50 years after the inaugural China Sea Race took place, the 2012 Rolex China Sea Race started at 1220hrs today in front of Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club in Hong Kong’s iconic Victoria Harbour.
Race Officer Jimmy Farquhar was on the water from 0900hrs, looking for breeze. In spite of a quiet patch at Lei Yue Mun gap, the gateway to the eastern approaches, Farquhar rewarded the crowds lining the balcony at Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club and Shau Kei Wan waterfront with a Club start.
In 14 knots of swinging easterly, Farquhar sounded the warning signal on schedule, and the 26-strong fleet started jockeying for position on the line. Geoff Hill’s Dubois 90, Genuine Risk, dipped the line 30 seconds before the gun to avoid an OCS call, with Sam Chan’s TP52 Freefire only just making it back for the start.
Simon Powell’s A40, Sell Side Dream got a great start, however it was only seconds before Genuine Risk, with her instantly recognizable rig, claimed her spot at the head of the fleet to lead it out of the Harbour, followed closely by defending champion, Hi Fi.
Many competitors cite the ‘holes’ approaching the Philippine coast as one of the major challenges in the Race, but were probably not expecting to get some practice in only half and hour after the start, as the leading boats hit a hole off Chai Wan which then spread west into Lei Yue Mun to slow down the back half of the fleet.