Race 11 and 12 of the HHYC North Sails Saturday Series took place over the weekend with Russ Parker kindly giving the HHYC race team a hand on the committee boat. With 30 seconds to the start of the first race the wind shifted 30 degrees right and the race committee hoisted the AP and reset the course accordingly. When the course had been reset and the racing got under way it was the boats that started in clear air and were able to get to the left hand side of the course in pressure that had an advantage. At the top mark Fly By Wire rounded first followed by Longtze Belle, Catch 22, Merlin, R2B2, Monsoon and Good Vibrations. R2B2 was once again trying their new kite; however it did not prove any quicker as they were not able to make up any places down hill. On the next upwind beat Merlin was able to use the shifty conditions to their advantage and they were fighting FBW for the top spot at the windward mark, however it was too little too late and at the end of the race FBW had done enough to hold them off across the finish line. In 3rd was LB followed by Catch, R2, GV and Monsoon.

The conditions for the 2nd race of the day were still shifty and at the gun it was the boats on the pin end that had an advantage on port tack. Going up the beat it was a case of staying in the pressure but also being on the right side of the gusts. Merlin and Catch both did a good job up the beat and were close around the top mark followed by LB, FBW, R2 did a good job of hitting the mark which allowed Monsoon through when they did their turns and GV. At the bottom mark the wind had once again shifted and it gave Russ another good opportunity to show the race team what to do in these circumstances, with a new windward mark set there was still ground to be made up. Merlin managed to stay ahead of the fleet and R2 had caught up some ground to go around the top mark with LB and Catch followed by FBW then Monsoon and GV. LB gybed off early on the run to find an advantage on the left hand side of the run and R2 gybed on Merlin’s line and Catch stayed on a bit longer. Coming in to the finish Merlin was clear ahead, however, FBW had soaked in to a position where they were able to threaten R2 and both Catch and LB had found pressure and had closed in on the 2^nd place boat. At the finish R2 managed to cross the line 3 secs ahead of Catch, who was 4 secs ahead of LB who was in turn 2 secs ahead of FBW. Further back there was a close finish with Monsoon crossing 4 seconds ahead of GV so some very close racing for the whole fleet! Full results are here.

Next weekend is the end of the Typhoon Series with sailing on SATURDAY and a start time of 14:30, so different to the normal format for this series! As always there is the prizegiving at HHYC afterwards with the usual Shenanigans!! The long range forecast is looking like the weather could be alright so it will be great to see as many people there on the race course and for the party as possible.

With the potential for 2 typhoons to affect boating conditions at the weekend HHYC posted an L notice to change the format of the weekend’s racing. At 6PM on Friday the club announced that they were going to change the racing from the annual pilgrimage to Wong Shek Pier to 2 Races on Saturday with a prize giving, BBQ and party at HHYC.

On Saturday morning the wind was building out of the West and by the first start it had built up to a promising 10 knots with some bigger puffs coming down the course. On the first start some of the SBR boats were caught out by the bigger boats with BM being shut out at the committee boat and R2B2 buried behind rows of boats. Going up the beat it was the left hand side of the course that paid with a big left hand shift and at the top mark R2B2 just managed to jump in front of Merlin followed by Sidewinder, Exocet, Longtze Belle and Black Magic. R2 gybed off and managed to find pressure on the left hand side of the course to extend their lead but going around the bottom mark, but as they were getting their kite down it got caught around the back of the jib and the batten tore 10 feet of the tape from the back of the sail. This allowed some of the other boats to catch up and going upwind most of the boats headed up the left hand side to look for the left hand shift again. R2 managed to hold off Merlin and they arrived at the top mark in a building breeze to blow them down the course. With R2 gybing to cover Merlin, Exocet followed and the 3 boats were able to hook in to the breeze and have a blast to the finish. R2’s kite managed to hold together long enough to cross the line first followed by Merlin, Exocet, Sidewinder, Exocet, Longtze Belle and Black Magic.

Between races there was some banter with the race officer as to whether we would do another geometric course inside Port Shelter or go out and do a short Island Course. In the end a decision was made to do a short island course and the boats responded a little too enthusiastically with a large number of the fleet over the line. The race officer called the whole fleet back for a general recall and they had to wait for the HKPN division to start. On the 3^rd start of the day some boats had still not learned their lesson and were over the line. The Longtze’s got away to a good start and were able to get to the top mark in light conditions and hoist their kites for a reach to Trio Island. Sidewinder also had a good a start and was first Magic around followed by Merlin, R2 and BM. As the boats passed behind Shelter Island, with the boats from the larger divisions, there were plenty of passing lanes and also lots of holes to fall in to. R2 did a good job of finding the pressure and was able to make up some ground that they lost after having to go back at the start. At the back of the island Merlin tried to avoid the hole by gybing out with pressure, however as the boats continued towards Trio it was the boats with height that had the advantage on the tight reach and R2 was able to get ahead of SW to chase the Longtze’s. From Trio it was another kite leg to a mark between Bluff and North Ninepin. The Longtze’s were having their own battle at the front of the fleet with Exocet holding off LB, followed by R2, with Merlin and SW were having their own battle. Going upwind towards Trio again it was the right hand side of the course that paid and R2 was still chasing the Longtze’s hard. SW was trying to get through Merlin by leading them to the other side of the course, however it didn’t pay off and at the top mark the positions from the last mark still stood. From Trio it was another kite leg back to Port Shelter Mark where the pressure filled in from the left and as the boats rounded and hoisted their kites all of the boats gybed to make the most of this. From the bottom mark it was a beat to Table before heading up to the finish at RWB off the golf course. The right hand side was side to go, LB was again trying to get through Exocet and tried the other side of the course, Exocet covered leaving R2 to make the most of the right hand side and as the boats crossed tacks again at Table R2 had just enough of an advantage to get ahead of the Longtze’s. Beating all of the way up to the finish was a long slog and as the boats approached the finish line the breeze died. R2 took line honors followed by Exocet and LB the crew on the Magic thought that they had done enough to make it a close race between the front 2 but in the end it was the Longtze’s that took the first 2 places and Merlin had done enough to hold off SW. After the finish there was a good old fashion raft up with boats from other divisions, something that has not been done in a long time but was great to see. Then it was back to HHYC for prizegiving, BBQ and a bit of a knees-up…a great day on the water!

On a slightly different note, please let us know you favorite bars in Hong Kong.