One Global

One Global HKRNVR Memorial Vase

After a Covid-19 induced hiatus to sport of more than two months, sailors were more than eager to return to yacht racing on 28 February with 60 yachts enjoying fresh conditions out on Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbour as they competed in the One Global HKRNVR Memorial Vase. Organised by Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club, the race forms part of the club’s Top Dog Trophy Series which combines the season’s pursuit races to crown a winning boat or ‘Top Dog’ for the year.

WORDS: VIVIAN NGAN | IMAGES: GUY NOWELL | VIVIAN NGAN | DI WILLIAMS

With a consistent 10 to 15kts easterly breeze, the regular RO team of Gareth and Di Williams and Anthony Root elected to send the competitors on course 8 taking the fleet into Hong Kong’s Eastern Approaches using landmarks such as Shek O Rock and TCS 3 before returning into the eastern end of Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbour to satisfy the requirement of the HKRNVR Deed of Gift. A succession of starts based on RHKATI ratings began with the Pandora fleet at 1230hrs and culminated around an hour later with Big Boats Ambush and FreeFire. Pandora Panache was leading the fleet until Shek O Rock, however with gusts up to 15kts and waves up to 2 metres around Shek O, the bigger and heavier boats gained the upper hand on the fleet sailing back into harbour in adverse

One Global HKRNVR Memorial Vase 2021 – Top 10

BOAT NAME SAIL NO. CLASS SKIPPER FINISH TIME POSITION

Zephyr 55 Dragon Tam Nguyen 15:03:38 1 Phyloong II 50 Dragon Phyllis Chang 15:04:01 2 Les Freaks Sont Chic 1428 Etchells Marco Pocci 15:04:10 3 Eaux Vives 12 Dragon Andrew Pidden 15:05:16 4 Noddy 1393 Etchells Jamie McWilliam 15:05:18 5 Tchaikoffsky 3981 Flying Fifteen Howard Williams 15:06:21 6 Reprobate 1235 Etchells Denis Martinet 15:06:56 7 Gunga Din 1243 Etchells Nick Burns 15:07:01 8 Jinn 2509 Big Boat Nicolas Cohen-Addad 15:07:16 9 King Of The Pin 1364 Etchells Frank Van Kempen 15:07:24 10 current. Three Dragons caught up with Panache by TCS 3, with the big boats also slowly working their way through the slower fleets to overtake them.

As the race progressed, the easterly breeze softened at Junk Bay with the Race Management team deciding to shorten the course at Tai Koo Shing. The top two podium finishes went to the Dragon fleet, with Zephyr taking the gun at 1503hrs – only 23 seconds ahead of Phyloong II. Etchells Les Freaks Sont Chic just managed to squeeze out Dragon Eaux Vives, to take third place.

The One Global HKRNVR Memorial Vase is the third race of the annual Top Dog Series which also includes the One Global Lipton Trophy and the Around the Island Race. With the top three contenders managing to

retain their positions after this race and with just the Tomes Cup to go on 24 April, Tam Nguyen’s Zephyr has a strong hold on first place in the Top Dog Series with two bullets on hand. Frank Van Kempen’s Etchells King of the Pin is in second place 11 points behind, followed by Nick Burns’ Etchells Gunga Din in third place.

The club would like to thank the fabulous volunteers who ran the racing on the day, Race Officer Gareth Williams, Di Williams and Anthony Root and their capable team of assistants: Billy Ko, Cherry Graham, Elizabeth Seymour Jones, Elizabeth Yeung, Jacky Lam, Miquel Ballester, Olivia Lennox-King, Tim Lembke, Victor Tsien and Safety team of Barry Truhol, Niclas Rydin and Steve Wordsworth.

Huge thanks to our Title Sponsor One Global Property Services, who have continued their support of the Club and our events through the testing times. We look forward to their activations when we can host prizegiving’s again so please do show your support when you see them either at one of the races or one of their own events.