Straight into it- RHKYC Taiwan Strait Race 2011

by RHKYC Media on 21 May 2011 RHKYC Taiwan Strait Race 2011 - 'Great oaks from little acorns grow' and it is to be hoped that from the five pioneering boats on the start line for the inaugural Taiwan Strait Race, a much larger fleet grows over time.

Organised by Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club, this is the first time that the 350nm from Hong Kong to Kaohsiung has been contested as a Category 1 Offshore race, however two of the competitors, Polar Star III and Tipsy Frenz, have completed the route as a Rally in previous years and are big supporters of the decision to upgrade the event to a race.

Race Officer Jimmy Farquhar elected to start the fleet from Hung Hom, with a 8 to 10 knot easterly available all the way through the harbour and beyond Lei Yue Mun gap.

As the committee boat watched the transoms disappear up the Harbour, attention turned to the Yellowbrick tracking carried by the boats, which will update their positions at 30 minute intervals and allow shore based family, friends and sailors to follow the fleet’s progress. At 1300hrs, Ambush was already close to clearing the Eastern approaches and setting course for Pedro Blanco.

The first radio position report will be taken at 1800hrs, however in the meantime, progress can be watched via Yellowbrick tracking at http://live.adventuretracking.com/hkt2011