J/35 DOMINATES HONG KONG ROUND ISLAND RACE!

(Hong Kong, China)- Hong Kong’s biggest annual celebration of sail, Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club’s annual Around the Island Race, a 26.0nm circumnavigation of Hong Kong Island, took place last weekend with an impressive entry list of 227 boats from 14 classes including 7 one-design classes, Sportsboats, HKPN, IRC, dinghies and beach catamarans.

Principal Race Officer David Norton set two start lines off of Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club's Kellett Island Clubhouse with the line closest to Kellett Island used to start the one design boats and the outside line for HKPN, IRC and beach catamarans divisions. The race course took the fleet sailing around Hong Kong Island to starboard (clockwise).


The first start was at 0830 hrs with the Pandoras and HKPN Monohulls which set off in an easterly breeze varying 4 to 11 kts and there was a race start every five minutes until 1100hrs.

Before a majority of boats could get out of the harbour, a weak northerly breeze was blocked by Kowloon Peninsula leading to a huge fleet of yachts parking up at Lei Yue Mun gap due to the incoming tide. But, later the fleet was greeted with a northeasterly breeze of 8 kts near Shek O. As the fleet made their way around Stanley Head, it was a colorful sight to behold with hundreds of kites on the horizon and the breeze had built to 10 kts at the southern side of Hong Kong Island. 


As the day progressed, the wind softened by noon and the breeze was again blocked by Hong Kong Island and another wind hole developed around Ape Lei Chau. PRO David Norton noted that two HKPN boats were well ahead of the main fleet and it was a tough decision then as to whether or not to shorten the course. Norton said, ＂two fast boats started relatively early and were well ahead, so that limited our choices. By noon, we recorded good wind at Green Island so we made a risky decision to finish at Kellett Island so sailors could do a full circumnavigation.” 

The J/145 REDEYE, sailed by David Mitchell Paul Leese, took the silver in IRC 1.040-1.119 Class. They were followed by the J/122E JINN sailed by Nico Cohen-Addad in fourth place. Then, Steve Devlin's J/111 JUGGERKNOT finished 9th place. 


HKPN Overall winner and HKPN 1151-1220 Class winner was J/35 NO ONE ELSE sailed by Wing Hung Ng; they won by a considerable corrected time margin on the entire fleet.

In the Sportboats class, the J/70 DAZIBAO sailed by Andrew Ellis took the bronze.


Trouncing the sixteen-boat J/80 Class, by far the largest one-design keelboat class in the race, was the trio on JAMMIN- A. Segaud M. Dubreuil/ J. Ten Berge. Their round-island time was nearly an hour faster over the second place team- Alain Choi's POIEMA. However, it was a battle behind the JAMMIN team for the top five; all separated by less than seven minutes after 26.0 nm of racing.  Third went to Henry Wong's FOOTLOOSE, fourth to Claude Wong's JELIGNITE, and fifth to the duo of Fraser Boyd & Pete Lake on JOSS. A good showing was had by all.   Sailing photo credits- Guy Nowell/ Sailworld.com and Vivian Ngang.  For more Royal Hong Kong YC Round Island Race sailing informationAdd to Flipboard Magazine.

J/80 FOOTLOOSE Tops Class in Slow Around Hong Kong Island Race

(Hong Kong, China)- Over 200 boats turned up for the 26.0nm Solaris Yachts Around the Island Race under a perfect blue sky. Given the sheer number of boats, Race Officer David Norton set two start lines off of Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club's Kellett Island Clubhouse with the line closest to Kellett Island used for starting the one-design boats and the outside line for HKPN, IRC and beach cat divisions.

The first start was at 0830hrs with the Pandoras and HKPN Monohulls setting off in an easterly breeze of around 4 to 7 kts and the last division to set off at 1030hrs were the Big Boats hoping to make up their lost time in this pursuit-style race.

Unfortunately, the wind softened in the afternoon and a wind hole developed around Middle Island. The majority of the fleet were sailing slowly downwind at the southern side of Hong Kong Island and in the end, just one third of the participating yachts could not reach Kellett Island before the cut-off of 1700hrs.

