The Tsing Ma Regatta is a weekend event for all-comers, involving a race from Discovery Bay to the Gold Coast on the Saturday, and a return race on the Sunday. Organised twice a year - Spring and Autumn - last month’s Tsing Ma Regatta was the fourth since March 2000. The regatta offers an interesting combination of striking scenery through the bridge and a challenging tactical race, given the strong tides in the area.
The Cruiser Owners’ Association arranged the Spring ‘02 regatta for the first time but could not provide the usual turnout. Due, in the main, to misunderstandings about who was running the event, it is hoped that the issue has been resolved and will not affect future regattas from Discovery Bay.
However, the nine yachts and three motor vessels that did attend enjoyed two excellent days of racing and partying. Most boats gathered on Friday evening at Discovery Bay Marina Club, with the crews relaxing into the swing of things in the Bilge Bar until the early hours. A slow start was therefore welcome, with the gun planned for 1200 to allow time for participating boats to sail over from Hong Kong Island.
After a month of strong monsoon, Saturday dawned to light airs, with forecasts of Force 2 to 3 from all corners of the compass – depending on who one believed. A light northerly slowly filled in as the morning progressed, with just enough breeze available to allow an on-time start. The support team had to be quick on their feet, though, re-laying the line and hurriedly dropping a windward mark as the wind backed sharply through westerly to southerly in the space of an hour. The ODM, a large inflateable Cervesa Sol bottle courtesy of one of the regatta sponsors, then began dragging slowly, with just minutes to go to the warning signal! Luckily, another yacht-owner happened to be passing in his tender, on his way ashore, and was enlisted to reposition the mark with seconds to spare. Not an ideal christening for the new Race Officer, Aiden Whiteman aboard Rhianna (ably supported by Rob Harrington-Johnson on Fat Cheoy), but the fleet were safely away on a short beat to the impromptu windward mark.
Most boats took the left end on starboard tack, lee-bowing the weak ebb and hoping for the wind to continue to shift to the south-east. Arconia rounded the windward mark first, swiftly followed by Intrigue Plus and Lilla D, as spinnakers and gennikers blossomed for the reach to leeward of Peng Chau. Intrigue Plus quickly took the lead without the use of a chute, but went outside Pillar Rocks, allowing Lilla D through on the inside. There then passed a nervous half hour, as the crews wondered whether there was going to be enough wind to complete the race without resorting to ‘flag M’ - the Motoring Division. The larger boats moved ahead at this stage, as their taller rigs captured the elusive breeze flowing over Peng Chau.
Into clear air finally, the fleet were faced with the first major tactical choice of the race. To ‘straight-line it’ (by taking one free tack to the south of Sau Kau Yi Chau), or to reach with the chute to the north of Sau Kau Yi Chau, again lee-bowed, followed by one hard beat to make the mark as the effect of the tide increased. The latter tactic worked convincingly, and Lilla D rounded the easterly mark, Kau Yi Chau, in the lead, chased by Intrigue Plus and MissBehave.
The tacticians were then presented with the next, and even more critical choice. To ‘straight-line it’ again, on a fast beam reach to the Ma Wan Channel direct, or come further off the wind, even partially into the lee of Kau Yi Chau, to drive out of the strong ebb flow. The latter tactic was dramatically proven, as Intrigue Plus and MissBehave parked against a 2 knot current and Lilla D and Arconia surged through on the left, to reach the bridge first.
Low water was expected by 1600 and the lead boats were hoping for a jibe and easy spinnaker run as they passed the bridge, to finish with the new flood. Instead, they discovered a fresh westerly with the ebb continuing apace. The decision was made at this stage to shorten the course and bring the finish boat, manned by Paul Crichton, down to the penultimate mark, CP2.
MissBehave and Intrigue Plus quickly ran down the impudent little Arconia in an exciting tacking battle west of the bridge. But Intrigue could not hold on as the 50 foot MissBehave gradually extended and began to chase down Lilla D, leader for most of the race. They caught her less than five minutes from the finish, to snatch line honours and first crack at the ice-cold San Miguel awaiting dock-side in the Gold Coast marina. The first four boats crossed within 17 minutes of each other - not bad, after a five hour race in such varying conditions.
Whilst the first crews slacked their thirst, the back markers were still battling away. Sawadee made the finish with only 8 minutes to spare, before the 1800 cut-off. Shockwave and Dee Bee Doo were just too late and had the frustration of missing the finish after six hours of effort in sweltering conditions.
The arrival beer and the extensive spa facilities in the new Gold Coast marina clubhouse helped to refresh them, though. Everyone ripped into the extensive buffet and were looking suitably pink and satiated by the time Mike Franco, the Marina Manager presented the prizes for race 1.
MissBehave won a handsome new trophy for line honours; Arconia took 1st place, Lilla D 2nd and Sawadee 3rd on HKPN. Sawadee also took the Rear End Trophy (Fidere est Omnus) for struggling all the way to the finish, and Overdraft was awarded a special prize, courtesy of Musto, recognising her very first race – not one crewmember had raced before. All other prizes and accompanying medals, bottles of wine and champagne were generously sponsored by the Gold Coast Yacht and Country Club.
Sunday dawned with a fresh south-easterly and, after breakfast and briefing, the fleet drove keenly to the start off Pearl Island. There followed a short delay setting the ODM, but at least it stayed put this time, once laid. The Race Officer had decided not to use a windward mark, due to the close proximity of the Urmston Road traffic. There was therefore a slight left end bias to the wide start line, exacerbated by the ebb tide. Shearwater V led most of the larger boats to start at the left end on port tack. Those starting on starboard quickly tacked, but most then tacked back mid-channel to ride the best of the tide. The lead boats were also forced into a long lift as they approached the Lantau shore. These effects combined to shorten the fleet at the first mark, CP2, but the big boys then stretched their legs in a close reach to the Ma Wan Channel. Thereafter, it was a case of looking for the strongest tide through the gap and onward to Kau Yi Chau.
Most appeared to favour the ‘straight-line’ technique again, despite the far stronger current linking the Ma Wan and Lamma Channels. The latter track coupled with an earlier spinnaker set brought the smaller boats back in touch as they rounded Kau Yi Chau for the run past Peng Chau and the finish off Discovery Bay marina.
Fair wind and tide thus resulted in a far faster race on Sunday, with the first five finishing within 30 minutes of each other, and all bar one finishing in less than three hours. They crews nevertheless raced dock-side for the welcoming beer, courtesy this time of Cervesa Sol.
The prizes for race 2, sponsored by the Discovery Bay Marina Club, went to MissBehave, for line honours, with Arconia taking 1st place, and Shearwater V 2nd place, just squeezing MissBehave into 3rd on HKPN. The Rear End Trophy went to Dee Bee Doo for her commendable finish – albeit in last place, together with the new Taipan Trophy for fastest wooden boat, accompanied by the usual Fragrant Harbour bag of goodies.
This meant that Arconia took 1st overall, with MissBehave and Sawadee sharing 2nd overall. The corresponding trophies (the DBMC Challenge Cup and the Bilge Bar Trophy) were accompanied by generous vouchers to Stormy Weather Bar & Grill and the Boathouse, Stanley, courtesy of Chris Lenz at the Igors Group.
All in all, an excellent weekend. Interested in the next Tsing Ma Regatta, planned for 2-3 November? Contact us at info@dbyc.net for further details of this or other regattas from Discovery Bay.
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