Hong Kong out on the water

We look back, west, to the gaggle with no wind in Lei Yue Mun gap

Yesterday was Hong Kong's annual Round the Island race, with a gaggle of over 200 boats.  I was with ex Thea-Xena crewmate Tom Wiesinger on his Sun Odyssey 36i Vega. Also aboard, Stephan Kottek, also ex Thea-Xena crewmate, and Dennis Dakin, owner of Heartbeat, a Bermuda 55, on which I sailed Kota Kinabalu to Hong Kong with him a few years back.
The breeze started well, but died about 1.6 miles out, at the Lei Yue Mun gap, where boats sat at all angles, sails limp.
Then into Junk bay, breeze picks up, becomes a good force 4-5, NE veering easterly, brings us round Cape D'Aguilar under deep kite, which on gybing becomes shy kite to the next gate, after which the usual wind hole at Cyberport, kites drooping into the water, and boats doing 180s, drift into each other.  Breeze then picks up for the rounding of Green Island mark and the final beat to the finish outside the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club in Causeway Bay.
It's always good when you can finish by rounding the whole island, and end up at the clubhouse, as the race has often had to be shortened for lack of wind.  On Vega we finished sixth of the 19 in our Division.
Full Results here.
Peter and Jing's previous boat, Thea, a Beneteau Oceanis 411, now owned by Stephen Vine, came first in her Division of 20, a great result Stephen and crew! On board Thea: "our" Cess, from various regattas on Xena.  In same div, our DB friends Andy Kung and co, on Richard Winter's Soko.
Also, "our" Jing was on Wicked, Tristan Stewart's modified Mumm 36 with our Xena tactician, Stevo on board.  They came mid-field in IRC 1 Division, but had the satisfaction of beating long-time sparring partner Ambush by one place. Also of interest in this Division: Tornado 2, a new McConaghy 38, owned by YK Szeto, which was first over the line in the division, but were hammered by their handicap of 1.260 and came in second last on corrected time.  Of course the conditions of breeze followed by wind hole always favours the lower handicappers, so apart from Tornado's being new, it's also a case of "not the right breezes on the day"...
I think I might have seen "our" Michael ("MC Danger") of our Xena crew on Blondie IV, Helmut Hennig's King 40, on mainsheet.  I'm not sure, as they were a bit aways, but I seem to have recognised his looks up at the mainsail... [Update: no it wasn't him.  MC Danger was in China playing golf!  How could you MC!]
Also on the water: Paolo on Rosemary, fifth in their class of 20, a great result, with Emma on board.
Our Siena One neighbour and keen Nacra F18 sailor, was leading his one-design division on True Blue, with his wife Jade as crew, when they pitchpoled near Green Island, in a puff, and were out of the race....

Vega is a Jenneau Sun Odyssey 36i

Thea on her way down to Vietnam, in the 2008 race to Nha Trang.
On board that time also: Tom, Stephan, Jing, Michael (MC Danger)

Mid afternoon on our way to the finish line.  The 103-storey ICC,
with Ritz-Carlton Hotel at the top.  You must make the trip up, the
views are incredible, especially if you're lucky to get a fine day.