In the J/80 class, Henry Wong's FOOTLOOSE was the big winner, starting at 9:10am with his colleagues and simply smoking them around the track, winning by nearly a half hour. Second was top woman helm Belinda Ng on JENA PABE.  Rounding out the podium in third place was the duo of Antoine Segaud & Jasper Ten Berge's JAMMIN.  For more Royal Hong Kong YC Around the Island Race sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

JAMMIN Leads Royal Hong Kong YC J/80 Winter Series

(Hong Kong, China)- The Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club's J/80 fleet continues to grow annually and has gained a loyal following that is the envy of not just Asian-based one-design keelboat fleets, but others one-design groups in the rest of the world. Fostering a family-oriented vision and having fun over blood-thirsty competition, the RHKYC's J/80 fleet has seen amazing participation in the 2019/2020 Winter Series program.  Starting in October and ending in February, there have been twenty J/80 teams scored in the nine-race series so far.


Leading the series is Antoine Segaud & Jasper Ten Berge's JAMMIN with a remarkably low net score of 15 pts net after two discards. Sitting in second is Henry Wong's FOOTLOOSE with a 19 pts net scoreline.  Then, currently holding on to the bronze step on the podium is Romain Le Chevallier's JELIGNITE with 21 pts net.  Rounding out the top five are Fraser Boyd & Peter Lake's JOSS in fourth, with Tam Nguyen's JAHOO in fifth place.  For more J/80 RHKYC Winter series sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Hong Kong Round Island Race Preview

(Hong Kong, China)- The annual Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club Around the Island Race is one of the biggest inshore events in Hong Kong. It is a 26.0nm race around Hong Kong Island involving Big Boats, One-Design Classes, Dinghies and even Beach cats!  It is a complete free-for-all as the start takes place off the RHKYC starting line in front of the magnificent, skyscraper laced, Hong Kong city waterfront. The average entry list is 200+ boat entries, with more than 1,500 participants.

The race is popular amongst J/Teams in southeast Asia and amongst the local Hong Kong offshore community.  In the Big Boat Class there is a good turnout of J/Aficionados. At the top of that group is the J/122E JINN skippered by owner Nicolas Cohen-Addad. He is joined by the J/111 JUGGERKNOT (Kanev Pavel), the famous race-winning J/109 WHISKEY JACK (Nick Southward), the J/35 NO ONE ELSE (Wing Hung Ng), and the J/105 LEGENDE (Pascal Martin).

There is a large J/80 one-design class going out for their circumnavigation of Hong Kong, fourteen-boats to be exact. Some of the leading boats could be Henry Wong's FOOTLOOSE, Ben Bulmer's JASMINE, Andrew Blank's JAVELIN, Belinda Ng's JENA PABE, Lonny Chen's MAY 13, and Richard Johnston's UNKNOWN PLEASURES. The lone J/70 sailing the race is Andrew Ellis's DAZIBAO. Good luck to all!  For more Royal Hong Kong YC Around the Island Race sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Hong Kong Round Island Race Preview

(Hong Kong, China)- The annual Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club Around the Island Race is one of the biggest inshore events in Hong Kong. It is a 26.0nm race around Hong Kong Island involving Big Boats, One-Design Classes, Dinghies and even Beach cats!  It is a complete free-for-all as the start takes place off the RHKYC starting line in front of the magnificent, skyscraper laced, Hong Kong city waterfront. The average entry list is 200+ boat entries, with more than 1,500 participants.

The race is popular amongst J/Teams in southeast Asia and amongst the local Hong Kong offshore community.  In the Big Boat Class there is a good turnout of J/Aficionados. At the top of that group is the J/122E JINN skippered by owner Nicolas Cohen-Addad. He is joined by the J/111 JUGGERKNOT (Kanev Pavel), the famous race-winning J/109 WHISKEY JACK (Nick Southward), the J/35 NO ONE ELSE (Wing Hung Ng), and the J/105 LEGENDE (Pascal Martin).

There is a large J/80 one-design class going out for their circumnavigation of Hong Kong, fourteen-boats to be exact. Some of the leading boats could be Henry Wong's FOOTLOOSE, Ben Bulmer's JASMINE, Andrew Blank's JAVELIN, Belinda Ng's JENA PABE, Lonny Chen's MAY 13, and Richard Johnston's UNKNOWN PLEASURES. The lone J/70 sailing the race is Andrew Ellis's DAZIBAO. Good luck to all!  For more Royal Hong Kong YC Around the Island Race sailing information
Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Russians Win Asian J/80 Champs!

(Xiamen, China)- The local sailing club in Xiamen, China hosted the 2018 edition of the Asian J/80 Championship for a fleet of twenty-six boats from across the greater Asian region representing eight nations; including Japan, Taiwan, Australia, Russia, India, USA, Canada, and China.

