HONG KONG—The approach of Typhoon Maysak to the eastern shores of the Philippine archipelago upset the traditional, Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club organized, Easter race to the Philippines. Instead a shorter (approx 330nm) offshore race was organized, navigating four marks in the North China Sea and returning back to Hong Kong. This year (2015) should have been the biennial 480nm San Fernando race which alternates annually with the 565nm China Sea Race to Subic Bay.
From its inauguration in 1977 apart from 2003 when it was cancelled due to the SARS epidemic, this is the first time the San Fernando race has been disrupted. A total of 24 boats registered for the race but because of the revised routing 8-boats withdrew leaving 16 boats to contest the race.
The race started from Victoria Harbour at the scheduled time of 1:20pm local Hong Kong time on Wednesday April 1. Ray Roberts’ “OneSails Racing” was quickest off the line and the first to leave Lei Yue Mun gap for the open sea after choosing a better line from the start line in light wind condition. After the rest of the fleet found some moving air, Geoff Hill’s “Antipodes”, “Ambush”, “Xena”, “Moonblue 2”, “Explorer”, “Redeye”, “Avant Garde”, “Aya”, “Whiskey Jack” and others left the harbour for the open sea.
After completing the zig, zag course’s around 4 virtual Marks and retuning to Victoria Harbour, “Antipodes” took line honours in 42:47:01, followed by “OneSails Racing” (just 21 minutes later), and the new Mills 41, “Ambush”, 6-hours after. “Xena” came next followed by “Redeye”, “Whiskey Jack” and “Sea Monkey”.
On corrected time “OneSales Racing” took first place overall and was declared the overall winner, from “Antipodes”, followed by “Ambush”, “Xena” and “Whiskey Jack”.
Class winners were “OneSails Racing” (IRC-0), “Ambush” (IRC-1), “Whiskey Jack” (IRC-2), “Xena” (Premier Cruising Class) and “Ex-Libris” although behind “Crystal” on the water by 6-hours finished top of the Cruising Class.
