China Coast Regatta 2026 – Day 1

The Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club's premier big boat event, the China Coast Regatta, got underway today with an excellent opening day of racing on Hong Kong's southern waters. A moderate easterly breeze, typical of Hong Kong's autumn sailing season, provided favourable racing conditions for the fleet gathered off Lamma Island, delivering tactical and closely contested racing across all divisions.

Now in its 34th edition, China Coast Regatta continues to attract some of the region's most competitive big boat racing teams. This year's fleet features an impressive mix of TP52s, Cape 31s, performance cruiser-racers and offshore yachts, with sailors from Hong Kong and overseas competing across the IRC divisions.

Race Officer Inge Strompf-Jepsen and her race management team made full use of the steady breeze throughout the day. Racing began with one windward/leeward race for IRC Racer and PHS, providing a thorough test of tactics and boat handling. In a fresh 15 to18kts easterly breeze, gusting up to 20kts, several boats suffered technical problems and retired from the first race. Competitors were then sent on a series of island courses around Hong Kong's spectacular southern islands. The varied courses rewarded both boat speed and strategic decision-making, with crews constantly evaluating wind shifts, tides and differences in pressure across the racecourse.

The competitive nature of the regatta was immediately evident as several divisions produced close corrected-time finishes that left little room for error. In IRC Racer 0, the fleet of high-performance grand prix yachts delivered an exciting spectacle. After two races, three boats were tied on five points. Sam Chan’s TP52 FreeFire held the division lead after taking a bullet in the first race, followed by Nie Hua’s TP52 Happy Go and William Liu’s Seawolf.

The racing was equally competitive in IRC Racer 1, where a strong group of experienced teams demonstrated excellent boat handling and tactical awareness. Consistency proved critical as crews sought to avoid costly mistakes while capitalising on the favourable conditions. Nick Burns claimed two bullets aboard Witchcraft to top the leaderboard. The Cape 31 Capitano, owned by Denis Martinet and Drew Taylor, followed in second, with David Kong’s Cape 31 Out of Africa in third.

IRC Racer 2 once again showcased the close competition that has become synonymous with the division, with the fleet remaining tightly packed around the racecourse throughout the day. Every manoeuvre and tactical decision carried significant weight as teams fought for early regatta momentum. Nick Southward’s J/109 Admiralty Harbour Whiskey Jack led Andy Pidden’s J/99 Juice by one point, followed by the Singaporean entry Jolt, a J/99 owned by Yi Min Lee.

The IRC Premier Division took on two island courses that tested endurance, navigation and strategic planning. With plenty of opportunities for gains and losses around Hong Kong's offshore islands, competitors enjoyed a challenging and rewarding day on the water.  Windflower, helmed by Yun Ye, leads the division, followed by Franco Cutrupia’s Fenice in second and Thomas Wong’s DBX2 in third.

The long Chung Yeung Festival holiday allows the PHS Division to join all three days of racing this year. With five entries, the fleet demonstrates strong participation and depth, and the closely matched boats are expected to produce competitive racing throughout the regatta. Richard Bulgin’s Rising Sun took two bullets to remain at the top of the division, followed by Dean Chisholm’s Darling and Zeng Hu’s TT.

Reflecting on the opening day, Race Officer Inge Strompf-Jepsen commented: " The weather was amazing and it was a sailor’s delight, with steady winds averaging 16 to 17kts. We set a 1.6nm leg to balance race times across the divisions, then chose a safer island course after several boats sustained some damage and retired. So I thought that leaves it free for tomorrow so we can do three windward-leeward course and a longer island course for IRC Premier. "

The day concluded with a legendary Mount Gay party on the Middle Island hardstanding, bringing sailors together to celebrate the thrilling racing.

With two more days remaining, the stage is set for an exciting weekend as teams battle for overall honours at Hong Kong's premier big boat regatta.