There were beautiful blue skies for the start of Day 2 of Hong Kong Race Week but it was short lived however as the clouds started to roll in as the competitors launched.
A building north-easterly breeze was felt across most of the race track with much stronger conditions and swell on the Lasers, 29ers and 420s course near Po Toi Islands. With an average of 16kts and gusts to 20kts+ there was some tight racing between the Laser Radials and the pack stuck together most of the way around the track.
The HIGHFIELD sisters’ sibling rivalry intensified today with Molly HIGHFIELD taking Nancy’s position and dropping to third after Chinese Taipei’s Ogawa CHIANG took two firsts in the final races of the day.
In the 420 fleet Hong Kong sailors Chun Ho HO and Ka Ho LEE had another cracking day with three firsts in four races today putting them five points ahead.
On the Optimist, RS Feva and 2.4mR track in Stanley Bay, the sailors had to contend with a 8 to 12kt oscillating breeze and moderate tide running across the course. The Fevas got a fourth race in and the Optimists and 2.4mRs were set for a fourth race as well, but after five and a half hours on the water already and as the breeze built there was a big shift to the east resulting in the need to decide to either re-set the course or send the sailors in: the latter being chosen.
On the windsurfer course in Repulse Bay, Hong Kong’s Lok YEUNG continued his lead with top three places and two bullets today putting him six points ahead of Italy’s Edoardo TANAS in 2nd position in the Techno 293 Class. In the RSX Youth Class Hong Kong’s Earl CHEUNG is in the lead however with one point separating him from Siu Wing HO there will be some tight racing going into the weekend.
The Optimist Green Fleet kicked off their racing today, the aim of the fleet is to help grow young sailors and get them familiarised with event and racing format. This year the entries have grown from mainly Hong Kong entrants to include international entries from Cambodia, China and Singapore. There is a big focus is to encourage the sailors to ask questions as well as giving them tips so that they will grow and soon be racing in the main fleet. The green fleet got two races in Repulse Bay before calling it for the day when the breeze built out of the comfort limit of some of the new sailors.
The final two days of racing will be held this weekend with the champions of Hong Kong Race Week 2018 being crowned after racing on Sunday.
Provisional results are online at http://www.hongkongraceweek.com/results
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