Rowing with Waves

Rowing with Waves, Racing with Winds

WORDS: FANG ZHAO; EDITED: KEITH CHEUNG | IMAGES: PHOEBE LEUNG

he Club throughout 2020 has been well positioned to organise regattas and events during the several waves of restrictions brought upon by the Covid-19 virus. However, we have been extremely lucky in regards to the timing of holding our coastal rowing events; with the majority of them taking place a week or two before a lockdown and closure of our sporting facilities. This includes the Around the Island Race 2020 – Coastal Rowing that took place on Sunday 15 November 2020.

Challenging coastal conditions greeted the competitors on the race day morning with a large incoming tide and a strong easterly breeze making the start of the clockwise course brutal. From the first stroke at Kellett Island, rowers had to row powerfully with deep blades through the chop!

Having passed Siu Sai Wan and arriving on the east coast, the fruits of a consistent surge in the monsoon came to bare with rowers needing to tackle 2.5 meter waves in addition to the side chop created by the gusts that day. The race photographer struggled to find the crews whose boats were being thrown up to the peaks and down the valleys of the waves just as much as she struggled to keep the contents of her stomach within – it was a tough day for the volunteers too.

When most boats had turned Cape D’Aguilar towards Tai Tam Bay, the competitors had now to face an out-going tide with the understanding that no records were going to be broken this year. In fact for the remainder of the race, the conditions were the opposite exact of those desired by the rowers but all crews battled on.

Having come through all such suffering and struggling, both physically and mentally, rowers and their boats all successfully and safely reached to the finish line where they were greeted by a horn, applauses and hoorays from the Clubhouse. At that moment, the heart and lungs burnings, muscle pains, blisters on palms and fingers, all turned to be the trophies, medals and glories, no matter what results they eventually finished with. Having rowed and finished the Around the Island Race in 2020 is an achievement that all rowers will cherish and be proud of due to the nature of the conditions they had to face.

Although this year’s race was without any overseas entries, primarily due to the travel restrictions and quarantine requirements, we were excited but not surprised to still have 24 race crews with 100 rowers from local clubs! The entries included a Hong Kong Rowing Olympian, a crew from the Hong Kong Youth Rowing Squad, various universities and alumni clubs, Lantau Boat Club and of course a strong showing

from RHKYC. Race categories that were competed in, included coastal single (C1x), double (C2x) and quad (C4x+) and had both relay and iron opportunities.

One of the most notable categories was of course the C1x that included Club Member and Sam Kelly Award winner Anna Fisher, who became the first women to row the course in a single. Club Member Jon Davies also rowed the course in a single giving LBC’s Andrew Lawson a cracking race which resulted in a win for Lawson.

Other crews of note were the Deaf Power C4x+ that was rowed by two families and included adaptive rower Daniel Yau, his wife and daughter, and the RHKYC’s Open C2x that was rowed by James Wong and David Smith. Wong and Smith finished in second place in the rowing competition, however Smith would later go on to win the Around the Island Race in his outrigger canoe crew six days following. Perhaps he will compete in the Sailing event next year too!

The success of this race would not have been possible without the various volunteers who assisted on the race day, including the safety team and race marshals and also the volunteers who helped to plan and organise the race in the months prior. It is also important to note the effort made by the Club rowers to row the boats required for our Club teams and others back and forth from Middle Island.

It is also important to thank the Hong Kong, China Rowing Association who as race co-organiser allowed the Club to use several of their coastal rowing boats, the Hong Kong Water Sports Council for their support and of course the event sponsor Maui Jim for the generous prizes at the event.

CONTACTS

Rowing Manager rowingmanager@rhkyc.org.hk Coastal Rowing coastalrowing@rhkyc.org.hk Shatin Men’s Racing shatinrowingmen@rhkyc.org. hk Shatin Women’s Racing shatinrowingladies@rhkyc.org.hk

Co-organiser Supporting Organisation Event Sponsor All of these were not only indispensable to the success of the Race but more importantly also demonstrated the professional and highest standard of sport and teamwork spirits of the Club!

In ATIR 2020, there was zero safety accident, zero personal injury, under such dreadful race condition! Outstanding accomplishment!

In addition to what has been reported by other reporters, when I asked Anna Fisher to say something to the Club fellow rowers, she commented: “I’m very happy to have completed it. And I hope that now one person has done it, maybe more will join too!” Absolutely no doubt, we are now looking forward to seeing you all, and more rowers from the world, in ATIR 2021!

Around the Island Race 2020 – Coastal Rowing Timing CATEGORY CREW NAME

Women 1x Anna Fisher Open 1x Andrew Lawson Open 1x Jon Davies Open 4 x+ Relay RHKYC – Mixed Relay 4x+ Open 4 x+ Relay Kronos Open 4 x+ Relay Galaxy 5 Open 4 x+ Relay Velocity Open 4 x+ Relay HKU Lightspeed Mixed 2 x Double Trouble Mixed 2 x RHKYC – Wan & Winky 2.0 Mixed 2 x LBC mixed Mixed 2 x Les Keikei Open 2 x Lok Tsui Rowing Club Open 2 x Keep Hammering Open 2 x CUHK rowing team Open 2 x Relay LBC Relay Open 2 x Relay RHKYC – 4SM.2 Open 2 x Relay Ferrari 20 Mixed 4 x+ #Beast Mixed 4 x+ Rowability Women 4 x+ 醫療艇 Open 4 x+ RHKYC A Open 4 x+ HKU Alpha Open 4 x+ Ramrods

BOW NUMBER 101 103 102 410 412 411 413 414 204 202 203 201 207 206 205 210 208 209 415 416 417 419 420 418

RACE TIME 6:44:59 4:37:47 4:47:20 5:04:20 5:13:38 5:30:54 5:46:20 6:27:00 4:16:09 4:54:09 5:02:23 6:09:01 4:29:17 4:47:20 5:00:54 4:47:21 4:58:02 6:17:56 4:05:39 6:07:12 6:20:14 4:05:26 4:29:47 4:36:28

RESULT 1 1 2 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 1 1 2 3