Around the Island Race (Rowing)

(Rowing)

WORDS: ABI WATT | IMAGES: STANLEY LAM, MIKE LAW

The morning of the Rowing Section’s Iron Around the Island Race 2022 dawned on 12 November, overcast with some light rain, temperatures in the low 20s, a touch of wind and swells under one metre. All in all, pretty favorable conditions for this 45km race around the island. News of such mild weather no doubt brought joy to many a rower as they prepared to set off for the race.

On the rowing side, ATIR is split over two days, with Saturday hosting the Iron race for crews racing the full loop around the island and Sunday hosting the Relay race for crews splitting the trip into two legs. For all rowing competitors, the race starts in Victoria Harbour, just outside of Kellett Island. The Iron rowers take a direct line around the island, passing just north of Round Island, while the Relay rowers make a pit CONTACTS stop at Middle Island to swap their Rowing Manager rowingmanager@rhkyc.org.hk crews out for the second leg of the race. Coastal Rowing coastalrowing@rhkyc.org.hk Shatin Men’s Racing shatinrowingmen@rhkyc.org. hk All told, 26 crews competed in the Shatin Women’s Racing shatinrowingladies@rhkyc.org.hk Rowing ATIR this year, with 17 Iron crews and 9 Relay crews. This year also saw the return of international crews to the race, with father and daughter crew Jukka and Salla Haikonen representing Keravan Urheilijat in Finland. Matthew Ridgwell from Singapore was