No more windless weekends – RHKYC changes the timetable

by Guy Nowell, Sail-World Asia on 1 Apr 2013 In a move sure to both astound and delight all Hong Kong sailors, the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club has announced that, with immediate effect, all races and regattas scheduled to run over weekends will start instead on the following Monday.

'We are all thoroughly familiar with the fact that the wind dies every weekend in Hong Kong, and comes back fresh and strong on Monday morning,' said RHKYC Sailing Manager Alex Johnston. 'Weekend racing is usually hugely disappointing for the sailors, and a complete waste of all the valuable time put in by the Sailing Office, Marine, and Boatyard staff. 'Now, all races and regattas scheduled for a Sunday (such as our pursuit races series), a Saturday/Sunday weekend (eg the Spring Regatta) or a Friday-Sunday weekend (China Coast Regatta) will begin on the Monday after the date currently advertised. All starts will be at 0900h. We figure that if the average sailor with a hangover can get to the office on Monday morning, they sure as heck can get to a start line at the same time. We are now looking forward to the remainder of the 2012-2013 sailing season with a renewed sense of optimism.'

RHKYC Corporate and International Partnerships Manager Torrey Dorsey added that 'this is a real game changer. There’s nobody else doing anything else remotely interesting on a Monday morning, and that will mean that RHKYC will no longer be competing with Wushu Poodle Grooming for a slot in the SCMP sports pages. It’ll be good for our sponsors. Imagine all those boats flying branded spinnakers, and all the thousands of people watching them from their office windows! It’s an opportunity not to be missed.'

The new arrangement will also save a packet in overtime payments. Class racing scheduled for Saturday 6 April will now take place on Monday 8 April.