2024/5 Hong Kong Flying 15 Championships at Lamma Island
by Leigh Riddell of the HK F15 Association 25 Dec 2024 20:28 NZDT
7-8 December 2024
2024/5 Hong Kong Flying 15 Championships © HK F15 Association
The Hong Kong Flying Fifteen Championships were held on 7-8 December 2024. The fleet relocated from Kellet Island to Middle Island a couple of weeks beforehand to get some practice on the championship racecourse off Lamma Island.
Thirteen F15's assembled for the regatta, including HK Olympic Laser representatives Stephanie Norton and Nick Halliday borrowing a boat for the weekend. After the HK Etchells Class Championship was cancelled due to the unseasonably late string of typhoons a few weeks earlier, it was agreed for them to join the F15s for the weekend.
Saturday dawned a warm and sunny day, with Middle Island buzzing with F15's, Etchells and J70s/80s (who were doing their normal Saturday sailing). Last minute tweaks and tuning was performed, the F15 class esky was filled with beer and ice and the crane got the boats launched.
While the breeze forecast was questionable, the fleet was met with a 6-8 knot Westerly as they sailed across the East Lamma Channel. RO Barry Truhol had a course set and the first race of the day got under way in the now fading Westerly.
The first beat saw light shifty conditions and the fleet generally split 50/50 left and right, at the top mark for the first time showed the left pay off with (3701) David Chow showing good pace with Carlyon Knight-Evans (3979) close behind. The breeze continued to fade as the fleet headed down the first run, though the boats that stayed to the left seemed to do better, and at the bottom gate it was (3701) David/Michael, (3979) Carlyon/Lucy followed by (3883) Howard Williams, (3990) Leigh Riddell, and (3876) Vivian Ngan.
On the second beat the fleet split again with David/Michael & Howard/Miki going left, and Leigh/Jamie & Vivian/Peter going right. Leigh/Jamie managed the impressive feat of getting a kitesheet under the bow and keel in 3-4 knots of wind, and proceeded to take remedial action. Vivian/Peter meanwhile headed to the right hand lay line where they picked off the last of the dying breeze. On the left Howard/Miki had made gains, and at the top mark it was (3883) Howard/Miki first, followed by (3976) Vivian/Peter, (3990) Leigh/Jamie and (3701) David/Michael. However with all fleets now in full drift mode, and (3990) crew Jamie looking more seasick by the minute, RO Barry made the right call to abandon race.
The fleets proceeded to drift around for the next hour or so, waiting for an improvement in the wind. Around 13.30hrs a light Southerly tried to fill in across the course, and the RO marshalled the fleets to head to the North end of the Lamma triangle for either another race attempt or to prepare towing operations back to MI. In the end, the breeze refused to cooperate and racing was abandoned for the day. Back on shore, the F15 fleet enjoyed refreshments on the hardstand, with a few sailors kicking on into the evening with BBQ and rums!
Sunday's forecast looked moderately more promising, and as the fleet left MI an 10-12 knot Nor-Wester quickly pushed the boats across the Lamma channel onto the race course.
Race 1 saw the NW'er breeze already starting to fade, and (3604) Gina/Josh managed to snap her tiller extension clean off with 5 minutes to go before the gun and resorted to surgery by electrical tape.
On the beat, again (3701) David/Michael & (3883) Howard/Miki seemed to do well in the conditions. However it was (3981) Tani/Kazu picking up better pressure under Lamma Island, rounding the top mark with a comfortable lead. (3990) Leigh/Jamie and (3830) Stephanie/Nick, after rounding the top mark quickly gybed onto port and found better breeze, as the wind began to clock right towards the expected NE gradient breeze. (3990) Leigh/Jamie & (3979) Carlyon/Lucy hooked into it and made good gains, while down the middle of the course (3883) Howard/Miki and (3830) Stephanie/Nick did well.
