Clean Regatta

1. What were your key moves that helped you win this race?

The wind this year was very light at the start line and throughout the harbour. Very challenging for all. We just focused on moving from puff to puff in the harbour and managed to be the first Ruffian out through Lei Yue Mun gap. That really helped us end up where we did.

2. Advice to other competitors to help get around the Island quicker: crew | sails | tactics

The boat that we sail, the Ruffian 23, is better suited to slightly more wind than we had at a number of points in this race. I feel that my patience improves every year that we participate in the ATIR in a Ruffian.

3. The best milestone moments in this race.

It had to be finding the wind on the south side of the island.

4. How do you rate defending your title in next year’s race?

This race is never an easy one. One thing I can be sure of is that we will most likely be back to work on our patience again in 2021!

Amanda Chen, helmsman of F.A.B Sportsboat winner

1. What were your key moves that helped you win this race?

We had a very good team – Russ Parker ensured the boat was race ready, studied the course conditions and drove well; Mark Collins found us the breeze we needed, muscled the kite up and down many times, hiked hard and kept spirits up. It was painfully slow getting out of the harbour and we were going backwards on tide at one point but the VX One is designed to plane in not very much breeze which allowed us to catch up to the others once we were out of the harbour. We also had the advantage of seeing where boats in front were stuck in holes.

2. Advice to other competitors to help get around the Island quicker: crew | sails | tactics

• Get the boat ready pre-race – polish the hull / get a race wash, tune the rig and fix problem spots. • Research the wind and tide around the course – we use Windguru and PocketGrib to download GRIB files and refer to the

Hydrographic Office website for tide information. • Stay focused during the race on heading and how other boats are doing.

3. The best milestone moments in this race.

Roll tacking back up the harbour and sticking close to Hong Kong Island for tide relief and to sail less distance to the finish. We put 40 minutes between us and Fly By Wire who we had caught up to and rounded Green Island with. It was also key to closing the distance between us and Catch 22 who sailed very well and took line honours in our class.

4. How do you rate defending your title in next year’s race?

Around the Island Race is always a game of snakes and ladders where anyone can win.

IMAGE: CHRISTINA CULLY IMAGE: MANSON MA

CERTIFIED GOLD 2020

P OWERED BY OCEANA

Around the Island Race Hosted by the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club GOLD LEVEL CLEAN REGATTAS CERTIFICATION November 8, 2020

Paige Mya Program Manager Sailors for the Sea David Rockefeller, Jr. Founder Sailors for the Sea

Ruffian Scallywag

IMAGE: BENNY WONG

Impala Pier Pier

The Around the Island Race was awarded Clean Regatta Gold status by Sailors for the Sea, a nonprofit organisation that educates and empowers boaters to protect and restore our oceans and coastal waters. Sailors were encouraged to avoid single-use plastics and take responsibility for their own recycling and putting all recyclables in the appropriate bins.