China Coast Regatta Day 1

There were perfect conditions across the race track for Day 1 of the China Coast Regatta with blue skies and a 10 to 15kts north easterly breeze. 28 boats took to the race track, which was located southeast of Hong Kong’s Lamma Island. All IRC racing divisions sailed one windward / leeward and an islands course, with the IRC Premier

Cruising sailing a single island course.

The first race of the day saw many competitors get a feel for the conditions, with sailors tightening up their drops by the end of the race. In the biggest racing fleet of the regatta IRC Racer 1, the sole female skipper - Tiffany Koo - took the win in Race 1 on the King Mills 40, Hero Racing Team.

For Race 2, sailors were sent on 19 to 32nm course depending on their division. Given the wind direction, sending yachts from Yuen Kok in the direction of the Ninepin Islands made for a giant windward / leeward with a few obstacles in the way – islands!

Adding excitement to the race course; Meitatsu Fukumoto / Seng Huang Lee’s ORMA 60 SHK Scallywag FUKU accelerated around the track. Sadly her match racing competition, trimaran Karl Kwok’s MOD Beau Geste 70, could not make the China Coast Regatta due electronics repairs. However, the two boats will battle it out in the Hong Kong to Hainan Race starting next Thursday 18 October.

Tomorrow, yachts will return to Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club’s Middle Island facility for a planned three windward / leeward races for the IRC racing divisions and two islands courses for IRC Premier Cruiser. Also joining racing for the weekend are six more boats from the HKPN division.

Keep up with the latest news on the China Coast Regatta visit: https://www.chinacoastraceweek.com/news