Onto the second beat the breeze was continuing to go right and build, with a long starboard tack back to the top mark. With the race shortened due to the significant windshift, it was (3883) Howard/Miki first, followed by (3990) Leigh/Jamie and (3830) Steph/Nick. (3604) Gina/Josh's electrical tape surgery failed just before the finish line, spun out and saw (4038) Sam and (3722) Jim slip past her at the finish.
Race 2 saw the slowly building breeze settle into the forecast direction of NE, with the fleet starting in 10-12 knots. (3990) Leigh/Jamie and (3979) Carlyon/Lucy headed left per Lamma textbook which seemed to pay, with (3876) Vivian/Peter and (3830) Steph/Nick closely behind, with Carlyon/Lucy first around the top mark.
Down the run Carlyon/Lucy went left and ended in better pressure as did the boats that followed, with Leigh/Jamie falling out of the pressure in the middle. An unexpected gust saw Michael first, followed by David in the same boat go for a swim under kite, and quickly recover from the refreshing dip.
On the second work again the lead boats headed left, with Carlyon/Lucy showing great speed closely followed by Leigh/Jamie. Steph/Nick were also picking up the pace in their first weekend in the class, while other newcomers Vivian/Peter also sailing nicely. On the second run to the finish this time it was Leigh/Jamie picking up some pressure and closing down the gap to Carlyon/Lucy. The two boats surfed side by side down the final lengths of the run into the finish, with Leigh/Jamie finishing 1 second ahead of Carlyon/Lucy, and Steph/Nick in third.
Race 3 saw the breeze now pretty settled from the NE at 10-14 knots. After the eager fleet pushing the line with the RO opting for a general recall, the fleet got under way cleanly under a U flag start on the second attempt. Gina/Josh led the fleet opting to go left with nice pace, again the left seeming to pay. At the top mark it was Gina/Josh, followed by Leigh/Jamie and Steph/Nick. Down the run Leigh/Jamie and Steph/Nick made gains slipping into first and second respectively, followed by Gina/Josh (quietly cursing the decision to not gybe-set and then proceeding to snap the back hiking strap, too) and Vivian/Peter.
On the second work Leigh/Jamie and Steph/Nick went left again with Leigh/Jamie extending slowly. Down the run the lead positions remained unchanged at Leigh/Jamie went onto a comfortable win, followed by Steph/Nick and Gina/Josh, with ever consistent Vivian/Peter not far behind.
With the breeze continuing to hold direction and velocity at 10-15 knots, the RO set the F15's off on a fourth and final race for the day. Gina/Josh had snapped a forward hiking strap as well by this point, and finally ran out of electrical tape for the tiller, so the RO kindly tossed in a roll of tape to assist after (3604) promised to do more boat maintenance from now on.
Off the line saw Leigh/Jamie, Gina/Josh and Howard/Miki make early gains on the left, with the Olympians in (3830) now getting into the F15 and finding plenty of speed. At the first top mark it was Leigh/Jamie followed by Steph/Nick, with Howard/Miki, Vivian/Peter and Gina/Josh close behind. Down the run for the first time Leigh/Jamie and Steph/Nick were locked in a fairly tight battle, with Steph/Nick heading to the right gate and making gains at the beginning of the second work. Leigh/Jamie and Steph/Nick crossed tacks a number of times with the Olympians finding a windshift on the right near the top, rounding in first place, Leigh/Jamie a few seconds behind.
Both gybe set and headed down the run on port, Leigh/Jamie getting a better kite set and taking the lead again. However a couple of luffing battles Steph/Nick managed to work their way into the lead with Leigh/Jamie a few seconds behind, with Howard/Miki in 3rd, and Gina/Josh in 4th after a few luffs and jumps to overtake Vivian/Peter near the finish.
In the end it was (3990) Leigh/Jamie winning the HK Flying Fifteen Class Championships with 6 points, ahead of (3830) Steph/Nick on 9 points. (3883) Howard/Miki got 3rd on a countback with (3876) Vivian/Peter in 4th. The fleet headed back to MI for awards presentation with some drinks and pizzas, after a long day on the water.
The fleet would like to thank RO Barry Truhol and his team for their excellent race management and the many volunteers that made the regatta a success.