International entries flow in for Hong Kong to Vietnam Race 2023

With 50 days to go, international entries from three countries mark the first signups for the 10th edition of the Hong Kong to Vietnam Race; a 673nm predominantly downwind run to Nha Trang , Vietnam. Racing kicks off on 24 and 25 October 2023 on Victoria Harbour in front of Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club’s main Clubhouse at Kellett Island.

The Category 1 Offshore race is known for its windy and warm weather sailing conditions and is run under the auspices of Royal Ocean Racing Club. Racing finishes in Nha Trang which boasts many family-friendly resorts.

The first entries hail from Italy, Philippines and the United States. Among them for the first time are two boats from the Standard Insurance Centennial team. Ernesto Echauz’s Reichel Pugh 75 Standard Insurance Centennial 5 which took Line Honours in the Rolex China Sea Race earlier this year, is testing their offshore ability together with teammates on board TP52 Standard Insurance Centennial 3 helmed by Emerson Villena making their first appearance in the Hong Kong to Vietnam Race.

Italian Maserati Multi70 skipped by Giovanni Soldini is back for their second edition of the Hong Kong to Vietnam Race. After narrowly missed the oceanic match race against another Hong Kong trimaran, Orma 60 SHK Scallywag Fuku, Maserati Multi70 took Multihull Line Honours in the 2023 RORC Transatlantic Race and is set to challenge the multihull speed record.

Also to be watched is American Jim Murray with his Pac52 Callisto. Callisto has extensive offshore racing experience in America and just took 2nd place in the RORC Caribbean 600 IRC 0 division. The Hong Kong to Vietnam Race will be their first Asian offshore race.

The Hong Kong to Vietnam Race was first run in 1996 and since 2004 has been held biennially and this year returns after a three-year hiatus after the pandemic. It is recognised as a qualifying race for the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race and as the longest Category One offshore race in Asia. Meitatsu Fukumoto and Seng Huang Lee’s SHK Scallywag Fuku set a new Multihull Race Record of 30h 09m 27s in 2019. The current Monohull Race Record of 41h 30m 20s was also set in 2019 by Lucky, a US based J/V Maxi 72 skippered by Bryon Ehrhart.