barges anchored inconveniently and frustratingly right in front of the usual line.

Nine boats presented themselves at the start line, with Sam Chan’s FreeFire setting what must be a record for the fastest mast replacement in RHKYC history (less than 48 hours) and with a new IRC certificate to match. Nobody else will ever have an excuse for an OOD certificate ever again. Just after the warning signal, Surfdude called in to say that they had broken their main halyard and were returning to the typhoon shelter to try and rectify the problem.

The start was relatively sedate – with 380nm to their destination, a few seconds here or there was not going to win the race, but in 18-20kts of breeze the TP52s set off like tomcats, beating up the harbour against a strong incoming tide. There really wasn't much in it as the fleet exited the harbour at the easterly pinch point, Lei Yue Mun Gap, but there was still distance to be made to windward before easing sheets to fetch Waglan and leave the lighthouse astern.

Leaving the top end of the Lemas Islands to starboard, and up went the spinnakers as the fleet bore away from 175 to 210 degrees, and up went the boat speeds. Leading the fleet, and having had three days to lick the wounds inflicted by OneSails Racing who beat them by a mere 1 point in the China Coast Regatta, Karl Kwok's Beau Geste lit up the afterburners and started clocking speeds in the 20s. At the 1700h 'ping' on the tracker they were 57nm from the start line, with an averaged VMG of 17kts - and that included the trip up the harbour and the upwind work to Dangan Dao. Given the forecast, a sub-24hr finish is entirely on the cards. That adds a whole new dimension to the concept of 'a quick overnighter', right?

At 1700hrs, Racer 0 had all cleared Wenwei Zhuo Rock at the south west tip of the Lemas chain, leaving 300nm of clear blue water between them and Hainan Island. Surfdude, meanwhile, having managed to re-run her halyard and start the race well behind the fleet, had cleared Waglan and set a course for Hainan with the Lemas to port. Ouch. No doubt it was some alert soul with nothing to do but read the SIs who spotted the error an hour later, and Surfdude turned back to claw northeast and round the top of the islands.



All boats are carrying Yellowbrick trackers and live tracking, updating at 30 minute intervals, can be viewed at http://www.rhkyc.org.hk/hkhainantracking.aspx