Boase Cohen & Collins Inter-School Sailing Festival this weekend

Boase Cohen & Collins Inter-School Sailing Festival 2018 © Guy Nowell / RHKYC

This weekend the Boase Cohen & Collins Inter-School Sailing Festival will bring the importance of teamwork and sportsmanship to the fore as 22 teams from 17 schools battle it out on the water to determine the 2019 champions.

Many of the schools competing participate in Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club's school sailing programme which teaches sailing, teamwork and strategy on the water. New to the event are Shatin Sailing Team who be sailing against a slew of returning competitors and the defending champions French International School in Division A and Jockey Club Ti-I College in Division B.

Approximately 200 exciting, close-up and short races will take place between RHKYC's sailing and rowing training centre at Middle Island and the Seaview Promenade. Spectators on both sides of this water arena will be able to hear live commentary and music throughout the event. It's all about numbers and the competitive sailors are compelled to think not only about their position on the race track but rather their team's final place in the race.

All teammates' results are combined and the teams carrying the lowest combined score will progress through to the finals. Team racing requires exciting tactical sailing, where coming first may not be the best result for the team! (all three scores combine for the result i.e. 2,3,4 beats 1,5,6). All the schools in a division start racing against each other in a Round Robin format then, if the schedule allows, the top teams will sail off against each other to decide the winner.

Racing will also be broadcast live on the Club's Facebook page from 1200hrs to 1600hrs on Sunday.

Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club is committed to environmental sustainability. This event is a Clean Regatta governed by the Sailors of the Sea, a non-profit organisation that educates and empowers boaters to protect and restore our oceans and coastal waters. The trophies to be awarded at the prizegiving after racing on Sunday are made by Hong Kong charity, St James Settlement under their Up-cycling Programme which up-cycles old and discarded waste into something useful and beautiful.