China Cup International Regatta Day 2

by Rob Kothe & the Sail-World Team on 20 Oct 2007
After a spectacular Opening Ceremony which included speeches, entertainers and skydivers spiraling towards the ground, the President of the Chinese Yachting Association Zhang Faqiang declared the inaugural China Cup International Regatta open this morning in front of a large crowd of dignitaries. An amazing display of fireworks left columns of coloured smoke hanging in the air at the Longcheer Yacht Club in Shenzhen, China as the formalities concluded.

On the water it was a challenging day for the international fleet on Shenzhen's Daya Bay.

Principal Race Officer Jimmy Farquhar started the Grand Prix fleet in five to seven knots of breeze, coming from the north east. Yesterday's winner Frank Pong powered up his 76 foot (23 metre) yacht Jelik and headed for the right side of the course.

Behind him Stephen McConaghy, the dual 11 metre world champion and tactician aboard Ray Robert's Quantum Racing, sent them to the left. Outside Quantum Racing Adam Ng's Microlab Moonlight Shadow, the former Yendys, which is now proudly racing from Shenzhen, started well.

The morning breeze shifted on the first beat as the wind dropped. The first boat to the top mark was Microlab Moonlight Shadow from the left wing with Quantum Racing less than 15 metres behind. Third was Nick Burns and Fred Kinmonth's Fortis Mandrake.

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Quantum Racing with her spinnaker pole on the forestay, powered to the right and was about to sail into the lead when her spinnaker unclipped and tumbled towards the water.

However her champion crew was scooping the spinnaker in almost as fast as it fell. Within 20 seconds the spinnaker was heading skywards again and Quantum Racing was again attacking for the lead.

Behind the leading group Jelik rounded fourth and it looked like her chances of taking line honours were gone.

The wind was still softening; Quantum Racing sailed across the stern of the Fashion TV boat, to the cheers of dozens of models on the top deck. She overtook Microlab Moonlight Shadow but behind them the Hong Kong sailors on Jelik were sailing through the fleet.

Five hundred metres from the second mark Jelik sailed into the lead, but the breeze shifted again, her large spinnaker collapsed and she stopped dead in the water.

Quantum Racing took the lead and it again looked like Jelik would be beaten, but with fast crew work she two-sail reached back into the lead.

Jelik had sailed well below her best speed and on handicap Quantum Racing was the clear race winner, with Microlab Moonlight Shadow second.

It was tough at the front of the fleet but tougher still for the smaller boats at the back.

Japan's Mamoru Nagata's Beneteau 40.7 One Design boat rounded the top mark, ahead of the Qui Jian Min's Corby 41 Hummingbird.

She was 600 metres down the run before the next of the Beneteau 40.7's approached the first mark; Marcos Soares' Brazilian team was leading Steven Prouds Swish team from Australia just two lengths from the mark, with Mike Calkoen's Kiwi team closing.

Cruelly the wind stopped completely and the three boats drifted for ten minutes before the Brazilian's clawed their way around the mark, ahead of the other two southern hemisphere boats. However by that time the Japanese leaders were almost out of sight.

A great performance from the lightweight Longtze 6.5 metre sports boat, Longtze Premier, as she sailed to victory in the CCPN Division.

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Although the wind was beginning to build the time limit expired before most of the fleets crossed the finish line.

The second race started in much better breeze with a longer windward leeward race.

It was a close start, with the Grand Prix fleet fast off the line. Frank Pong's Jelik enjoyed the 8-10 knot breeze and was already well in the lead at the first mark. Behind her Sam Chan's TP52 FreeFire was second, followed by Fortris Mandrake, Quantum Racing and then Microlab Moonlight Shadow.

Conditions were tricky with a wind sheer, however the left continued to be the favoured side. Jelik took line honours from Quantum Racing with Microlab Moonlight Shadow third. On corrected time Quantum Racing won her second race of the day and now is the clear leader in the regatta.

Ray Roberts is without a doubt the most successful sailor on the Asian circuit in recent years. He has won the Phuket Kings Cup twice, the Raja Muda regatta, the Singapore Straits regatta, the Hong Kong to Hainan race, two Langkawi Regattas and two Koh Samui regattas and the Miri regatta in Borneo.

The China Cup International Regatta has the largest One Design big boat fleet ever assembled in Asia, with eleven Beneteau 40.7's enjoying the tight racing.

The 'Boys from Brazil' are leading this fleet. Marcos Soares, 1980 470 Olympic Gold Medalist is skippering the Brazilian entry.

'It was hard this morning, the team from Japan sailed very well and deserved to win. Our win this afternoon has taken us into the series lead.

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'In Brazil we have more than a dozen 40.7's sailing in a one design fleet, so we are used to racing them in all kinds of conditions. We try and sail a regatta each year outside Brazil and we are enjoying this totally new location.'

The Japanese team is second on the water and a tough battle is expected to decide the Division winner.

Third overall is the New Zealand crew led by Mike Calkoen. He commented; 'Yesterday we took a slow boat to China (they failed to finish inside the time limit) but today we were a Flying Boat.'

[Sorry, this content could not be displayed] This event is far from being just a yacht racing regatta. Tonight there is an art show, party and cocktail party at the F! F! Space Art Gallery at the Floating Villa near Shenzhen, Longcheer Yacht Club.

Prize-giving banquet for today's Inshore Races and the CROCS Music Festival and Music Party will be held at the Beach and Pool of the very impressive Shenzhen Sheraton Dameisha Resort.

Racing will continue tomorrow with a windward leeward race and an Island Passage course.