Spring Regatta

The Volvo Spring Regatta 2026 was held over the weekend of the 9th and 10th of May. The event filled Victoria Harbour with colourful sails while competitors were treated to two very different conditions for racing.

Some 450 sailors, ranging from enthusiastic amateurs to seasoned campaigners, did battle in 95 boats, representing three Big Boat divisions and eight one-design classes. These included J/80s, Sportsboats, Etchells, Impalas, Flying Fifteens, Dragons, Ruffians and Pandoras.

Competition got underway on Saturday afternoon off the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club’s Kellett Island base, with 10 clean starts. Incidentally, to manage marine traffic and ensure safe separation from an outgoing cruise ship during the regatta, an additional set of courses was published the day before the first day of racing.

Big Boat Division 1 was first away at 1351 in 10 to 12 knots of easterly breeze, and gusts of up to 16 knots, followed by Big Boat Division 2. These fleets were sent on a 9.3-nautical-milem course, sailing toward the Kowloon Bay mark and TCS4 off Junk Bay, looping back around Kowloon Bay before finishing off Kai Tak.

The remaining classes raced on courses inside the harbour, sailing distances ranging from approximately 7.7 to 10.3 nautical miles. These courses featured beats toward Hung Hom, Kowloon Bay, and Kwun Tong, with finishes either off Kai Tak or directly in front of Kellett Island. Spectators along the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront and at the clubhouse were treated to some exciting, close-quarters racing, particularly at the Cable mark roundings and during tight finishes off the club, making it a fast and engaging day on the water.

Sailors returned on Sunday for Day 2 of the regatta, hoping for more of the same conditions. While wind was present, it proved to be a light-airs day, testing competitors’ ability to keep their boats moving.

Race officer, Barry Truhol, started the first race of the day in the Hung Hom area, with an easterly breeze of 3 to 6 knots. Fleets were sent on harbour-based windward / leewards of 1.5 to 2 laps, each with a target race time of one hour. The upwind marks were set off Tai Koo Shing or Shau Kei Wan, with finishes at Hung Hom or Kowloon Bay. Despite the light conditions, racing remained close and competitive, with tight margins across all classes.

Fortunately, the breeze held long enough for race management to complete a second race, allowing the regatta to conclude with a full and rewarding programme.

Said Truhol: “The wind was very light on Day 2, but at least we were able to start from our usual location off North Hung Hom. We set the courses expecting around 6 knots of breeze. The wind in the first race was particularly light at times, dropping to as little as 3 knots, but we had set shorter courses, which allowed boats to finish in around an hour.

“For the second race, with Mother’s Day in mind, we targeted a slightly longer race time of about an hour and a half. Boats finished in approximately an hour and 10 to 15 minutes, allowing everyone to return to shore early for the prize-giving and, hopefully enjoy the rest of Mother’s Day.”

The Big Boat classes gathered the most competitive fleet and were divided into three divisions according to their rating and size. After three races, the Cape 31, Tai Chi, climbed to 1st overall in Division 1, Daydream maintained a firm hold on the lead in Division 2, and Manbude, with two bullets on Day 2, secured victory in Division 3.

In the one-design classes, Etchells, Racer Smithy, Flying Fifteen, Fei Faan, Impala, Boss Hogg, J/80, Footloose, Ruffian, Buster and Sportsboat, Serendipity, emerged victorious, lifting trophies in their respective fleets. Dragon, Eaux Vives, and Pandora, Windfall, also impressed, posting two bullets and one bullet respectively on Day 2 to climb significantly up the overall standings.