Hong Kong Raceweek (incorporating the ASAF Youth Sailing Cup)

by RHKYC Media on 12 Feb 2015 Organised by Hong Kong Sailing Federation (HKSF) and incorporating the second leg of the Asian Sailing Federation (ASAF) Youth Cup, Hong Kong Race Week (HKRW) boasts an entry list of 207 entries and over 240 competitors in twelve different one-design classes.

Hosted at Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club’s Middle Island facility based on the south side of Hong Kong Island,
12 to 17 February 2015, the event welcomes sailors and windsurfers from China, Chinese Taipei, India, Macau and the United Arab Emirates as well as from all of Hong Kong’s sailing clubs. HKRW is particularly pleased to welcome back Hong Kong’s Sailability competitors, who participated for the first time in 2014 and who are campaigning the 2.4mR keelboat this year.

While adult sailors are allowed to compete in several classes, HKRW is predominantly a youth event with a Green Fleet for novice Optimist sailors, Optimists, Lasers and the double-handed 29er and 420 classes. The Green Fleet Optimist sailors are the youngest in the competition with some of the sailors only 8 years old, while the main Optimist fleet runs from 9 to 14 years.

The Optimist class is also the largest fleet by participation, with 81 entries, followed by the Laser fleet with 20 Radials and 18 using the 4.7 rig. The Windsurfers are joining HKRW for the first time, with 29 entrants spread over three boards, namely the RSX, Techno 293 and RSOne. Female sailors make up just under 30% of the entry list, both in the adult and junior ranks.

HKSF President, Mr Warwick Downes, was looking forward to the event, saying '[I am] pleased that the HKSF is able to join with the RHKYC and put on such an impressive event for youth sailors in the region. I wish the regatta goes well, and fair winds to all!'

Drawn from throughout Hong Kong’s sailing community, over 130 volunteers on and off the water will make this HKSF event possible over the course of the next six days. 65 volunteers are required on the water for each day of racing and an army of volunteers on shore will deal with registration and measurement on Thursday and Friday, then launch and retrieval for the practice race, followed by four full days of racing from Saturday until Tuesday.