This was the first time the J/80 Class was properly enforcing the rules in the Asian market. There were four days of measurement before the event, weighing boats, measuring sails, weighing crew and completing a proper safety check. During the measurement days, teams also got some nice practice time.

The weather in the days leading up to the event was perfect shorts and t-shirt weather. However, thereafter it was a bit cooler on race days.

Day 1
It was awesome racing on day one, with two races sailed in a steady 18-22 knots of wind. Hull 10 came out to race on this day, starting with two bullets. This Chinese team was comprised of junior professional Chinese national sailors; their skipper was the Chinese National 470 Champion. The 2nd to 5th place boats were not so consistent, giving the Chinese Youth team a nice lead in the standings to start the series.

Day 2
With an earlier start and a few knots less wind then the day before, the race committee was able to complete four races. There was no dominant winner of the day, with four different boats getting first place.  As a result, that outcome narrowed the overall points for the first four boats (Russian team, Chinese National team, Australian Team, and Xiamen University Team).

Day 3
Following the trend of the first two days, the fleet was again blessed with good breeze, but just a few knots less than the day before. This time, it was the Russian’s turn. The Russian team from the Seventh Fleet YC (members of the Russian Navy in Vladivostok, eastern Russia) brought their “A” game and pulled off three 1sts and a 4th!

Day 4
The last day of racing needed only one race to complete the series. The boats went out to the starting line with very little wind. Consequently, the RC hoisted the “AP” flag for about thirty minutes to wait for a gentle breeze to build along the shore.  Soon, the fleet started with a light northerly breeze with the current helping everyone to windward and against them down wind. In this area of Xiamen Bay, you can see 1-2 knots of current sailing in the open waters off the harbor. Unfortunately, the breeze shut off for a bit when the boats all reached Mark one.  So, the race became a bit of a restart. But, when the breeze came back, it lasted for the complete race, which was a windward-leeward twice around.

The organizers supplied two judge boats for this event with two International Judges and Jim Johnstone as the third Judge and in charge of the technical measuring process. With on the water judging, the sailors were all able to enjoy the nights off in Xiamen, with a great opening ceremony and plenty of nightlife to be had in the city!

The final results saw the team from eastern Russia- the TEAM EVOLUTION TIGER- win the regatta with four bullets in their scoreline of eleven races for a 26 pts net total.  Second was the XIAMEN UNIVERSITY TEAM with 30 pts net and rounding out the podium with the bronze was the SEAMO RACE TEAM from Australia with 44 pts net.

Overall, the J/80 teams were very pleased with the venue and the class is already in the planning stages for the next Asian Championships to be held in Qingdao next September 2019. The Chinese J/80 Class Association is holding the event in venues where they can see continued growth in the local J/80 fleets. The goal is a simple one- get more boats to participate than last year. The 2019 target is a lofty one-> 40+ boats in Qingdao, site of the Chinese Sailing Olympics in 2008! Add to Flipboard Magazine.

J/145 Wins Round Hong Kong Island Race

(Hong Kong, China)- The annual Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club Around the Island Race is one of the biggest inshore events in Hong Kong. It is a 26.0 nm race around Hong Kong Island involving Class Keelboats, Dinghies, Beach Cats and Cruisers.

Winning IRC 2 Class and taking 12th overall in what was decidedly a big-boat race was David Mitchell’s J/145C REDEYE, rounding the 26.0nm course in 3:58:16, for an average of nearly 6 kts.  Fourth in IRC 2 was Rick Van Den Berg’s J/111 JUGGERKNOT.  Taking 5th place in the IRC 3 Class was Nick Southward’s J/109 WHISKEY JACK.

In the eighteen-boat J/80 class, it was a horse race all the way around the island, with several teams running neck-and-neck the entire way.  Ultimately, it was Henry Wong’s FOOTLOOSE that won the class by 11 seconds over Rita Yau’s JELIK 7! Then, just over a minute back was Ben Bulmer’s JASMINE in third place, just edging out by a half-boat length (4 seconds worth) Sarah Page’s SEABISCUIT.  Fifth place went to Andrew Blank’s JAVELIN and Pascal Martin’s J/105 LEGENDE took 7th place.  For more RHKYC Around Island Race sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

Fabulous China Coast Race Week

(Hong Kong, China)- The 26th Edition of the China Coast Regatta saw thirty-five yachts compete across seven divisions.  The racing took place in the waters to the east and south of Hong Kong Island, with some islands courses extending into the waters to the east of Sai Kung. The regatta host was, as usual, the extraordinary Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club.

