Chinese learn match racing

Alistair Skinner reports from the China Club Challenge Match

Match Racing came alive on the waters off Wu Yuan Bay in Xiamen today during the finals to select the challenger for the China Club Challenge Match.

The second day of racing saw a much improved performance due in no small part, I am sure, from the coaching of International Umpire Nev Wittey the day before.

Race 1 and 2 saw penalties handed out for start line incidents, one against SBYC for not keeping up just after the gun with both boats on port at the pin end and Wu Yuan bay SC pushing hard. The other saw SBYC to leeward of a stalled out Wu Yan who couldn’t prevent their boat drifting down on them. Honour equal in both start line penalties and also races 1-1.

The event really lit up in race 3 when with the Yu Yuan team a little eager and into the box a few boat lengths early. They didn’t allow this to cramp their starting style and went after SBYC and started clearly ahead, albeit carrying a penalty. They generally sailed better choices than their opponents from up the coast and built themselves enough time to comfortably unwind their penalty although they were aided in this task when SBYC went fishing with their spinnaker. The Score 2-1 in Wu Yuan’s favour.

In the 4th race honours on the start line again went in favour of the local team, nothing about knowing the boat or the waters better, they simply out-maneuvered their opponents although both missed killer blow opportunities.

The committee boat was used as an obstruction at one point, moments later boats were pirouetting like a couple in a square dance getting more and more down speed and finally Wu Yuan headed for the line with a boat length advantage.

Teams threw themselves at each other up the first beat with about 4 or 5 crosses or bounce offs up towards the weather mark with honours being even and distances not changing much.

This race hinged rather on one thing, SBYC the whole event had consistently sailed very deep downwind, too deep as the boats approached each other with Wu Yuan a little behind, spinnaker powered up while the SBYC kite flopped and shook, clearly not drawing as hard as it should in the prevailing conditions.

The SBYC spinnaker (windward) touched the Wu Yuan rig and SBYC raised the flag. SBYC obviously assumed they were luffing. However the opposite was true, Wu Yuan were sailing their proper course and SBYC were clearly sailing below theirs as eveidenced by the floppy kite.

Score 3-1 to Wu Yuan Bay SC who move forward tomorrow as Challengers to the holders of the China Club Challenge Match, Hansheng yachts.

For my part, I had a blast - and learned a lot - as assistant umpire along with Li Li for the whole day alongside Nev Wittey. His experience is vast and his knowledge and fairness excellent and it was noticeable that after each race he took the time and trouble to inform each yacht of the reasons for the penalties.

The evening following racing the competitors received the benefit of Nev Wittey’s observations of the video footage shot through the day. As Nev has more than the odd world championship win and America’s Cup experience it was, as far as I was concerned a must see item. Questions were asked, fielded and fully explained through Li Li’s translation skills and everyone felt the evening a more than worthwhile investment of their time.

Sunday dawned with wonderfully clear visibility and a wind that initially had one boat reefing and the other with equipment problems. It was decided to return both boats to Wu Wan Bay and replacements made ready.

In the final Wu Wan Yan really took it to the holders and defenders of the trophy giving some exciting prestart action. WU Wan Bay SC led off the start line in each of the first three races and although holders Hansheng often had superior basic speed they spent too much time in dirty air before tacking off in each of the first windward legs giving the challengers the luxury of unimpeded hoists at each windward rounding and the holders could never get back from such a deficit.

While it may not have been the America’s Cup, the observations of some that it wasn’t much of a match race shows a lack of understanding of how far this event has come in just 3 short years.

3 years ago it was a challenge in beat up J24’s between Iron Rock SC(Xiamen) and Zhuhai with club officials and this year there being 15 challengers, and of course the defender taking part with standards dramatically increased.

Many factors have assisted in this development.

Firstly Rick Qu, president of Iron Rock has been tireless in his efforts to grow the event. He has gathered round him some good and enthusiastic people. The infrastructure has been put in place, a first quality PRO and race management team and for this year’s finals an International Umpire in the shape of Nev Wittey has taken the event through the sound barrier.

Next year the event should be even better – and probably bigger. China is slowly – but surely – coming of age in sailing terms.