Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club Spring Regatta – Day 1

Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club's Spring Regatta, Day1. Photo by RHKYC/ Koko Mueller

Overnight thunderstorms and torrential rain failed to deter the 94 crews who took to a Club start line for the first race of this year’s RHKYC Spring Regatta, held in Hong Kong’s iconic Victoria Harbour.

Race officer Simon Boyde was on the water early to find the breeze, namely 6 to 11 kts swinging from 70 to 115 degrees, with a massive ebb tide. Boyde elected to start the fleets in front of RHKYC’s Kellett Island base, and was rewarded with 10 to 12 knots for most of the 45 minute start sequence.

Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club's Spring Regatta, Day1. Photo by RHKYC/ Koko Mueller

With a pin end bias on the line, there was fierce competition for a good start, and several Impala found themselves on the wrong side of the line before the gun, but managed to absolve themselves and continue racing.

The day was not without its mishaps and Spencer Suen (FF15 Flying Fort) was lucky not to lose his mast when a shroud disconnected.

Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club's Spring Regatta, Day1. Photo by RHKYC/ Koko Mueller

The conditions later on built to 14 kts before dropping to 6 with a big tidal swing of about 2.5 kts which caused some of the smaller boats to slow. Only three boats missed the cut-off; all in a class that had selected a somewhat ambitious course.

Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club's Spring Regatta, Day1. Photo by RHKYC/ Koko Mueller

Tomorrow’s forecast suggests ‘more of the same’, without the thunderstorms, for the two scheduled races and the RO will be out on the water early to see what he can find.

Day 1 Results – First in Class
IRC Racing Division 0: Peninsula Signal 8, Jamie McWilliam
IRC Racing Division 1: II, Leong/ Trebitsch
HKPN Division 2: No One Else, Wing Hung Ng
Dragon: Zephyr, Tam
Etchells: Dream On, Mark Thornburrow
Flying Fifteen: Kerfuffle, Carlyon Knight-Evans/ Lucy Sutro
Impala: Gnu, T. Jackson
J/80: Tigrina, Andrew Moore/ Lionel Welch
Pandora: Windfall, Tom Ho
Ruffian: Schannuleke, Henry Hirst
Sportsboat: Chrisago, Peter Backe

Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club's Spring Regatta, Day1. Photo by RHKYC/ Koko Mueller