Day One
There were perfect conditions across the race track with blue skies and a 10 to 15kts northeasterly breeze. 28 boats took to the race track, which was located southeast of Hong Kong’s Lamma Island.  All IRC racing divisions sailed one windward / leeward and an islands course.

The first race of the day saw many competitors get a feel for the conditions, with sailors tightening up their drops by the end of the race. For Race 2, sailors were sent on 19 to 32nm course depending on their division. Given the wind direction, sending yachts from Yuen Kok in the direction of the Ninepin Islands made for a giant windward/ leeward with a few obstacles in the way– just islands!

Day Two
The breeze picked up for the second day.  A 20-25kts northeasterly breeze greeted the sailors as they reached the race track, which was located to the southeast of Lamma Island. The IRC Racer classes sailed three windward/ leewards and had four retirements in the first race of the day, which looked to mostly be spinnaker-related issues.  IRC Premier Cruiser sailed two islands courses and HKPN were given one windward/ leeward and an island course.

As the day progressed, the breeze moderated to around 15kts and the sunshine came out making for the best sailing conditions Hong Kong has to offer. In IRC 2 Class, Richard Van Den Berg’s J/111 JUGGERKNOT was tied for first place.

Day Three
Another superb day of excellent conditions; 15kts, sunshine and blue skies.  Racing got away smoothly with all IRC Racer and HKPN divisions sailing one windward/ leeward and one islands course ranging in distance from 10 to 16.5nm. The islands course took the fleet on a beat towards a windward mark and reaching to an ocean mark before rounding Beaufort or Sung Kong and finishing off Bluff Head near Stanley.

In the end, the J/111 JUGGERKNOT skippered by Richard Van Den Berg took second place in IRC 2 Class.  Meanwhile, over in IRC 3 Class, the J/109 WHISKEY JACK sailed by Nick Southward also took the silver in IRC 3 Class with his crew of Peter Albert Baer, Nigel James Clark, Joakim Josef Gip, Sam Johnathon Phillips, Nicholas Johan Southward, and Alec Peter Tracy.  Congratulations to all!  For more China Coast Race Week sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.

J/80s Sailing Strong In Hong Kong!

(Hong Kong, China)-  A member of the Royal Hong Kong YC J/80 fleet, Jason Keg, sent us this note recently:

“We thought you might like the attached picture of the J/80 fleet in Hong Kong.  It's not very often that the entire J/80 fleet from Royal Hong Kong YC and neighboring clubs is moored in the water at the same time.  This occurred due to the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club hosting the recent Optimist Asian and Oceanian Championships 2017 at the Middle Island Clubhouse, with the fleet vacating the hardstands to make space for the competitors ashore.” Add to Flipboard Magazine.

J/Teams Lovin' China Cup IX Regatta

(Daya Bay, Shenzen, China)- The 9th Edition of the China Cup International Regatta took place in Hong Kong and Shenzhen (Guangdong Province), China from October 30th to November 2nd, 2015, under the auspices of the Water Sports Administration Center of the General Administration of Sport of China and Shenzhen Municipal Administration of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

As the largest international big boat sailing event in China and three-time winner of “Best Asian Regatta of the Year”, about 100 yachts sail this South China Sea each each year including a new fleet of a dozen J/80s competing intensively in a one-design class, crewed by leading Asian sailors. The four-day event had eight different classes of competition and eight races: the Hong Kong to Shenzhen passage race, inshore races and round the island races, with around 1,000 sailors from more than 30 different countries and regions enjoying the intoxicating experience.

The event is distinctly oriented towards social festivities and provides simply extraordinary entertainment and parties in the evenings.  You do NOT want to be imprisoned in a protest room into the late evening while all your friends are cutting loose and having a fantastic time in the five-star resort!  Relaxation and fun are the theme and the daily prize-giving awards ceremony simply puts most others to shame.

