China Coast Regatta 2026 Preview
by Vivian Ngan 14 Oct 23:52 PDT
17-19 October 2026
China Coast Regatta 2025 © RHKYC/ Guy Nowell
The Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club's premier big boat event, the China Coast Regatta 2026, returns to the waters south of Hong Kong from 17 to 19 October. A fleet of 30 entries will compete for honours across five divisions: IRC Racer 0, IRC Racer 1, IRC Racer 2, IRC Premier and PHS. The regatta promises three days of world-class competition, featuring some of the region's finest racing yachts and sailors.
The event continues its long-standing tradition of attracting an impressive mix of grand prix racers, performance cruiser-racers and Corinthian teams. From high-performance TP52s to elegant performance cruisers, the fleet's diversity ensures exciting racing throughout the long weekend.
In IRC Racer 0, six of the regatta's fastest boats will battle for supremacy. The division is led by the formidable TP52 trio of Sam Chan's Free Fire, Noel Chan's Rampage88 and Nie Hua's Happy Go—all proven performers offshore and inshore. They will be joined by William Liu's Ker 42 Custom Seawolf, Bo Wu and Lu Xiaoguang's Ker 46+ Unicorn, and Eddy Lee's Neo 430 Next, making for a highly competitive division that combines outright speed with cutting-edge design.
IRC Racer 1 is expected to produce some of the closest racing of the regatta, with eight strong teams competing. Former class contenders Nick Burns' King 40 Witchcraft and James Verner and Sean Taylor's Judel Vrolijk Custom 36 Nightshift will be joined by Cape 31 rivals Capitano, owned by Andrew Taylor and Denis Martinet; David Kong's Out of Africa; and Randy Yeung's Tai Chi by Simplicity. Completing the fleet are Dennis Chien's Mat 1245 Arcturus+, Glenn Smith's Grand Soleil 44 Wild Card and Johnson Yuen's Summit 40 Zoe's Guard.
IRC Racer 2 is shaping up to be another highly competitive division, with the regatta's only international entry alongside five strong local contenders. Singaporean sailor Yi Min Lee and the crew of the J/99 Jolt will make the journey to Hong Kong to take on a formidable fleet, including fellow J/99 Juice, owned by Andrew Pidden, and defending champion Nick Southward aboard the J/109 Admiralty Harbour Whiskey Jack. The line-up is completed by James Ford's Ocean's Five, Lewis Cerne's Wicked and Henning Mueller's Zesst. With a closely matched fleet and a narrow rating spread, consistency, teamwork and tactical decision-making are likely to be key to success.
The IRC Premier Division features an appealing range of larger cruiser-racers and performance yachts. The fleet includes Franco Cutrupia's Solaris 60 Fenice, Todd Barr's AquaHub's Moody Girl, Thomas Wong's DBX2, Carl Wilkinson's Lisa Elaine and Yun Ye's Italia Yachts 14.98 Windflower. With experienced owners and accomplished crews, the division is expected to deliver highly competitive racing around Hong Kong's beautiful islands.
This year, five entries will contest three days of racing in the Performance Handicap System (PHS) division. Dean Chisholm's Darling, Herman Wong and Chris Li's Kiasu, Yiu Kwai Szeto's Glory, Richard Bulgin's Rising Sun and Zeng Hu's TT will compete under the handicap system, where boat speed and smart tactical decision-making can make all the difference. With a diverse mix of boat designs and crew experience, the PHS division is set to deliver plenty of action and close finishes throughout the weekend.
As one of Hong Kong's most prestigious regattas, the China Coast Regatta continues to showcase the strength and diversity of sailing in the region. With favourable autumn conditions typically delivering exciting racing off the south coast of Hong Kong, competitors and spectators alike can look forward to another memorable weekend on the water.
Keep up with the latest news on the China Coast Race Week visit: www.chinacoastraceweek.com/news