Beneteau Cup Hong Kong 2022
by Groupe Beneteau 10 Nov 2022 06:06 EST
29-30 October 2022
Highly anticipated by the sailing community, the second edition of Beneteau Cup Hong Kong, organized by Beneteau Asia Pacific and the official dealer Simpson Marine was ended with a phenomenal success on 29-30 October, 2022 with the great support of Aberdeen Boat Club.
The two-day event, including an island race on day one and a pursuit race on day two and more importantly, after-race celebrations, aims to build a greater social community for BENETEAU owners who share these same passions for sailing and the sea.
Started as a manufacturer of sailing boats, the brand has quickly established itself as one of the key players in the industry, as well as a representation of a sailing lifestyle.
Beneteau Cup, the signature regatta rolled out all over the world, is an evidence showing how the brand has been attempting to expand the influences of this sport further in different regions. With unparalleled nature beauty and mature conditions like advanced sailing facilities and significantly active boat owners, Hong Kong was the first to hold such regatta in Asia in 2021.
This year's edition received the entries of 17 Beneteau sailing boats, from the legendary First range to the comfortable Oceanis range. The regatta was divided in two divisions - HKPN A and B, and over 50% of attendees were from local, revealing the rapid growth of professional competency among local crews for this hobby that was predominated by overseas sailors.
Day one island race
The Island race kicked off at 11:00am on the 29th of October, a beautiful Saturday with favourable weather for sailing - winds speeding up to 7 knots. Filled with the buzz of racing, 16 teams were ready at the start line, the vicinity of Aberdeen Boat Club Round Island, for the fun and challenges on the water. Media friends and partners were invited to watch this race at close range on the first Grand Trawler 62 in Asia Pacific, premiered in May, 2022.
After Day One's race, a Pirates of the Caribbean-themed gala dinner was held at ABC Middle Island Clubhouse decorated with Halloween spooky atmosphere. Owners and crew dressed up for the occasion, posing happily in the photo booth.
Another highlight of the dinner was a meaningful speech from the founder, Kay Rawbone, of Sailability Hong Kong - the official charity of the Beneteau Cup Hong Kong 2022. Their efforts to make sailing accessible to anyone with a physical disability, special educational needs or on the autistic spectrum are highly admirable and greatly aligned with Beneteau's vision. The night went to the climax during the award ceremony. Heartfelt thanks to all our sponsors for their support and making the event such a momentous occasion for everyone.
Day two pursuit race
At day two's pursuit race, 17 boats started at different times respectively depending on each individual boat's HKPN adjusted number. With influences of Tropical Storm Nalgae, the competing teams encountered strong winds in the morning and dropping winds near the finish, which added the challenges of the race that a number of crews were struggling to arrive as planned time. That was also the bitter-sweet of sailing.
The award ceremony and sunset party took place at Mo Tat Wan in Lamma Island. We were proud to announce that the overall winner of Beneteau Cup Hong Kong 2022 went to the FIRST sailboat "EASY BREEZY II" helmed by Alfred Lau and Castor Kong.
Quotes
Erwan Her, Beneteau Sales Director, Asia Pacific: "The second edition of the Beneteau Cup Hong Kong has been a real blast! During the two-day event, we had the chance to gather our local Beneteau owners and enjoyed some great time together amid racing and parties. This event is all about fun!
It was superbly organized by Simpson Marine, our local partner, and I would like to thank them for the great effort and team work they have shown as well as the Aberdeen Boat Club who had been hosting us and managing the races.
All this would not have been possible without the support of our many sponsors such as AON Insurance. I would like to thank them for their contributions and I am looking forward to our next collaborations.
The Beneteau Cup is surely becoming one of the major events in the Yachting community here in Hong Kong. I hope more and more owners of Beneteau sailboats and powerboats will join us for the next editions to share this moment with us."
Richard Allen, Group General Manager, Simpson Marine: "It was a delight to take part in the Beneteau Cup last weekend. It not only brought together a number of our Beneteau Owners from around Hong Kong but also a great chance for many of the Simpson Team to get out on the water and join the fun. Congratulations to the winners and a big thank you to Beneteau, Aon and all our other sponsors for making the event such a tremendous success. The Beneteau Cup is firmly on the yachting calendar and I even heard a number of comments from other sailors already asking about buying a Beneteau so they can join next years event and take part in the best sailing event in Hong Kong. Hope to see you all at the 2023 Beneteau Cup."
Alfred Lau and Castor Kong of EASY BREEZY II, overall winners of Beneteau Cup Hong Kong 2022: "As a new team founded only this summer, we are thrilled to have won our first trophy! We were overwhelmed after winning the HKPN B division by corrected time on Day 1 unexpectedly. The event offered exciting racing, especially the downwind pursuit start on Day 2. Several ropes parted in the strong breeze and we thought it was the end of our chances. But our committed and hardworking team stayed focused and maintained good balance and momentum, avoiding holes near Beaufort Island and Cape D'Aguilar until we caught up all but ARETE by the upwind mark TCS2. Picking the course through the downwind Lo Chau Mun was tricky as our A-sail is relatively small but we still had difficulty gybing it throughout a dead run channel, and the lead changed more than once. We kept it on longer than others, well into the reaching leg after Castle Rock; whether it sped us up or slowed us down we still do not know. And then, within a nautical mile of the finish line, the wind dropped and somehow all three leaders missed the lay line, and it became a tacking game on BF2. Thanks to smaller displacement and obsessive adjustments - at one point a crew or two leaned out to leeward holding just the shrouds - we took the gun. The sailing was topped off by fantastic hospitality on both days and we enjoyed winding down over the free flow of champagne and music and, more importantly, sharing moments with other sailors. It was a great privilege to sail with a great team on an amazing boat. We will surely be back to defend the title next year."