Mr. David Zhong, Deputy Secretary-General of China Cup International Regatta Organizing Committee said, “We want to make the races as competitive as possible by attracting the world’s top sailors to participate in one of the world’s most enjoyable sailing events. Furthermore, we hope to strengthen our ties with the international sailing community.”  To say the least, they’ve got the formula right, and there’s no question several J/Teams took home their fair share of silverware.  Here is Jim Johnstone’s (J/Boats China) report:

“J sailors had a nice showing in this years China Cup IX. With the J/109 WHISKEY JACK driven by Nick Southward and long time crew in IRC and a new J/80 fleet racing One-Design.  Teams came from China, Hong Kong, USA, United Kingdom and Holland to participate on the different J/'s sailing.  Thirteen J/80's registered with boats coming from Xiamen and Hong Kong as either private or charter boats.  SAILING IN performance sailing school also participated with two boats full of students- novice sailors lead by Martin Hingst and me.

As we all know, when you take out beginner racers it is much easier to sail when the breeze is light.  The China Cup this year was not particularly light, but not out of control either.  It was enough to challenge the novice sailors and help with their overall confidence.  We sailed most of the event in 15 to 20 knots of wind with moderate size waves.

This year, we decided that we needed to start enforcing the J/80 Class Rules a little more in China and we started this event with crew weigh-in's for the J/80 class only.  A notification was sent to all competitors before they arrived and teams still scrambled a little to figure out how to deal with being overweight!  Nothing new there, right!?  Being prepared includes checking what the crew weight is and making adjustments to get lighter crews- like this spinnaker trimmer.

We sailed 8 races over three days and there was a noticeable difference of experience between the top four J/80's and the rest of the fleet.  Henry Wong on the FOOTLOOSE team from Hong Kong, Liu Changlong from XIAMEN LIHAN Sailing Team and the two SAILING IN Teams were the boats everyone else had to beat.

The team that jumped out to an early lead was SAILING IN ONE lead by our team.  The noticeable difference in this team was that they played the shifts and tacked twice as much as the competitors in the class and were using very conservative spinnaker tactics on the sets and take downs- the stated goal was to minimize all errors!  Their tactics and strategy paid off for them, taking the overall victory with 7 firsts and 1 third.

Martin Hingst on SAILING IN TWO was sailing in the pack most of the time, but where Martin’s team excelled was in their ability as a crew to make large gains downwind.  They pulled off second place overall all 4 points ahead of 3rd.

3rd place was Liu Changlong, a former Olympic Chinese Finn Sailor and coach in Xiamen, skippering the XIAMEN LIHAN Sailing Team.  Liu was a force that was very consistent in his overall sailing.  He was always there and always pushing.  The FOOTLOOSE team was 4th position, driven by Henry Wong. This team and the other Hong Kong Teams also did a Special J/80 Passage Race from Hong Kong to Shenzhen, which was not counted in the One-Design overall scores, but they enjoy frequent one-design racing in Hong Kong with the 26 local Hong Kong boats.

Red Dragon, builders of the J/80 in Xiamen, also sailed with their own RED DRAGON Team, finishing 5th place in the event.  They were also on hand providing two new charter boats and helping with any questions any of the J/80 sailors had during the event.  Overall, it was great to see the Chinese J/80 Class come together for this event.  In the past, it was always difficult since moving boats around china is not like it is in the US where you can simply tow them down the road. You need to ship them, which adds to the cost and reduces the participation.  We are currently working on a new fleet for the Shenzhen area, so we are looking forward to the potential of a much larger fleet next year. Congratulation to WHISKEY JACK for their dominating performance in the IRC Class.”

According to Nick Southward, owner/skipper of the J/109 WHISKEY JACK, “the crew of Whiskey Jack was happy to be returning to the prestigious China Cup International Regatta. With the competition heating up, the team was ready to face all challenges and was ready to fearlessly plow through the seas in the hope of bettering last year’s performance and regaining their title from 2013. In keeping with the team motto, “teamwork makes the dream work and whiskey never hurts”, the team had another enjoyable and exciting China Cup!”  Indeed, they did!  They started out by winning their first race and, despite a DNF in the second race, laid down an amazing string of races (a 1-3-2-1-1-2) for a total score of 11.0 net pts!  The masses of silverware were theirs!  Imagine that, they absolutely HAD to be at the Awards cocktail party each night since top three prizes were given out each night for each race in each fleet! Eight awards in all- but who’s counting anyways?  Good on ya Nick and gang!  For more International China Cup IX sailing information

And, a very brief report about the AUDI China Coast Regatta.  In IRC 2 Class, WHISKEY JACK was 5th place while fellow stablemate, the J/111 MOJITO sailed by Simon Blore took 3rd place and won some of their own silver along the way!  Congrats to both teams!   For more Royal Hong Kong YC China Coast sailing information

Royal Yacht Squadron Bicentenary Preview

(Cowes, Isle of Wight, England)- This year the Royal Yacht Squadron, founded in 1815, achieves its bicentenary. To mark the occasion, the Squadron is hosting an invitational regatta to bring together as many clubs and friends as possible from around the globe, who share their common interests and love of sailing.  The event takes place from the 25th - 31st July.

