|
Round the Island
After being postponed due to Tropical Cyclone Trami on Saturday, the 26th of October last year, the Sun Hung Kai & Co Around the Island Race 2024, a 26-nautical-mile circumnavigation of Hong Kong Island, took place on Saturday, the 18th of January 2025, in picture-perfect conditions. An impressive entry list of 227 boats competed in this year's event, which is Hong Kong's biggest annual celebration of sail.
The Round the Island Race is a 'must-do' for all local sailors. More than 100 big boats from all the territory's sailing clubs competed, and other entries ranged from single-handed dinghies, 29ers, 49ers, seven one-design classes, sportsboats, catamarans, to 50-foot-plus cruising yachts. Korean sailor Hojun Song, who participated in the Rolex China Sea Race 2024, brought his boat, Random(), back to Hong Kong just to take part in this iconic race.
Given the sheer number of boats, race officer Dave Norton set two start lines off the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club's Kellett Island clubhouse, with the closest line used for starting the one-design boats and the outside line for PHS, IRC, and Hobie 16 divisions.
This year's Round the Island marks 160 years since the first race to circumnavigate Hong Kong Island was held, which featured a mere six entries. Sailors have since regarded this route as a challenge with unpredictable wind shifts and strong tides.
|
|
|
The Round the Island Race became an annual event with multi-class entries in 1983; however, between 1994 and 2002, it took on a different form due to traffic restrictions and heavy congestion in the Central Fairway of Victoria Harbour. The start was at Kellett Island, and the course was around the east of Hong Kong Island to Bluff Head, returning to finish at Kellett Island.
In 2003, as one of the initiatives to reinvigorate post-SARS Hong Kong, the Marine Department approved a 26nm circumnavigation of Hong Kong Island, allowing for a full circumnavigation if there was sufficient breeze. The event was also renamed the Around the Island Race.
The first start was at 0830, with the Pandoras, dinghies, and PHS monohulls setting off in an easterly breeze of around 2-3 knots. The last division to set off was the fast fleet, comprising three TP52s, at 1100. In all, there were 21 starts. The wind was rather light in the harbour, causing the fleet to squeeze through Lei Yue Mun slowly. Several Sportsboats and Etchells led the fleet out of the gap and were the first boats to round Cape d'Aguilar.
Once the fleet sailed out of the harbour, they were greeted by 10-12 knots of breeze at Shek O and Stanley, allowing them to hoist their spinnakers going downwind, creating a colourful sight with hundreds of kites spanning the horizon. Two 49ers surged ahead in the ideal conditions, taking the lead.
|
|
|
Although the wind softened to around 2-3 knots at Cyberport, causing a short period of 'doldrums', it was still enough to keep most of the classes and divisions on course for a full circumnavigation. At this point too, the three TP52s started to take over the majority of the boats. At the western side of the harbour, sailors came back to Kellett Island having had a satisfying reach rather than a frustrating beat against the tide and current.
In the end, Casey Law's 49er, Peppa, was the first boat to cross the finish line at 1412. Noel Chan's TP52, Rampage 88, finished 22 minutes behind, taking the overall win for the third consecutive year. Another TP52, Sam Chan's FreeFire, took 2nd place overall, with William Liu's Seawolf in 3rd.
In the PHS division, results were counted at Cyberport gate. Raymond Yip's Harpseal was the overall winner, Raymond Wu's Tornado took 2nd place, and Wing Hung Ng's No One Else, 3rd overall.
Deputy race officer, Inge Strompf, summed up the conditions: "The day was full of surprises. It started slowly, as some groups were starting together at the same time due to not enough wind. The race management team had been talking about whether we should shorten the course and where to shorten it. Race Officer Dave Norton agreed with her sentiments: "There wasn't a hole at Cyberport like there normally is, making the full circumnavigation possible. The tide was either with them or it was neutral, so they had an easier second half of the race. It was actually a much better race, and even though we started slow, we saved a lot at the end. According to the great atmosphere in the Club, I think everybody enjoyed themselves."
|
|