News & Features | ISAF | World Sailing | Official Site : Zanzibar Ready To Defend Rolex China Sea Race Title

News

13 April 2014, 08:38 am

Zanzibar Ready To Defend Rolex China Sea Race Title

2012 Rolex China Sea Race Winner - Zanzibar

Rolex / Daniel Forster

©Rolex / Daniel Forster

Rolex China Sea Race 2014

Hong Kong - Philippines

The 27th edition of the Rolex China Sea Race commences on Wednesday 16 April.

A fleet of around 35 yachts are expected to take part including the defending champion and the line honours winning boat from the last edition in 2012.

The 565-nm offshore race runs across the South China Sea from Victoria Harbour, Hong Kong to Subic Bay, the Philippines. First held in 1962, it has long been established as Asia's principal offshore race.

Favourite for line honours is the largest competing yacht: Syd Fischer's Maxi Ragamuffin 90, the fastest boat on the water in 2012 under its guise as Genuine Risk. The defending champion is Jonathan Mahony's 42-ft Zanzibar from Singapore, seeking to become the first boat since the mid-1960s to defend her title. Three highly competitive TP52s - Lucky, Standard Insurance Centennial and FreeFire - will push the leading boats close.

The course record was set by Karl Kwok on his Volvo 60 Beau Geste (elapsed time 47 hours, 43 minutes and 7 seconds) in 2000.

The 2014 Rolex China Sea Race commences at 13:20 local time on Wednesday 16 April. The race is organized by the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club (RHKYC) and has been sponsored by Rolex since 2008.

EVENT PROGRAMME
Monday 14 April
19:00 - 21:00 Welcome Party, Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club

Tuesday 15 April
18:30 - 19:00 Skippers' Briefing, Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club

Wednesday 16 April
13:20 Race start, Victoria Harbour - Hong Kong

Sunday 20 April
17:00 Location prizegiving, Subic Bay Yacht Club, The Philippines

Wednesday 30 April
19:00 - 21:00 Final prizegiving, Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club

(All times listed are local)

For more detailed information about the 2014 Rolex China Sea Race including race documents and the current entry list please visit the Royal Hong Yacht Club website

Regatta News

Isaf TV

Female ISAF Rolex World Sailors of the Year Jo Aleh and Polly Powrie (NZL) won the Women's 470 Medal Race and with it gold as they made it three consecutive 200-point regatta wins in a row.
France's Camille Lecointre and Hélène Defrance had held the lead in the Women's 470 for the large part of the week but came undone on the final day as a sixth knocked them off gold medal position. They were made to settle for silver whilst bronze went to Hannah Mills and Saskia Clark (GBR).

Billy Besson and Marie Riou went into the Nacra 17 Medal Race with an unassailable 22 point lead and the gold medal sewn up. ISAF Sailing World Cup Miami gold medallists Vittorio Bissaro and Silvia Sicouri (ITA) added a World Cup silver to their collection having finished in fifth. Bronze went to Darren Bundock and Nina Curtis (AUS).

Gold fleet racing got underway in six Olympic events at ISAF Sailing World Cup Mallorca. We caught up with three of the leaders and got race highlights from all of the day's proceedings. View results from Mallorca on the ISAF Sailing World Cup website here http://www.sailing.org/worldcup/results/index.php

The 2011 World Champion Giles Scott (GBR) made a successful come from behind victory on Saturday to take home the gold medal. Scott finished nine seconds behind Luke Lawrence (USA) for second place. Overnight leader Oliver Tweddell (AUS) slipped up with an eighth place finish Saturday after leading by nine points.