The RYS has planned a week of challenging on the water activities and numerous spectacular social gatherings to complement them. These will take place in the evenings after the sailing has finished both at the Castle and other notable venues nearby. There are different sailing events planned to both attract and test the many disciplines enjoyed by sailors.

Twenty-five yacht clubs have been invited to take part and will join the Royal Yacht Squadron for five days of spectacular racing in a 200-strong fleet, including modern and classic boats racing under IRC, J/70s, and up to five J-Class yachts.

“Our aim is to make sure owners and crews will leave at the end of the event with many happy memories. Participation in the International Bicentennial Regatta will help forge stronger ties between our clubs,” commented Chris Sharples, the RYS Commodore.

Founded on June 1st 1815 at the Thatched House Tavern in St James Street London, the Squadron was originally called “The Yacht Club”. It attracted royal patronage in 1817 when the Prince Regent, later King George IV, became a member. In 1833, King William IV renamed the club “The Royal Yacht Squadron” (R.Y.S.) declaring his “gracious approval of an institution of such national utility” for its role in supporting the Royal Navy and the maritime trades of Britain.

Queen Victoria’s husband Prince Albert became Patron of the R.Y.S, and his son, the Prince of Wales, was Commodore for 18 years (1882-1900). King George V, also a keen yachtsman, was Admiral of the Squadron throughout his reign. The present Admiral, HRH the Duke of Edinburgh, was Commodore from 1961 to 1968.

Throughout its 200 years, the Squadron’s contribution to yachting has been unique, starting with its role as the leading club in the establishment of sailing as a sport in the years 1815-1850. The 1851 race for the 100 Sovereign Cup– later renamed the “America’s Cup”– was organized by the Squadron, as were several later challenges. The Squadron, through its affiliate Royal Yacht Squadron Racing Ltd, is making a new attempt to win the cup in 2017 with a team led by Sir Ben Ainslie.

In the 19th century, Cowes became a “home” of the British sport of sailing (like Lords, Wimbledon, Newmarket or Henley). It was also the center of the European social world during regatta week, particularly in the years 1850-1914. The RYS continues to play a leading role in Cowes Week and other local regattas that make a much needed financial contribution to the Isle of Wight economy.

In recent years, the Squadron has placed greater emphasis on encouraging younger sailors through its April Training Week in J/109s for those aged 16 to 20 and the RYS Sailing Academy program for those aged up to 30 using the new fleet of J/70s. To create a lasting legacy as part of the bicentenary celebrations in 2015, the Squadron members are contributing to a new charity, The RYS Isle of Wight Foundation. The charity will provide financial assistance to educate and train young individuals who live on the Isle of Wight and seek a career connected with the marine industry.

As part of the Bicentenary Regatta, the fleet of new J/70s will be used for 2-on-2 team racing- a very exciting form of team racing since “last loses” every time.  The confirmed list of entries in this particular event include the host RYS team, the New York YC, Germany’s Norddeutscher Regatta Verein, the Royal Ocean Racing Club, the Royal Southern YC, the Royal Thames YC, St Francis YC from San Francisco, CA, the YC Costa Smeralda from Porto Cervo, Sardinia, the YC de France and also Oxford University.

On the IRC fleet racing side of things, there are 35 boats representing the 25 invited clubs.  The Royal Hong Kong YC entry is the chartered J/122 JACOBS LADDER sailed by a team of RHKYC members.  They are led by J/109 WHISKEY JACK owner Nick Southward, a boat with a reputation as a strong competitor in regattas and races in the waters off Hong Kong and Southern China and in the South China Sea.

