HONG KONG—After exciting races in the Lipton Trophy which took place in Victoria Harbour on Saturday Nov. 15, 2014, the second race of the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club’s ‘Top Dog Series’ the Around the Island Race was greeted on Sunday Nov 16 with not even a breath of air.
This pursuit race, the biggest on the Hong Kong yachting calendar had start times from 8.30am until 10am with the slower boats starting ahead of the faster boats, but such were the conditions that it was difficult to see which boats had started and which were waiting for the gun. Boats slowly edged eastwards, but it was not until nearly 10.30am that the breeze started to blow.
It was fantastic to see more than 200 boats heading for Lei Yue Mun Gap and the open sea. By the time the boats reached Cape D'Aguilar there was quite a swell and turning downwind the spinnakers were hoisted producing quite a sight. But after rounding the headland at Stanley the wind dropped off again and Race Officer Inge Strompf-Jepsen decided to shorten the course off Ap Lei Chau, to the south of the Island.
The 2013 Monohull record holder “Jelik” took line honours, with TP52 “FreeFire” second over the line 17 minutes later, but it was the youth team 420 RHKYC ‘Sharks’ sailors Calum Gregor and Wilhelm Christensson placed 1st on ATI corrected time.
The first 10-provisional places with ATI ratings taken into account are Calum Gregor helming a 420, Backe/Day in Etchells “Jezebel” (Sail 1333), followed by 4-Impalas: “Gnu” (Randy), “Impala 1” (Mike Burrell), “Caviar” (Rex Tan) and “Taxi” (Dennis Chien), the next four places were taken by Charlie Manzoni in Etchells “The Answer Is” (938), Marc Castagnet in Dragon “Celines” (1), Mark Yeadon in Etchells “Diva Deux” (1193) and Michael Scantlebury in an F18 “The Black Pig” (317).
The first four Big Boats on corrected time were “Ambush”, followed by “Mojito”, “Stella” and “Electra”.
Lipton Trophy
The top ten places in the Lipton Trophy were taken by Dragon “Celine”, followed by 6-Etchells: “No Name” (Frank van Kempen), “Freelance” (Laurence Mead), “Jezebel” (Backe/Day), “Diva Deux” (Mark Yeadon), “Gunga Din” (Nick Burns) and “Mind the Bumps” (Mark Whitehead), Big Boat “Ambush” (Isler/Taylor), Etchells “Incoming” (Simon Wood) and Dragon, “Maiden Hong Kong” (Frederic Roumier).
Top Dog Leaders
Leaders of the Top Dog Trophy after 2-Races are Etchells, “Jezebel” (6-points); Dragon, “Celines” (9-points) followed by Etchells, “Diva Deux” (14-points).
Next Races
The Hebe Have Winter Saturday Series continues this Saturday Nov. 20, 2014.
