Top Dog Trophy Series 2011-2012
In spite of unseasonally chilly weather in Hong Kong, 62 boats lined up to contest the Skandia HKRNVR Memorial Vase, which commemorates the volunteer sailors who patrolled Hong Kong’s waters in days gone by. Race Officer, Gareth Williams, took a squint at conditions before the race, and given a light and shifty breeze, opted for Course 1, sending the fleet out through Lei Yue Mun gap and around TCS 4 before returning to Victoria Harbour for a shortened course finish at Dock Buoy.
By the turning mark, the Flying Fifteen fleet had overtaken Pandora and Ruffian classes to take a lead which they successfully defended until the finish at 1624hrs, where they took a 1,2,3. The Big Boats were in hot pursuit the whole way, with Ambush following them across the line only a minute off the podium.
The Skandia HKRNVR Memorial Vase was the final pursuit race in the 2011-2012 Top Dog Trophy Series, and after a protest over the location of the finish line, the final results showed this year’s Top Dog, and recipient of a fabulous 7-day bareboat charter presented by SunSail, to be the Mills 41 Ambush, co-owned by Joachim Isler and Drew Taylor, with Howard Williams on Flying Fifteen Tchaikoffsky in second, and Nick Burns on Etchells Gunga Din in third place overall. A bad day at the office saw ingoing leader Red Kite II pushed back to fifth place behind Etchells Swedish Blue.
A packed prizegiving on RHKYC Main Lawn saw the winners presented with jade coin jewellery by Official Luxury Jeweller SENZANOME, while those assembled enjoyed the hospitality of Veuve Cliquot champagne. The Club also thanked their other partners, Art Futures Group, PRESTIGE Magazine and Luxury Insider.com for their support.
Skandia HKRNVR Memorial Vase
Boat Name Helm Class
Tchaikoffsky Howard Williams FF15 1st
Kerfuffle Carlyon Knight-Evans FF15 2nd
Ffolly Martin / Matthew FF15 3rd
Ambush Joachim Isler / Drew Taylor IRC 1st Big Boat
Tomffoolery Tom Sheppard FF15 1st Day Boat
Footloose Henry Wong J/80 1st Inshore Keelboat
Top Dog Trophy Series – Top 10
Boat Name Helm Class Points Place
Ambush Joachim Isler / Drew Taylor IRC 28.20 1
Tchaikoffsky Howard Williams FF15 28.80 2
Gunga Din Nick Burns Etchells 28.98 3
Swedish Blue Razmilovic / Backe Etchells 33.71 4
Red Kite II Anthony Root IRC 38.57 5
French Fries Takada Akira FF15 42.89 6
Wicked Tristan Stewart IRC 43.58 7
Rainbow Chaser Wilcox Tam Impala 60.60 8
Footloose Henry Wong J/80 63.78 9
Impala 1 Mike Burrell Impala 64.23 10