Back in Hong Kong, Southward’s WHISKEY JACK has had recent notable achievements including winning the IRC division of the 2015 San Fernando Race, the 2014 China Cup International Regatta, and placing second in the 2014 China Coast Regatta. He says "The Regatta provides an exceptional occasion for the skipper and crew to represent the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club at this major international competition in waters that hold fond memories for a number of those aboard. We are looking forward to experiencing sailing together in the tough conditions of the Solent against stiff competition from around the world, and equally to enjoying the celebratory atmosphere of the event."  For more Royal Yacht Squadron Bicentenary Regatta sailing information

J/109 Wins San Fernando Race

(Hong Kong, China)- A fleet of seventeen from a 25-boat entry field headed off on the annual San Fernando Race from Victoria Harbour on Wednesday, April 1st but this year the fleet did not go anywhere near San Fernando.  In the “normal” race, the 480nm Category 1 offshore race goes from Hong Kong, China to San Fernando in the Philippines.  Instead, the fleet looped back to Hong Kong because of a super typhoon that was forecasted (and did) hit the Philippines with devastating damage.

With unseasonal southerly winds of between 2 knots and 8 knots, race officer Simon Boyde set a start line in the middle of the harbour and sent the fleet off on the rerouted San Fernando Race, a 330nm challenge that was described by one sailor as, “pleasant conditions but, tactically, very difficult because of the challenging weather”.

The race has been a popular one for the Hong Kong/ China offshore community; especially since the warm reception at the San Fernando YC doubles as an enormous charity/ benefit for the children! Unfortunately, that did not happen this year because of the super typhoon.

Taking top honors in IRC Racing 2 was Nick Southward’s J/109 WHISKEY JACK, winning by an enormous margin of six hours corrected time.  Having a more difficult time of the conditions but still making the most of it was Paul Leese and David Mitchell’s J/145c REDEYE, taking a 2nd in IRC Racing 1.   For more Royal Hong Kong YC San Fernando Race sailing information

San Fernando Race Preview

(Hong Kong, China)- From its inception in 1977, when a group of sailing enthusiasts cruised down to San Fernando and raced back, this event has had a special place in the hearts of those who have taken part, not only for challenge of the offshore race itself but because they have enjoyed the warmth and camaraderie that surrounds it. It has also through the support of the children’s home in San Fernando been more than just a race.

The race starts April 1st and is a very challenging 480nm Category 1 Offshore Race from Hong Kong, China to San Fernando, Philippines.  The fleet will be dealing with the remnants of Typhoon xxx, so they will expect choppy, confused seas on their way across the western Pacific to the Philippines.

The race has been a popular one for the Hong Kong/ China offshore community; especially since the warm reception at their extraordinary yacht club on the water also doubles as an enormous charity/ benefit for the children!  Participating in this year’s race are Paul Leese and David Mitchell’s J/145 REDEYE in IRC Racing 1 and Nick Southward’s J/109 WHISKEY JACK sailing IRC Racing 2.   For more Royal Hong Kong YC San Fernando Race sailing information

TIGRINA Crowned King of Hong Kong J/80s!

J/111 Wins Around The Island Race
(Hong Kong, China)- Over the past few weekends, the J/80s in Hong Kong have been quite busy, having a wonderful time sailing their Hong Kong Championships, the Lipton Trophy Pursuit Race and the classic Around The Island Race; all events hosted by the extraordinary Royal Hong Kong YC.

Starting with the Hong Kong Championship on November 1st & 2nd, an excellent turnout of seventeen boats participated, with the fleet enjoying a total of eight races to complete the series.  It was extremely close racing for the top two boats, Andrew Moore & Lionel Welch’s TIGRINA and Felix Ng’s JAVELIN.  After the first day of racing, JAVELIN had the upper hand, closing out the day with a 1-3-2-2 for 8 pts with TIGRINA just one point back with an equally stellar record of 2-2-4-1 for 9 pts.  Behind this duo, the fleet was experiencing a bit of the “snakes & ladders” conundrum, working hard to stay in the top three, but often snagging defeat from the jaws of victory.

On Sunday, it was clear that Moore’s TIGRINA crew must’ve had a can of “whup-ass” for breakfast in their steak & eggs and heaps of coffee.  For after starting out the day with bullet, they closed out with a 3-1-1 to win the series by four points over the friendly rivalry with Ng’s JAVELIN team.  The balance of the top five was equally tough competition with next three boats finishing just four points apart.  Winning (or perhaps, surviving) this battle was Dan Tullberg’s UNKNOWN PLEASURES, completing the podium on third with 27 pts net.  Only one point back was Jonathan Hodgson’s J-CHI with 28 pts in fourth and sitting on fifth place was Gill Keefe’s JELIGNITE with 31 pts. For more J/80 Hong Kong sailing information.

