30th China Coast Regatta Starts 14 Oct

With just two days to go, sailors are gearing up for the first major Big Boat event of the season - the China Coast Regatta. Taking place from 14 to 16 October, 29 boats will cross the start line to compete in what is anticipated to be three days of the most superb sailing conditions that Hong Kong has to offer.

2022 marks the 30th edition of the China Coast Regatta. Based out of the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club’s Middle Island water sports training centre, sailors will compete in a variety of windward/leeward, geometric and island courses in the waters south and east of Hong Kong Island.

The China Coast Regatta was introduced in 1993 by Steve Ellis in an effort to organise a replacement event for the China Coast Cup, which had been broken up by the re-scheduling of the China Sea Race to Easter. This would go on to be held annually during the month of October, an ideal time of year for sailing in Hong Kong due to the onset of the northeast winter monsoon. Ellis planned this event with an ambition to become part of the Asian Circuit along with Raja Muda Regatta and King’s Cup, which it had successfully done along with Singapore Straits Regatta.

The strong 29-boat-fleet range from a 56 foot Bavaria to 31 foot MC31, competing across five divisions: IRC Racer 0,1, 2, 3, and HKPN. The IRC Racer 0 division includes four TP52s: Shawn Kang’s Alpha+, Sam Chan’s FreeFire, Noel Chan’s Rampage88, Robert Wiest / Victor Kuk / David Ho’s Phoenix together with Ker 46’s Zannekin.

Racer 1 this year includes an impressive variety of lightweight new yachts: 2021 division winner, Andrew Taylor will be defending the title with the newly launched Cape 31 Capitano, which made the journey to Hong Kong just in time to compete against strong local contenders - Glenn Smith’s Grand Soleil 44 Wild Card, Eddy Lee’s full carbon Neo Roma 430 Next and Dennis Chien’s Mat 1245 Arcturus+.

Many eyes will be on Stephen Jones and James Verner’s Nightshift (second place of 2021 in the IRC Racer 2 division) racing against Kelvin Au Yeung’s Rampage, Nicolas Cohen-Addad’s Jinn, Carey Jack’s Juggerknot and Carl Law’s Victoria.

IRC Racer 3 comprise of three strong teams including Dexter II helmed by the sole female skipper Meihan Cheung, Admiralty Harbour Whiskey Jack and Juice battling out in the most superb sailing conditions that Hong Kong has to offer.

Eight entries from HKPN class will join the weekend action, there are many recognizable names from recent editions of the regatta such as Carbon 3, Blowers Daughter, Jibulai, Scintila and Lisa Elaine participating in the action.