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Blowing a hooley and with 22 boats on the start line, Day 3 of Total Lubmarine China Coast Regatta rounded off a fantastic (not to say exhausting) weekend's sailing in the waters of Hong Kong. The Division D Impalas took one look at the 26 knots and 2m swell and decided to call it a regatta, while Jaywalker and Outrageous came out to the start area for a look-see and decided that lunch at Middle Island was a more attractive option.
The final boat took an hour to finish, after which the AP was raised immediately in preparation for a brisk trip around the Po Toi's. The breeze held to give 20 to 25 knots nearly all the way, softening to 18 knots towards the end of the race. Once again it was the lines of Jelik which came first into view, and she claimed line honours in just under 90 minutes, followed a minute later by Island Fling, who took the race, and the series on handicap. FfreeFire 52 had another great race, claiming 2 x 2nd's for the day.
Division C was a little more predictable, with Men at Work maintaining their high standards and claiming a first on the water but a second on corrected time after a fine performance from Whiskey Jack which gave them their first 1st and also secured second place in series ahead of Dexter.
IRC Division A Series Full results are available at http://www.rhkyc.org.hk/chinacoastraceweek/results08.htm |
Day two of Total Lubmarine China Coast Regatta (North Sails Day) was billed as three windward/ leeward races to take the Regatta total to five. As Race Officer, Inge Strompf-Jepsen reached the start area, it was apparent that the sailors were in for a treat or a challenge, depending which way you viewed the 25 knot North Easterly which greeted them at Lamma Island.
FfreeFire 52, Orient Xpress and Full Metal Jacket were called over, and while they were making their way back to the line, Jelik tried to manoevre between the committee boat and Fortis Mandrake, catching both and losing her bowsprit in the process. To add to their woes, Jelik was disqualified at the subsequent protest, however managed to soldier on through the day and complete the three races.
In Division B, Ambush continued her winning ways, with a double first on race 3, while yesterdays Division C winner, Men at Work ended up retiring as they tried to extricate their keel from their kite. This allowed Dexter to triumph ahead of Whiskey Jack and the smallest boat in the division, Contention 30, Sex Drive, who were definitely punching their weight in spite of the testing conditions. Island Fling enjoyed a perfect day, with three firsts, while Ambush slipped for the first time in the Regatta to third place in race 4. Men at Work came back from their fishing trip to win the double for races 4 and 5, with Whiskey Jack winning the Division C day prize for a consistent display of 2-2-3 for the day. In Division D, Ling Yuan finally dropped a place to Boss Hogg in the final race of the day, but still hold a commanding lead going into the final day. Sunday offers two races, one windward/ leeward and an Islands Course to
round out the Regatta and none of the Division leaders can yet rest easy,
so it should be an entertaining day on the water! Full results are available at http://www.rhkyc.org.hk/chinacoastraceweek/results08.htm |
Total Day 1
It was refreshing, in these straitened times, to see so many new boats, or boats with new owners, on the start line. While missing a few boats from the 35 strong entry list, there was still plenty of action on the water, with all Divisions offering close competition in Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club's (RHKYC) regatta. Race Officer, Inge Strompf-Jepsen opted for combined starts, with IRC Divisions A and B starting a six leg windward / leeward at 1030hrs, and IRC Divisions C and D following with four legs at 1035hrs.
In Division B, the Taylor / Isler owned Mills 41 Ambush performed strongly, in spite of shredding a spinnaker on the second downwind leg, and also took the double. It seemed to be a race for doubles, as Helmuth Hennig's A35, Men at Work and H Wong's Impala, Ling Yuan, repeated the feat in Divisions 3 and 4.
Ling
Yuan rounded out the day with another double, finishing just as the breeze
softened to 7 knots at around 1500hrs and - with only one protest to trouble
the International Jury, an early prizegiving left competitors were free
to relax and think about tomorrow's racing. Crew work will be tested to
the limit with three windward / leewards starting at 1030hrs and a forecast
of stronger conditions. Full results are available at http://www.rhkyc.org.hk/chinacoastraceweek/results08.htm
AsianYachting
Ventures Sdn. Bhd. (Co.
No. 627106-T) |
12th
October 2008
The
hardened sailors, however, relished the conditions and set off, on time,
in 26 knots, gusting to over 30. Race Officer, Inge Strompf-Jepsen, selected
course one for all boats, allowing an upwind finish in preparation for
the final Island's course of the Regatta and allowing Strompf-Jepsen to
shorten Division C. The Objective was a short race, to ensure at least
6 races for the regatta, and the plan worked a treat, with Island Fling
coming in first on the water and on handicap in 34 minutes after Jelik
retired with reefing problems. FfreeFire 52 had one of her best races
of the series, clearly delighted to come in second on the water and only
45 seconds behind Fling on corrected time. 
In
Division B Ambush had a scorcher to claim the double and Men at Work repeated
the feat in Division C, putting both boats in a virtually unassailable
position for the series. 
For
once, in Division B it was not Ambush's race, instead Blauwvoet and Orient
Xpress raced bow to bow to the line, with Blauwvoet taking the race on
the water, and Orient Xpress claiming her first win on corrected time.
This finalized the series with a win for Ambush, Stella in second and
Orient Xpress in third place.
A
fine three day's racing, which featured plenty of wind, plenty of fun
and plenty of rum. What more could a yachtie want?
11th
October 2008
Setting
a six-leg course of 1.6nm for Divisions A and B and a four leg course
for Divisions C and D, Strompf-Jepsen hoped to make the most of the breeze
before a forecast lull in the afternoon, but with 26 knots on the first
start it became obvious that a lack of wind was not going to be a problem.
Elsewhere
the fleets were falling faster than the FTSE, with Impala Moll suffering
rudder damage and Impala 1 deciding that discretion was the better part,
returning to base before they suffered any damage themselves.
Several boats
completed race three, only to retire for the remainder of the day, leaving
26 boats out of 35 on the start line for Race 4. With a slight easterly
shift in wind, and a move of the windward mark, Race 4 got underway on
22 knots. Clearly chastened by the previous start, all classes were clear
at the start and enjoyed a more gentle race, although not without the
usual knocks and scrapes expected in strong breeze.
10th
October 2008
A bright
and breezy day off Lamma Island, to the South of Hong Kong, offered
competitors ideal conditions for the first day of the 2008 Total Lubmarine
China Coast Regatta. While conditions at 0930hrs looked a little soft,
the breeze filled in to a 10 knot North Easterly by the first start,
and further strengthened to 15 knots during the first race of the day.
With
Jelik averaging 18 minutes a lap, it never seemed likely that the
cut-off times would be troubled, and Frank Pong's 75 foot Reichel Pugh
proceeded to take the gun and the handicap honours for Division A, ahead
of Paul Winkelmann's TP52 Island Fling. 
Race
2 was to be an Islands Course, with Strompf-Jepsen sending IRC A and B
combined on a 17nm romp past TCS 2, Beaufort Island and Stanley before
finishing them close to RHKYC's Middle Island base and a chilled beer.
Jelik again led the fleets home in just under 2 hours, however
it was the Burns / Kinmonth owned Farr-Mills 51 Fortis Mandrake
which took first on corrected time around 15 minutes later. 
Ambush
again cleaned up in Division B, just ahead of Rick Strompf's new X41,
Orient Xpress, and in Division C, Men at Work went to work
and secured another double, ahead of Lowell Chang's X99, Dexter
after a 15.5nm course which took in Beaufort and Po Toi Island with no
stop for lunch.