China coast race week

Lindsay Lyons previews this event, taking place at the end of this month

Final preparations are underway for one of the highlights of Hong Kong's sailing calendar, the RHKYC China Coast Race Week, which this year features the Government-supported Panerai Around The Island Race as the final Regatta race.

China Coast Regatta [Friday 31-Oct & Saturday 01-Nov]
Panerai Around The Island Race 2003 [Sunday 02-Nov-03]
Hainan Race [Starts Tuesday 04-Nov-03]

As always, in addition to the sailing, there is a host of social events organised to entertain competitors off the water.

Entries for the Hermes sub-sponsored Race Week are marginally better than last year, with 28 entries in the three Regatta divisions. Interestingly, 50% of last year's entrants are absent this year, however Regatta winners Stella (Fred Kinmonth), Fox in Soxs (Inge Strompf-Jepsen) and Bewitched (Glenn Smith) will all be defending their 2002 titles. Hong Kong's sailing community will also have the opportunity to see how Frank Pong's new Jelik (ex- Pyewacket) fares against the competition in her first CCRW.

Cruiser owners are also strongly committed to this year's Panerai Around The Island Race, which has been dovetailed into the Regatta as the final day's racing. Supported by the Hong Kong Government as part of its relaunch Hong Kong campaign, the race will circumnavigate Hong Kong Island after a hiatus of 10 years during which entrants have been forced to race a restricted course. Class boats and Windsurfers will follow a course to Port, while 40 Cruisers and six large Multihulls will race to Starboard to maximise spectacular photo opportunities in Victoria Harbour for spectators and press.

A number of "big names" will be adding to the cachet of this year's event. Last year's Monohull line honours winner, Pinta Husavik (Adrian McCarroll), will be attempting to repeat her performance over a starboard course, however this time she will enjoy the assistance of the Oracle BMW Racing contingent (Gavin Brady, Jon Gundersen, Sean Clarkson and Jamie Gale). The K-Challenge representatives, (John Cutler, Cameron Dunn, John Ziskind and Romain Trouble), join the first Regatta campaign of Hocux Pocux II under the ownership of Marcel Leidts.

Hong Kong hospitality will also be extended to four Soling Olympic gold medallists, with Dutchmen Valdemar Bandolowski and Eric Hansen joining China Blues II (Helmuth Hennig) and Germans Thomas Flach and Bernd Jakel crewing on Siren (Anthony Day).

Six boats including Ffree Fire (Sam Chan), Jelik and Hocux Pocux II will contest the 355nm downhill dash to Hainan. After her second night dismasting during last year's Hainan Race, 2002 Trans-Tasman winner Siren will be hoping to finish well this year, however, owing to a clash with Raja Muda Regatta dates, last year's overall Race Week winner, Stella, will be conspicuous by her absence.

Entries

IRC Division A (1.095 and above)
Sail No.	Boat Name		Skipper	Design	TCC	Event	Division
HKG 1222	China Blues II		Helmuth Hennig	X442		Regatta	A
HKG 1892	Ffree Fire		Sam Chan	Sled	1.358	Race Week	A
HKG 1945	Heatseeker		Tim Storey	J120	1.097	Regatta	A
IVB 612	Hocux Pocux 2		Marcel Leidts	X612	1.247	Race Week	A
HKG 1978	Jaywalker		Paul Bankowski	Ker 11.3	1.154	Regatta	A
HKG 600	Jelik		Frank Pong			Race Week	A
NZL 8660	Maverick II		Brian Petersen	Elliott 42	1.318	Regatta	A
CAY 8888	Moonblue II		Peter Churchouse	Warwick 64	1.263	Regatta	A
HKG 818	Outrageous		Brian Turner	Dubois 42	1.132	Regatta	A
GBR 8868	Pinta Husavik		Adrian McCarroll	One-off	1.259	Hainan	A
HKG 2018	Polar Star III		T.C.Leung	First 47.7	1.122	Hainan	A
HKG 1985	Shatoosh		Peter Cremers	Warwick	1.168	Regatta	A
HKG 2199	Siren		Anthony Day	Sayer 13	1.185	Race Week	A
HKG 3815	Stella		Fred Kinmonth	Sydney 38	1.11	Regatta	A
IRC Division B (1.094 and below)
Sail No.	Boat Name		Skipper	Design	TCC	Event	Division
HKG2023	Barnstormer		Simon Wood	Beneteau 20.7	1.085	Regatta	B
HKG 1698	Fast Company		John Pyke	J35	1.023	Regatta	B
HKG 1649	Fox in Soxs		Inge Strompf-Jebsen	X99	0.989	Regatta	B
HKG 1616	Gambit		Keith Mowser	Young 8.4	1.032	Regatta	B
HKG 7135	Getafix		Pierre le Pape	X99	0.988	Regatta	B
HKG 1195	Ho Ho Ho		Jeff McClellan	ex-X99	1.057	Regatta	B
HKG 8235	Legende		Ian Wilkinson	J105	1.027	Regatta	B
HKG 1822	Rampage		Denis Ma		1.09	Regatta	B
HKG 1810	Struan		Gault Rice	Sigma 38	0.99	Regatta	B
HKG 2002	Tornado		Y.K.Szeto	Mumm 30	1.088	Regatta	B
HKG 1661		X-Terminator	Bob Vart	X99	0.99	Regatta	B
HKPN Division
Sail No.	Boat Name		Skipper	Design	HKPN	Event	Div
HKG 1850	Bewitched		Glenn Smith	Catalina 42		Regatta	HKPN
HKG 1892	GA		Arthur Ho	Dehler Optima 101		Regatta	HKPN
HKG 1198	Windseeker		John Blay	S&S36		Regatta	HKPN
HKG 649	Xanadu II		Ben Chong	Paterson 37		Regatta	HKPN
HKG 2128	Zephyr 2		Ng Mann Gee			Hainan	HKPN