OFFSHORE CLASSICS
Hong Kong has traditionally had a full racing calendar with Royal
Hong Kong Yacht Club (RHKYC), Aberdeen Boat Club and Hebe
Haven Yacht Club all organising events year-round. Hebe Haven’s
Typhoon Series and Aberdeen’s Summer Series will conclude on
August 24 and 25 respectively, but it’s RHKYC that’s the organising
body of the city’s biggest regattas and Asia’s major offshore races.
This year, the three-day China Coast Regatta, held since 1993, will
be held from October 11-13 and followed by the ninth Hong Kong to
Vietnam Race, which has separate starts on October 15 and 16, and is
held in alternate years to the Hainan Race.
The Vietnam Race is the longest Category One offshore race in
Asia, a 673nm, predominantly downwind passage to Nha Trang and
recognised as a qualifying race for the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht
Race.
The Rolex Sydney Hobart, which starts on Boxing Day each year,
is one of the world’s great yacht races and although it’s not really
part of the Asian racing calendar, it regularly features a small but
significant participation from yachts and owners in this region.
The 100ft Sun Hung Kai Scallywag, owned by Hong Kong-based
Malaysian Lee Seng Huang and skippered by Australian David
Witt, is among early entries for the 75th Rolex Sydney Hobart, while
Standard Insurance Centennial, Judes Echauz’s Philippines-based
Reichel/Pugh 75, may also compete.
Just as the Rolex Sydney Hobart will celebrate a significant
anniversary, so will Asia’s first major offshore event of 2020, the
biennial Rolex China Sea Race, as it marks its 30th edition since it
was first held in 1962.
Entries are already flowing in for the race, which will start on
April 8 and is typically a blast reach across the South China Sea,
transitioning into the tactically challenging Luzon Hole before a sail
up Subic Bay’s pristine waters to the finish.
Early local entries include Robert Wiest, Victor Kuk and David Ho
who will compete in the race on the TP52 Phoenix for a second time, as
will youngster Gordon Liu and Cowen Chiu on the Sydney 38 Kingsman.
Alive, overall winner of last December’s Rolex Sydney Hobart, won the last 673nm
Hong Kong to Vietnam Race, which this year starts on October 15 and 16First held in 1993, the China Coast Regatta is an all-action event around Hong Kong; the 27th edition will be held from October 11-13SOUTHEAST ASIA’S CLASSIC REGATTAS
The Rolex China Sea Race is traditionally followed by the
Chairman’s Cup Regatta in Subic Bay, one of several events organised
by the Subic Sailing Club.
In February, the club organises the Around Verde Island Passage
Race and the Subic Bay Cup Regatta, both held for the first time last
year to succeed the Subic Bay to Boracay Race and Boracay Cup
Regatta respectively, after the popular tourism destination was closed
to tourists for six months.
Several of Asia’s biggest and oldest events are held in the heart
of the season, starting with the China Cup International Regatta in
Shenzhen (November 6-10). The event was driven by the Beneteau
First 40.7 one-design class and there’s now J/80s and FarEast 28R
sports boats among the many classes. Emirates Team New Zealand
crew have participated in recent years, while other rock stars of sailing
have competed as the regatta hosted the World Match Racing Tour’s
M32 catamaran series.© RHKYC / GUY NOWELL© ANA MARINA