Thursday, March 28, 2024
A refreshing breeze of 10 to 12 knots from the north-east provided an exciting start to the 2024 Rolex China Sea Race, hosted by the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club. All 21 boats began the race smoothly at 1120hrs, against the stunning backdrop of Hong Kong Victoria Harbour.
Before the race, the fleet gathered at RHKYC’s Kellett Island Clubhouse, where a traditional lion dance wished the competitors a safe journey across the challenging South China Sea.
In the competitive IRC Racer 0 Class, three top contenders, R/P 75 Standard Insurance Centennial V and two TP52s, Happy Go and Standard Insurance Centennial III, had a close contest at the start line. Nie Hua’s Happy Go took an early lead, but was overtaken by the larger Standard Insurance Centennial V near Kai Tak.
Leading the pack through the narrow passage of Lei Yue Mun Gap was R/P 75 Standard Insurance Centennial V, helmed by two-time China Sea Race Overall winner Ernesto Echauz, followed closely by TP52s Happy Go and Standard Insurance Centennial III.
As the fleet left the harbor, they encountered significant swells up to 2.5 meters, leading to the early retirement of Zoe.
Among the six international entries, two Filipino boats showed strong performance, while mainland China’s Seawolf and Tong Ran, along with the first-ever entries from Chinese Taipei and Korea, showed promise in the early stages of the race.
By 1600hrs, Happy Go maintained its lead, cruising at approximately 8.6 knots, closely followed by the two Standard Insurance team boats, Centennial V and Centennial III.
Competitors are anticipating a southerly airstream filling in by Thursday, requiring an upwind beat towards the Philippines as they embark on their 565-nautical-mile journey to Subic Bay across the South China Sea.
This year marks the 62nd anniversary of the prestigious blue-water classic, organized by the esteemed Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club in partnership with Rolex, the event’s title sponsor since 2008.
The Rolex China Sea Race awards include the coveted Rolex China Sea Race Trophy for the IRC Overall winner on corrected time and the Sunday Telegraph Trophy for the first vessel to cross the finish line in actual elapsed time. Additionally, a Rolex timepiece awaits the first boat under IRC Overall handicap and the first Monohull Line Honors winner.
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