Summer 3

Race officer, Alex Johnston, had the line laid and windward mark in place south of Middle Island by 1000. At 1015, he welcomed 18 boats and crews to Race 3 of the Aberdeen Boat Club's Summer Series 2024. Five minutes later the orange flag was raised and, at 1025, the two IRC divisions went into their starting mode.

To say the Summer Series is not competitive misses the point as, whenever there are two or more boats going in the same direction to the same place, no yachtsman or woman can resist pitting their skills against the other boat. Rivalry is a natural part of yachting.

And while the seven-race Summer Series is designed to take you to different locations 'to experience all the fresh seafood Hong Kong has to offer', there is no getting away from the inevitably competitive nature of the club's summer keelboat racing programme.

The windward mark was laid at 220o, and 0.4 nautical miles distant. Johnston, together with assistant race officer Jennifer Li, chose Course 37 (L) for the faster boats. This would cover 13 nautical miles and take in Bluff Head Light, Fury Rocks, Tung Lung Chau and Steep Island to port, and cover approximately 13 nautical miles.

For the 12 PHS A & B boats, Course 37 (S) was basically the same but did not include Fury Rocks or sailing around the outside of Shelter Island, staying inshore to the east of the picturesque Clearwater Bay Golf Course. Distance – 11.6 nautical miles.

"Any problems," said Johnston, "use Ch.72 to the committee boat and ABC 14 will be sent to help you. See you all in Po Toi O for lunch."

At 1030, the starting gun was fired and six IRC boats got away in a clean start. All good.

Then, at 1035, half the PHS boats had crossed the line when 'Pop!'. Then, a split second later, 'Bang!' as Five O One hit the boarding platform of Shun Fung, the committee boat, at right angles.

The 'pop' was the bursting marker buoy tied to the transom of Shun Fung and the 'bang' was the bow of Five O One hitting the boarding platform. Fortunately, the bow of the big Beneteau missed two media members standing on the aft deck of Shun Fung but the committee boat's awning frame was twisted and the venerable Cheoy Lee's steering affected by the impact.

Having extricated itself, Five O One continued to race and finished, last but not least, two hours later.

Shun Fung, after the delay, set off at speed to reach Clearwater Bay before the IRC frontrunners – Tai Chi, Redeye and Zesst – finished their course. It was on station at 1150 and the support staff had just prepared the 'dual division' finish line before, from behind Steep Island, Tai Chi came storming in to claim overall line handicap honours at 12:02:33.

By this time, the breeze had built to 14-16 knots and boats were finishing in quick succession. In 2nd place, IRC 1, came the J/145, Redeye. In IRC 2, Henning Mueller's Zesst took the honours ahead of 2 Easy and Sunny Leung's Manbude.

The PHS A division was won by Pascal Martin's Skywalker. Jahoo! (day entry) came 2nd on handicap and Mike Cowell's Sea Eagle, with its striking yellow kite, placed 3rd. Rising Sun placed 1st in PHS B ahead of Arthur Cheng's Boss and Fukushima Kunihiro's Water Rabbit in 3rd.

For those who stayed on, a prize-giving was held at the Fat Kee Restaurant in Po Toi O. The next race in the series will be held on Sunday, the 14th of July 2024.