RHKYC Lipton Trophy Presented by Old Mutual

by RHKYC Media on 22 Nov 2015 In the first harbour pursuit race of the 2015-2016 season, regular RO team of Gareth and Di Williams found a consistent 10 to 15kts throughout the harbour and elected to set the fleet the longest possible course, taking in marks between Central and Shau Kei Wan.

A succession of starts based on RHKATI ratings started with the Pandora fleet at 1400hrs and culminated 11 classes later with the foiling catamaran, Flying Phantom, at 1516hrs. With the format of the race allowing the later starts to catch the slower fleets and overtake them, Pandora Panopae was clinging to the lead at the first rounding of Shau Kei Wan, with the Ruffian and Flying Fifteen fleets already making inroads into their time cushion, and the Etchells and Big Boats contenders also making gains on their later starts.

After a run to Central mark near Wanchai, the second rounding of Shau Kai Wan saw Sam Chan’s new Flying Fifteen Full Power holding the lead ahead of Ruffian Buster and Pandora Panopae with just under 25 minutes to go until the target finish time of 1630hrs.

With this in mind, Williams weighed up the options of finishing on the run at Dock Buoy or allowing one final short beat to Gate Buoy. In the event, Full Power took the gun at Dock Buoy with just over five minutes to go to the optimum target time, followed a minute later by Etchells Jezebel and a further minute back, Ruffian Buster.

With no protests to be heard, a busy prizegiving lubricated by James Boag and Chandon got underway immediately after racing, with the Race Officer awarding the Lipton Trophy to Sam Chan.

Provisional Results Top 10
Full Power 4038 Flying 15 Sam/Jeff
Jezebel 1333 Etchells Backe/Day
Buster 517 Ruffian Nick Bryan
Tchaikoffsky 3981 Flying 15 Howard/Gaby
Mind The Bumps 1344 Etchells Mark Whitehead
Tomffoolery 3997 Flying 15 Tom Sheppard
Ambush 2388 Big Boat Isler/Taylor
Merlin 64 Magic 25 Steve Bourne
Panache 167 Pandora Albert Yung
Incoming 1047 Etchells Ian Fleming