Spring Regatta

Spring Regatta The BMW Spring Regatta attracted 88 boats – a lucky number in Chinese culture. Across four Big Boat divisions and eight one-design classes which included Dragons, Etchells, Flying Fifteens, Impalas, J/80s, Pandoras, Ruffians and Sportsboats, sailors enjoyed two days of racing on the 10th and 11th of May, in Victoria Harbour. It was the penultimate event in the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club's 2024-25 sailing season.

The first day of the regatta (Saturday) started with very light airs and high humidity. Under overcast skies, the fleet was held ashore for almost an hour in the hope that conditions would improve. But the race management team found a decent 8 to 10 knots of southeasterly in the Hung Hom area and decided to lower the AP at 1255. Big Boat Division 0 started at 1400.

Race officer, Elberti Uiterwaal-Postma, sent the faster boats around Shau Kei Wan before finishing near Kai Tak, while the one-design classes were sailed two to three laps between Tai Koo Shing and Hung Hom. Course distances ranged from 6 to 8.5 nautical miles. After one hour of racing, the wind faded and the one-designs had their course shortened. Boats had to dramatically change tactics in the super light conditions to get a finish.

After racing, the RO summarized what had been a very tough day. "At one point, the wind dropped to zero, and we were thinking of abandoning all racing. But, we thought, let's wait and see. Then the wind came back, luckily, to 3-4 knots and we were able to finish most of them.

" A cold front arrived on Saturday night, bringing a northerly breeze to the start of Day 2.

It was a shifty and unpredictable day as the pressure came over the mountains and into the harbour. It was blocked by the wall of buildings on the Kowloon side, with wind bent in various directions over the racing area. The AP was hoisted ashore at 0900 for 40 minutes to allow the wind to settle.

What little easterly there was soon died at Hung Hom. The AP was raised again on the water. Finally, a northerly filled in as the signal boat moved to North Point. Spectators along the new East Coast Boardwalk were able to enjoy some exciting starts and mark roundings.

Two races were originally planned for the day, with the Big Boat fleets sent on two windward / leewards between Kowloon Bay and North Point, eventually finishing off Hung Hom. Some one-design fleets followed similar routes, with slower fleets rounding Kowloon Bay and Kai Tak marks. However, by the time the big boats finished their first race, the wind Gods had ceased their co-operation, and the race management team hoisted the AP over A to call it a day.

Deputy race officer, Barry Truhol, said: "It was a challenging day for us officials. We started with wind from the north, then from the south, then from the west. We set up for a northerly / northeasterly course but, during the start sequence, there was a massive wind shift. We decided to carry on to get the scheduled races finished on time. I'm not sure everyone appreciated the change of course but, with more than 80 boats taking part, it was difficult to please everyone."

Big Boat Division 0 was made up of five Cape 31s (Capitano, Out of Africa, H30, Tai Chi and Rampage 38) and the Neo Roma 430, Next. In Big Boat Division 1, Team Sanya travelled from Hainan Island to participate in several races organised by the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club, including the Tomes Cup and Nations' Cup.

Tiger Teng said: "We love racing in Hong Kong because we can have a larger number of boats competing altogether. We also enjoy racing in this beautiful harbour. Victoria Harbour is narrow, so the currents are complex. We have to keep clear of commercial traffic, but we love the challenge."

There was some very tight racing, and with only two races to count, results were close with some count-back. In Big Boat Division 0, whilst Out of Africa and Capitano finished tied, on count-back, Out of Africa lifted the trophy, having won the last race. Admiralty Harbour Whiskey Jack and Daydream maintained their leads in Big Boat Divisions 1 and 3 while Kiasu! climbed to 1st place in Division 2.

In the one-design classes, Flying Fifteen Kerfuffle and Pandora Solstice each won their final races, securing their trophies in their respective classes through the count-back system. Dragon Dragonfly, Etchells China Girl, and Impala Pied Piper also rose to 1st places with improved overall performances. The J/80 Invictus, Ruffian Buster and Sportsboat Serendipity each secured two bullets, ensuring their wins.


                                                                                                                   – photos RHKYC / Guy Nowell .