Lipton Trophy Pursuit Race
The replenishment of the northeast monsoon coincided with the first pursuit race of RHKYC’s 2014-15 season, with an average 10kts of easterly wind bestowed on the competitors sailing in Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbour.  A total of 47 boats started the race in front of Kellett island, on staggered start times according to their RHKATI ratings. For many boats it was a great warm-up for the much anticipated Around The Island Race, the circumnavigation of Honk Kong Island.  In the end, top J/80 was David Fan’s SEA BISCUIT, followed by Alex Cheung’s FIGURE OF EIGHT in second and Paul Lam’s LILA in third.  For more Lipton Trophy sailing information.

Around The Island Race
While the Lipton Trophy took place on Saturday and was good sailing, Sunday’s Around the Island Race was shortened due to a bit too much light air.  Sailing like a man possessed, it was clear David Fan’s J/80 SEA BISCUIT crew were simply on fire.  Starting first in the J/80 Class and increasing his lead (isn’t that what the textbooks tell you to do?), Fan’s crew finished first with a nearly six minute lead at the gun!  Lonny Chen’s crew on MAY-13th took second and they were 4:30 seconds clear of the third place finisher, Henry Wong on FOOT LOOSE.

Amongst the J/70 Class, it was John Leven’s SAN LONG that took class honors followed by Paul McMaster & Fabrice Bureau taking second with DAZIBAO.

In the offshore IRC handicap world, Simon Blore’s J/111 MOJITO again took class honors over the best-sailed boats and most competitive offshore class at the Royal Hong Kong YC.  For more Around The Island Race sailing information.   For more Royal Hong Kong YC Facebook photos

Hong Kong J/80 Class Championship

(Hong Kong, China)- The fifth Hong Kong J/80 Class Championships will be held on the 1st & 2nd of November.  The event is organized by the Royal Hong Kong YC, one of the oldest sailing clubs in Asia with a history dating back as far as 1890.  Expected to be the biggest international J/80 event in Asia thus far, over twenty J/80's are planning to participate with some of the high profile sailors from the region.  This year a number of visiting teams will travel down from Mainland China to test their skills against the local fleet.

The regatta will be sailed off the southern tip of Lamma island, in open waters.  November typically offers optimal sailing conditions; East-North Easterly breezes of between 12 and 18 knots, a light swell and clear blue skies.  Add in local hospitality, stunning location and facilities of the host- the Royal Hong Kong YC- and its no wonder this event is growing in popularity.  For more J/80 Hong Kong Championship sailing information

J/111 & J/109 Dominate China Coast Regatta

(Daya Bay, Shenzen, China)- Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club’s flagship China Coast Regatta took place from 10 to 12 October this year, following a tried and tested three-day format that offered competitors a variety of windward/ leeward and islands courses in the waters to the south of Hong Kong Island and west of Lamma Island.

Headlined by Audi for the first time since its inception in 1993, the regatta attracted nearly 40 competitors in four classes and seven divisions, with the majority of entrants sailing IRC Racing class. In the most competitive class in the entire event, the IRC 2 Division, the J/111 MOJITO skippered by Simon Blore handily won their nine-boat class with a very consistent 4-8-1-4-1-2-1 for 13 pts net.

Taking second in IRC 2 was a perennial top performer on the Hong Kong offshore racing circuit, the J/109 WHISKEY JACK sailed by Nick Southward.  The “Jack” started off strongly, leading their class up until race five, but couldn’t hold off the hard-charging crew aboard MOJITO.  In the end, WHISKEY JACK’s scores of 2-3-3-1-7-1-5 for 15 pts net secured their team a solid second place performance.  In fact, Southward’s team may have benefitted from their early “practice race”, the newly created Audi Hong Kong Kettle race- a new team racing competition that included an “Around Hong Kong Islands Race” the day preceding the China Coast Regatta.  The timing offered entrants the double benefit of an extra day’s acclimatization to the region’s sailing conditions, coupled with a great opportunity to see the wilder parts of Hong Kong.  The Hong Kong Kettle Race Chairman, Drew Taylor, explained the rationale of the Kettle event schedule, saying “Hong Kong in October provides very good sailing conditions with breeze typically in the high teens, temperatures in the high 20’s and a great combination of geometric and island courses.”  In the end, the J/109 WHISKEY JACK sailed by Nick Southward took advantage of the opportunity, took in some fabulous views of Hong Kong Island, and won the inaugural Team 3 Race Class in the Kettle Race!     China Coast Sailing Regatta on Facebook  Sailing photo credits- Guy Nowell/ RHKYC
For more China Coast Regatta sailing information