San Fernando race underway

Lindsay Lyons reports from the Hong Kong start

The 2005 San Fernando Race, supported by CB Richard Ellis, started at 1200hrs today, all 25 competitors reporting to the Junk Bay start line near Shek O Rock.

With 10-14 knots northerly breeze, Race Officer Mr Ronnie McCracken elected to forgo the laying of a windward mark, stating that the day offered "perfect sailing conditions for a downwind start". With sunshine breaking through, Fred Kinmonth’s Farr/Mills 51 Mandrake made best use of the start, taking the pin end and immediately claiming position at the front of the fleet.

Other favourites for the SCMP Line Honours Trophy were not so lucky. Sam Chan’s monohull record holder, Ffree Fire, allowed herself to get boxed in by the smaller boats at the middle of the line and Robert Knight’s DK52, Drumstick, stayed clear of the melee, making a circumspect start at the Committee Boat end.

McCracken observed "apart from one boat, the fleet was well behaved with most boats about a boat length from the line at the gun". Dr LEE Kai Hung’s Koon Woon was the guilty boat, struggling against self-weight and the ebbing tide to get back across the line after being called OCS.

The first position report from competitors will be transmitted at 1803hrs (Hong Kong time) and providing the forecast force 4-5 winds materialise, the fleet should have started stringing out along the rhumb line to the Philippines.

Positions:

Boat Name	DFS	DTF	Av boat speed	ETA
Mandrake	60	422	10	42.2
Ffree Fire	59	423	9.8	43.02
Siren	54	428	9	47.56
Moonblue	51	431	8.5	50.71
Jaywalker	50	432	8.3	51.84
Hocux Pocux 2	49	432	8.2	52.9
Shahtoosh	48	433	8	54.13
Ocean Girl	45	436	7.5	58.13
Outrageous	45	436	7.5	58.13
Polar Star III	45	436	7.5	58.13
Zephyr 2	43	438	7.2	61.12
Barnstormer	42	439	7	62.71
Drumstick	42	440	7	62.86
Wizard	42	439	7	62.71
Cave Canem	39	443	6.5	68.15
The Farr Side	39	443	6.5	68.15
Soko	38	444	6.3	70.11
Tui Tai	38	443	6.3	69.95
Escapade	36	445	6	74.17
Irmgard	36	445	6	74.17
Dolphin Six	33	449	5.5	81.64
Trilogy HK	33	448	5.5	81.45
Koon Woon	28	453	4.7	97.07
Quest	No Report
Zuma	No Report