| The latest sailing news from Asia and the world. |
18 May 2017 |
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  San Fernando results, Scallywag, and a Hong Kong team for VOR
 | | Scallywag. RHKYC San Fernando Race 2017. © RHKYC/Guy Nowell |
Late last evening the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club published Revised Results for the recent San Fernando Race, indicating Lee Seng Huang's 100ft supermaxi, Scallywag, as RET, thereby handing the IRC 0 title to Judes Echauz's Standard Insurance Centennial and the IRC Overall win to Black Baza (Steve Manning/Anthony Root). This, in the aftermath of a protest (deemed invalid) brought by Standard Insurance Centennial alleging that Scallywag had not sailed the proper course, and a recommendation by that same Protest Committee that RHKYC conduct an investigation into the alleged misconduct. With Scallywag's retirement, that's all over.
 | | Black Baza. Volvo China Coast Regatta 2016. Guy Nowell / RHKYC |
 | | Standard Insurance Centennial. RHKYC San Fernando Race 2017. © RHKYC/Guy Nowell |
So congratulations to the new winners, and we believe that Black Baza now becomes the first boat ever to hold the RHKYC's four offshore IRC Overall titles simultaneously – the Rolex China Sea Race, the Volvo Hong Kong to Vietnam Race, the San Fernando Race and the Volvo Hong Kong to Hainan Race. That's quite some achievement – well done, Black Baza!
And then this morning a press release from the Volvo Ocean Race people announcing that there will, indeed be a Hong Kong entry in the VOR 2017-18 that is scheduled to stop over in Hong Kong in January next year. Sun Hung Kai/Scallywag is the team, and David Witt is the skipper.
In June last year, with great fanfare, Hong Kong was announced as a stopover on the 2017-18 Volvo Ocean Race. Sailors were delighted, and it has been know for some time that the VOR ‘wanted' to go to Hong Kong. There are plenty of good reasons: Hong Kong is highly accessible, a great place to host corporate events and entertainment, it has a spectacular harbour that makes a perfect amphitheatre, and it has the infrastructure and organisational ability to support a VOR stopover.
Since then, however, the phone has been silent. Not a peep. There were reported attempts get a Hong Kong team up and running for the race, but that seemed to fizzle out. The silence was deafening. Today's announcement is a breath of fresh air: it's good news for Asia and for Hong Kong, so let's get on it, Hong Kong, and welcome Sun Hung Kai/Scallywag (HKG) and the VOR when it arrives on or near 20 January 2018.
 | | 28/4/17- Emirates Team New Zealand sailing on Bermuda's Great Sound testing in the lead up to the 35th America's Cup Hamish Hooper/Emirates Team NZ |
Over in Bermuda, the strutting and posturing is increasing in the run-up to the America's Cup. No matter whether you are a fan of high-speed foiling catamarans, never mind whether you think aqua-cycling is a good idea, and regardless of any opinions concerning crews actually sailing and manoevering a boat, this is still the America's Cup and you can bet that there will be plenty of people watching – if they can. America's Cup Event Management has attracted a good deal of adverse comment concerning broadcast arrangements. In Hong Kong you should be able to see it on NOW Sports, and in Thailand go to True Visions. Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines have no live feed, but you can download the AC App on your phone – go to http://www.americascup.com/en/app.html Here's hoping that Bermuda's internet system has been upgraded since we were at the ACWS there in October 2015 when the AC App crashed on day one as everyone logged on!
 | | RHKYC Spring Regatta 2014 © RHKYC/Guy Nowell |
This weekend marks the end of the official sailing season for RHKYC when the Club expects around 100 class and keelboats at its Spring Regatta, raced over two days in Victoria Harbour. It only takes a modicum of breeze to make a big fleet like that look good, and the forecast is for force 4-5 from the east. Please, bring on the sunshine!
Standing by on 72.
Guy Nowell, Asia Editor
The curtain comes down on the eighth Vendée Globe
Vendée Globe, 
The first people to go up on the stage were the eleven skippers forced to retire: Paul Meilhat, Morgan Lagravière, Sébastien Josse, Kojiro Shiraishi, Bertrand de Broc, Stéphane Le Diraison, Vincent Riou, Thomas Ruyant, Enda O'Coineen, Thomas Ruyant and Tanguy de Lamotte.... [more]
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