| The HKRNVR Memorial Vase. |
| By the Royal Hong
Kong Yacht Club. |
Photos by RHKYC / Koko
Mueller
edited By Peter Andrews. |
| Saturday, April 9, 2011. |
 |
| Organised by Royal
Hong Kong Yacht Club, and sponsored for the second successive year
by National Australia Bank, the 2010-2011 Top Dog Trophy series
culminated with today’s
Hong Kong Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve
(HKRNVR) Memorial Vase, a race which celebrates the contribution of volunteers
to Hong Kong’s maritime security in days gone by. |
|
The HKRNVR fleet at Tai Koo Shing.
Photo © RHKYC / Koko Mueller.
|
 |
|
|
With a sunny 6.5 knot easterly on offer and a Hung Hom start, Race Officer Gareth Williams had no hesitation in setting Course 5; "only to be used if conditions are exceptionally light and fluky," he added.
The 58-strong fleet made their way out through Hong Kong’s eastern approaches, as required by the Deed of Gift, and rounded government buoy TCS 4; before hoisting their kites for the run back into Victoria Harbour through Lei Yue Mun gap. |
| |
Nick Burns and Fred Kinmonth's EFG Bank Mandrake.
Photo © RHKYC / Koko Mueller.
|
 |
|
|
First round TCS4 was RHKYC’s elder statesman, Li Fook Hing on Ruffian Victory 9, with Barry Hayes’ Schannuleke right behind and the Flying Fifteens gaining rapidly. The conditions held steady at 6 to 8 knots, giving almost perfect pursuit conditions. The chase continued, with the ‘big boats’ making up ground on the early starters.
Competitors were given one lap of the ‘perpetual loop’ finish before Williams hoisted the ‘S’ flag to finish 7 minutes from the target time of 16:30hrs. Joachim Isler on his Mills 41 Ambush, made good ground on the last leg to take the gun, followed closely by the Kinmonth and Burns owned Mills 40 EFG Bank Mandrake, and Li Fook Hing’s Victory 9 holding on valiantly for third place. |
|
Rainbow Chaser rounds the top mark.
Photo © RHKYC / Koko Mueller.
|
 |
|
|
Taken together with the results from Lipton Trophy, the Zoke Around The Island Race and Tomes Cup, the final scores for the 2010-2011 National Australia Bank Top Dog Trophy Series revealed a close battle.
Going into today’s race, Howard Willams was leading with 10.92 points on Flying Fifteen Squiffy, with Burrell and King’s Impala 1 less than 8 points adrift; then David Chow’s Puff’n’Stuff, Helmuth Hennig’s Blondie IV and Isler and Taylor’s Ambush with only 5 points further back. A bad day at the office for Williams had allowed Impala 1 to leapfrog into first place, with Blondie IV and Ambush taking 2nd and 3rd place respectively. |
|
Isler and Taylor's Ambush in hot pursuit.
Photo © RHKYC / Koko Mueller.
|
 |
|
|
At a packed prizegiving, National Australia Bank CEO, Mike Beckingham was welcomed to the stage to award the prizes and the silverware for the most consistent skipper of the pursuit race season.
HKRNVR Memorial Vase Results
1st Dayboat: Swedish Blue, Ante Razmilovich.
1st Cruiser: Blondie IV, Helmuth Hennig.
1st Fence Boat: Schannuleke, Barry Hayes.
1st: Ambush, Joachim Isler and Drew Taylor.
2nd: EFG Bank Mandrake, Nick Burns and Fred Kinmonth.
3rd: Victory 9, Li Fook Hing. |
|
Burrell and King’s Impala 1 overtakes Bandolero.
Photo © RHKYC / Koko Mueller.
|
 |
|
|
National Australia Bank Top Dog Trophy Series Results
1st: Impala 1, Burrell and King.
2nd: Blondie VI, Helmuth Hennig.
3rd: Ambush, Isler and Taylor.
4th: Squiffy, Howard Williams.
5th: Puff’n’Stuff, David Chow.
6th: Paddy B, Herman Wong.
7th: Capoeira, Godfrey and Mead.
8th: Moll, Philip Bowring.
9th: Noisy Forefather, Sam Chan.
10th: Gambit, Keith Mowser.
About Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club:
Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club (RHKYC) is one of the oldest sports clubs in Hong Kong and is proud of its rich, colourful history, which stretches back over 160 years of social and competitive sailing and rowing. RHKYC provides sailing courses for members and non-members at various levels to nurture the development of sailing. For details, please visit www.rhkyc.org.hk or contact our Sail Training Manager, Markus Wong via the RHKYC web site at: http://www.rhkyc.org.hk/default.aspx?c=314 |
|
| Outimage and the
Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club © 2011 |
|
|
