Hong Kong to Hainan Race at Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club - Start
by RHKYC Media 18 Oct 2012 13:16 BST
18 October 2012
After frantic weeks of training, scrutineering and boat prep, the twelve competitors entered in this year's Hong Kong to Hainan Race gathered early in the typhoon shelter at Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club's Kellett Island headquarters for final preparations, radio checks, and to await Race Officer Simon Boyde's decision on whether there was sufficient breeze to start in Hong Kong's Victoria Harbour.
Boyde was out on the water from 0930hrs, taking wind readings up the harbour and through the notorious Lei Yue Mun gap, where many Hong Kong races have come to a grinding halt. All was good with 12kts north easterly at Shek O Rock and a reasonably solid 6kts through Lei Yue Mun, with 9kts and building at the start line in front of the Club, so a harbour start was on the cards.
To avoid any confusion with Hong Kong's 'Noonday Gun', the warning signal was sounded at 1210hrs with the start at 1220hrs. In a good spread along the line, Jelik V from the Philippines was first away, followed by Singaporean offshore fan Jonathan Mahony on Zanzibar. Ambush got a good start at the committee boat end, while Freefire was forced outside the committee boat by Wicked.
By the time the boats approached Lei Yue Mun gap, Jelik V and Freefire were virtually match racing their way through the channel, with Antipodes and Zanzibar following up. Ambush was at the head of Div 1, ahead of EFG Bank Mandrake. Last through the gap was Koon Woon, the lone HKPN entrant.
At the 1800hrs radio sched, based on the last hour's progress, Yellowbrick tracking was showing Freefire leading on the water and on course to finish at around 1400hrs tomorrow. While technically, as this is the first time the Hainan Race has started in the harbour, whoever wins line honours sets a new record, it would surely be sweet for Sam Chan and the boys to break their existing record of 29h 35m 08s, set in 2005.
Nothing is guaranteed of course, and Jelik V, Antipodes and Zanzibar are breathing right up Freefire's transom and could make gains overnight in the force 5 to 6 forecast by the Hong Kong Observatory. Unfortunately, early in the race, Avant Garde was forced to retire with gear problems and is due back in Hong Kong shortly with all on board safe and well.
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