2019 Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao-Greater Bay Area Cup Regatta & Macau Cup International Regatta
by Guy Nowell, Sail-World Asia 12 Jan 2019 08:53 PST
10-13 January 2019
Macau Cup and Greater Bay Cup 2019. 40.7 start © Guy Nowell
That’s all a bit of a mouthful, so let’s just call it the Macau Cup, a new event on the regatta calendar in Asia. It’s either two regattas, or one regatta with two divisions – whichever way you like it. Ten Beneteau 40.7s chartered from the China Cup people (Across Four Oceans Sailing Event Management), and ten IRC boats on a different start line for the Greater Bay Area (GBA) Cup. Racing to the south of Hac Sa Beach, three days geometrics or windward/leewards, and one day a trip to Huangmao Dao and back again (about 14nm all told). Entry fee HKD10,000, no charter fee for the 40.7s, free accommodation, and (wait for it) PRIZE MONEY! At the same time, and in order to allow spectators “to appreciate the spectacular skills of world-class sailboat racers in close proximity on shore, and to experience the thrills of sailing and breaking the waves,” six Nacra 17s to stage exhibition racing each day along the waterfront between the Macau Tower and the Macau Inner Harbour. And a Parade of Sail on the opening and closing days of the regatta, from Fisherman’s Wharf to the Macau Tower and back again.
Participating teams come from Hong Kong, Australia, Canada, Estonia, the Philippines, France, Germany, Japan, Russia, Singapore, the UAE and China.
Thursday’s racing started in 6kts of breeze, declining. RO Ross Chisholm got away two windward/leeward races for the 40.7 (Macau Cup) fleet, and just the one for the IRC (GBA Cup) division. Friday’s race was meant to be an islands race to Huangmao Dao and back again, but the weather really wasn’t cooperating. After a good deal of hanging around in some very soupy fog (visibility <100m) the islands programme was abandoned and replaced by two windward/leeward races for each division.
From Fisherman’s Wharf to Hac Sa is about 7nm, so it’s at least an hour’s motoring out to the racing area. Unless, of course, you are travelling in the Media Boat, which is a 40ft Tornado RIB with four 250hp outboards on the stern. At call time this morning (0800h) it was unrelentingly foggy, and almost completely windless. The RO had very sensibly organised an AP on shore before we even got to the dock. After that it was a couple of hours’ wait, and then a fast zip down to the general environs of Hac Sa Beach – the fog had disappeared, or at least thinned. Visibility might have been a km or so, but produced the rather disconcerting effect of a white-out in all directions. The same view of nothing for 360 degrees, and yes compasses are very useful things. For all anyone could see, we could have been in Hong Kong in a summer haze, or Portsmouth surrounded by spring mist – but according to the chart plotter this was in fact Macau.
A triangle/sausage course, top mark at 1 nm, for the IRC division to open the proceedings, and the Soto 40 Seamo (HKG) took off like a scalded cat to lead from wire to wire. Five minutes later the 40.7 followed off on a straight windward/leeward that provided plenty of close (but very well-mannered) boat-on-boat action at the first windward mark, and an equally gentlemanly clutch of five finishing together and Jun Avecilla’s Subic Sailing Team (PHI) coming home as winners.
The second race for all concerned, same as the first, except the 40.7s had an extra sausage on their plate. Once again, Seamo (HKG) strolled away with the IRC line honours, but this time it was Team Estonia in the lead in the 40.7 division. Whoever made the call to equip the 40.7 charter fleet with different coloured spinnakers – thank you. It makes following the racing a good deal easier, and on a dull day like today it perks up the photos no end.
Tomorrow’s forecast is looking good, with as much as 15-18 kts on offer at the advertised start time. Hang on to your hats!