Sun Hung Kai & Co. Hong Kong Race Week’s second day of competition got underway with racing taking place in shifty conditions across three racing areas.
At Po Toi, the racing area was split into two separate windward leeward courses; one to allow the ILCA class to sail on a bigger and longer course and the other for 29er class who prefer shorter races. The day started with 15 to 20kts of easterly breeze and a lumpy sea with big swells; giving promising races for both classes. Each of the classes managed to get races completed in the morning before the wind gradually died near midday, however it filled back in after two hours, allowing for the start of the third race of the day.
There was even more wind at Stanley Bay; the race venue for the Optimist and 2.4mR classes. When Race Officer Inge Strompf-Jepsen first arrived at the racing area, it was gusting up to 23kts - a little over the limit for Optimist Intermediate class - and consideration was given as to whether the fleet should move to Repulse Bay. Eventually though, the wind settled and they remained at Stanley Bay. Here the fleets managed 3 races. However due to the unstable direction of the wind, the last race for the Optimist Main Fleet was abandoned while the other fleets had a shorten course.
The biggest fleet of the regatta is the Optimist Main, with the four top sailors moving up from Optimist Intermediate the Main Fleet totalled 76 sailors. There are four entries from Thailand and one each from Greece and Macau, China. This year we have 21 entries from Mainland China from three sailing clubs, including 14 sailors from Chenjinhao Sailing Club (a sailing training centre set up by world class Chinse sailor Horace Chen), three sailors from China Seal Sailing School and four from Whisper of the Wind Sailing Club. Chinese Taipei Yulan Youth Academy, coached by former 2018 Hong Kong Race Week Laser Radial champion Chiang Hsiu-Chuan, sent in four sailors.
At the end of five races over two days, Emmanouil Anastasios Vomvylas of Greece is sitting very comfortably in the first overall with one bullet today - leading second place Wasawat Puengpradit from Thailand by 17 points. In the Optimist Intermediate fleet, Ethan Kiu from Aberdeen Boat Club moved up to 1st place.
In the 29er class, which incorporates the inaugural 29er Asian Championship, Emily Polson and Tiffany Mak took another two bullets, led the 29er fleet with 4 points ahead of Cameron Law and Christopher Lam.
For ILCA 6 class, Chinese entry Zhaohui Ding kept on his stunning performance, remaining in 1st place, in the ILCA 4 fleet, it’s Isaac Goh from Singapore remaining strong and still leading with 5 points.
23 of the 27 registered young sailors in the Optimist Green Fleet have taken part over the past three days. The Green Fleet sailed in the more sheltered Deep Water Bay area which is a dedicated racecourse allowing organisers to be very flexible and run a s
pecialised training oriented race programme. Sailors are actively encouraged on the racecourse with advice and tips on how to improve their performance so they can move into the main fleets in the coming year. At the end of day 1, Qian’ai Wang from Mainland China taking 1st place.
Principal Race Officer Officer Barry Trohol commented, "it was a challenging day for race management team, a lot of heavy lifting for mark layers but it was a good day.”
17 February 2023
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