Starter's gun for Hainan

by Lindsay Lyons on 26 Oct 2005 Twelve boats will line up for the start of the 356nm Hong Kong to Hainan Race, which starts at 1200hrs tomorrow, Thursday 27th October.

Without the presence of Frank Pong on either Jelik or Boracay, Neil Pryde will be hoping to make a claim for line honours on his Farr 52, Hi Fi Team Pryde having cleaned up the IRC Racing Division A at last weekend's China Coast Regatta.

Pryde cannot afford to be complacent on the downhill slide to Sanya, as the Burns/Kinmonth Farr-Mills 50, Mandrake, and Robert Knight's DK46, Drumstick, will be taking no prisoners in their quest for a good result to improve their overall prospects for the Race Week title.

It would be foolish to discount the chances of Sam Chan's ULDB Sled, Ffree Fire, which holds the line honours record of 23h02m18s, set in 2001, and which has had a good run of form in offshore racing.

With a forecast of Force 4 to 5 for Thursday, the big boats will be looking to get a good start, with Patrick Slesinger's X362, Quest, the baby of the bunch on handicap, hoping to get a good result on corrected time.

Meanwhile in the IRC Premier Cruising Division, Peter Churchouse gets another chance to pit Warwick 65, Moonblue 2, against Regatta winner, Marcel Leidts on Hocux Pocux 2 and possibly thwart the X612's chances of taking the Race Week title as well.

Also in this division, Aussie contender Strewth will take on T.C Leung's experienced Polar Star III and newcomer Steve Manning's First 44.7, Walawala along with Peter Cremer's Shahtoosh and Simon Wood's Barnstormer.

A media boat has been arranged to enable you to cover the start of the race.
Where? Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club, Causeway Bay - Eastern Pontoon
When? 1030hrs, Thursday 27-Oct-05, return around 1230hrs

Please call 2239 0391 to reserve a space.