9 minute read
30th China Coast Regatta
from Ahoy! December 2022
by Koko Mueller
WORDS: VIVIAN NGAN | IMAGES: GUY NOWELL | VIVIAN NGAN | 小四哥
The 30th edition of China Coast Regatta got underway on 14 October in ideal conditions across the racetrack, with blue skies and a solid 16 to 18kts north easterly breeze on a lumpy sea. 21 boats took to the racetrack, which was located southeast of Hong Kong’s Lamma Island.
Advertisement
All IRC racing divisions were predominately sent on three windward-leeward races comprising of a three-lap 1.1nm long course. Although the breeze softened to around 11kts with a flattening sea as the day progressed, the fleet continued to enjoy great sailing conditions with sailors returning home exhausted after the intense day on the water.
Race Officer David Norton was pleased with racing on Day 1 commenting, “The conditions were much better than I had expected; there was great wind for the first two races and the wind shifted right and dropped to 6kts at the end, but I think we made the most of the day. Although all boats had to work very hard in challenging conditions, we are one race ahead of schedule and well set for tomorrow.”
Day 2 was in complete contrast to Friday’s perfect conditions. Although clear sunny skies prevailed, there was a measly 6 to 8kts of northeasterly breeze to start the day. Eight entries from the HKPN division
joined the racing, including Niccolo Manno’s Trimaran Carbon 3. Recently returning to the racing scene she was unfortunately unable to show off her full potential and spectacular speed due to the lack of breeze.
Race Officer David Norton set a 17nm islands course for IRC Race Divisions 0 and 1 that took the competitors to round Po Toi and Sung Kong before finishing off at Stanley Peninsula, whilst the route for all other divisions was reduced to 10nm around an ocean mark and Beaufort Island before ending off Stanley.
With a significant drop in the wind to around 3kts during the race, the race management team was forced to shorten the HKPN division to finish within the Beaufort Channel, seeing two boats unable to meet the cut off time limit and opting to retire.
The breeze returned for Day 3, with the strong monsoon signal hoisted prior to racing, bringing with it the promise of champagne sailing conditions. The day kicked off in 8 to 10kts of a north-westerly breeze at the southeast of Lamma Island race area.
Almost all IRC racer divisions were sent on three two-lap windward/ leeward courses (with Div 0 completing one more lap in Race 6) and the HKPN division were given one windward/leeward followed by an 11nm island course, taking them around Po Toi and Sung Kong before finishing off Stanley.
Celebrating 30 years of competitive big boat racing in Asia
2022 marked the 30th edition of the China Coast Regatta. Based out of the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club’s Middle Island Water Sports Training Centre; 29 boats competed in a variety of windward/ leeward, geometric and island courses in the waters south and east of Hong Kong Island, in the most superb sailing conditions that Hong Kong has to offer.
China Coast Regatta was introduced in 1993 by Steve Ellis as a replacement event for the China Coast Cup, which had been broken up due to the re-scheduling of the China Sea Race to Easter. The new format event would be held annually during the month of October, an ideal time of year for sailing in Hong Kong with the onset of the northeast winter monsoon. Ellis planned the event with the ambition of becoming part of the Asian Circuit along with Raja Muda Regatta and King’s Cup, and the Singapore Straits Regatta, for which it successfully achieved.
Reminiscing on the 30-year anniversary of China Coast Regatta, Steve said “I’m in Sydney reading with enormous envy of the fun everyone appears to be having sailing in the 30th running of this event. Who would have thought that this regatta would last as long as it has?
This regatta as you know replaced the China Sea Race Series which was traditionally run over or near the Easter week break. It catered for offshore capable yachts only which meant that it excluded most of Hong Kong’s keelboat sailing fleet such as the smaller X Yachts, Beneteau’s and the like.
The principal objective of the China Coast Regatta was to create a format of racing which would include all types of keelboat and stage it at a time of year which was better suited to competitive and exhilarating sailing. To get back to my original point of the longevity of the regatta I think this is the principal reason it has lasted so long. It caters to all classes of keelboat and not just to the select few. Also, the appeal of sailing has spread to a much broader market bringing with it a high level of competition and quality of yacht. It has grown well beyond my original vision and I cannot be more pleased.”
A steady increase in both wind and sea state saw the third race for all IRC fleets culminate in 15 to 20kts of breeze under a sunny blue sky – the ultimate conditions in which to conclude the regatta.
At the end of three days of racing, having completed their scheduled seven races, all IRC divisions enjoyed one discard. With tight racing for all IRC Racer divisions, IRC Racer 0 comprising of four TP 52s and Marcel Liedts’ Ker 46 Zannekin, saw a new leader every day of the regatta. Amongst the five strong giants, the boats yo-yoed up and down the standings. Sam Chan’s FreeFire took two firsts to give him the overall lead at the end of Day 1, however Noel Chan’s Rampage88 put in a massive chase in the final leg of Island course, setting them up for the top spot at the end of Day 2. Shawn Kang’s Alpha+ spurred on by the close competition rallied on the final day, taking two bullets and the overall divisional trophy, only one point ahead of Noel Chan’s Rampage88.
IRC Racer Div 1 was the largest fleet with eight entries, including an impressive variety of new lightweight yachts including: Andrew Taylor and Denis Martinet’s newly imported Cape 31 Capitano, which made the journey to Hong Kong just in time to compete against other strong local contenders of Glenn Smith’s Grand Soleil 44 Wild Card, Eddy Lee’s full carbon Neo Roma 430 Next and Dennis Chien’s Mat 1245 Arcturus+.
However, it was to be 2021 division winner Nick Burns’ Witchcraft who took three bullets on Day 1, setting her up for the title again in 2022. Witchcraft successfully defended her lead on the final day by only one point after a tight tussle with Capitano, who had taken the win in the Island Race on Day 2, and two more bullets on the final day. Third place overall went to Albert Cheung’s Full Tilt.
In the IRC Racer 2 fleet, there was neck-to-neck competition between Stephen Jones and James Verner’s Nightshift and Nicolas CohenAddad’s Jinn throughout the regatta – they were both tied in Race 5 with exactly the same corrected time, however in the end it was Nightshift who took the overall win – two points clear of Jinn.
Competition was also tight in ICR Racer 3 among the three strong teams of Dexter II, Admiralty Harbour Whiskey Jack, and Juice. At the end of day two, the three yachts held an extremely tight score card with only one point separating each of the teams. Skipper Simon Wong took Dexter II to an impressive win in the final race, securing 1st place overall, and with one discard in effect, was three points clear of Nick Southward’s Admiralty Harbour Whiskey Jack.
HKPN division comprised of many recognizable names from recent editions of the regatta such as Blowers Daughter, Jibulai, Scintila and Lisa Elaine participating in the action. Niccolo Manno’s Carbon 3 stole the show with a massive lead in the Day 3 Island race, finishing one hour ahead of the other competitors and taking one bullet in the final day of racing to put them in 2nd overall, three points behind Sunny Leung’s Jibulai.
China Coast Regatta 2022 14 to 16 October 2022
RANK YACHT NAME SAIL NO.
IRC Racer 0
Alpha+ Rampage88 Free Fire
IRC Racer 1
Witchcraft Capitano Full Tilt ITA 46 HKG 2548 HKG 2283
HKG 2552 HKG 2575 HKG 2108
IRC Racer 2
Nightshift Jinn
3rd
Juggerknot
IRC Racer 3
HKG 2558 HKG 2509 HKG 1281
Dexter II
HKG1832 Admiralty Harbour Whiskey Jack HKG 2102 Juice HKG 2559
HKPN
Jibulai Carbon 3 Sea Eagle HKG 1341 HKG 2522 HKG 2304
OWNER TYPE
Shawn Kang Noel Chan Sam Chan TP 52 TP 52 TP 52
Nick Burns
King 40 Andrew Taylor / Denis Martinet Cape 31 Albert Cheung X 41
Stephen Jones / James Verner Judel Vrolijk Custom 36 Nicolas Cohen-Addad J122e
Carey Jack J111
Simon Wong Nick Southward Andrew Pidden A35 J-109 J 99
Sunny Leung Niccolo Manno Mike Delaney Oceanis 46 Nigel Irens Tri 40 Beneteau 40.7
Total
10 11 15
8 9 18
7.5 9.5 17
8 11 14
6 9 11
Hong Kong Kettle 2022
RANK BOAT IRC/ATI Division
Nightshift Witchcraft FreeFire
SKIPPER BOAT SKIPPER Total Score
Stephen Jones / James Verner Admiralty Harbour Whiskey Jack Nick Southward Nick Burns Juice Andrew Pidden 24.5 27
Sam Chan Capitano Andrew Taylor / Denis Martinet 31
With an incredible China Coast Regatta with perfect conditions for the event’s 30th anniversary, we cannot go without saying a huge thank you to all our sponsors Asia Yachting, One Global Group, St. James’s Place and Peroni for their continued support of the race. We would also like to give a special mention to St. James’s Place who supported our attempt to achieve a Clean Regattas Platinum Certification by volunteering for the beach clean-up hosted by the Sustainability Sub Committee. The cleanup was a huge success, and the team even managed to collect two ghost nets on top of all other trash collected! Rear Commodore of Sailing and Race Officer David Norton thanked all volunteers and Club staff for their effort in delivering a fantastic regatta. The Club could not have put on such a successful and safe event without our dedicated volunteers – a big shout out to the David Norton and his amazing team of Bonnie Cheng, Dawn Allen, Howie Suen, Lindsay Lyons, Tina Over, Shelia Chan and the Safety team of Cameron Ferguson, Brett Rohsheim, Ian Fleming, Niclas Rydin and Philip Lee. With great accolades from the competing sailors, this much renowned regatta looks forward to continued growth and success internationally when it returns again in 2023.