Pipped in the Philippines. Xena's Rolex China Sea Race

Xena races out of Victoria Harbour, 16th April 2014.           Photo: Sina.com

Xena is now back in Hong Kong, put to bed at the RHKYC pontoon on Thursday night, 24 April at 20:30, having left Subic at 14:00 on 21 April, for a trip time of 78 hours.  

Thanks to Jonno, Noel and Lony for helping me bring her back.  And with no damage; a first. 

We used only the Storm Tri-sail and high-cut delivery jib, which worked fine and meant less strain on the rig.  Delivery winds mostly gentle to nothing on first few days and then 20+ knots and choppy confused swells 3-4 metres on the last day, with plenty of fishing boats to dodge.
Xena performed beautifully both in the race and on delivery back to Hong Kong.

Strompfie asked me to write an article on the race for the X-Yachts magazine.
DRAFT X-Y Article is below.  RCSR Crew: Please feel free to comment: either in the comments section below, or direct to me.
And also: can you send me some photos that I can add to the blog. Thanks.
Best, Forse

Pipped in the Philippines.  Xena's Rolex China Sea Race

Words (560): Peter Forsythe                                     Pictures: J. Rechten; Sina.com

If you have to get pipped into second place by 31 minutes in an offshore race, what better way than by another X Yacht?

That was the case with us on our X-55, Xena, in the recent Rolex China Sea Race, a 565 NM Category One Offshore race from Hong Kong to Subic Bay in the Philippines.

After 84 hours on the water, we needed Hong Kong’s latest Xc-50, Explorer, to come in 9 hours after us, as she rates 1.089 to our 1.205. In fact, she arrived in Subic 8 hours 35 minutes after Xena, giving a corrected time difference of 34 minutes.  Well done new Xc-50!

The Rolex China Sea Race usually starts with a breezy first day and night, as the north-east monsoon kicks in.  Out of Victoria Harbour turn half right, set a rhumb line course of 145 degrees, crack sheets and set up for a long reach on Port tack.  Then, as you approach the Philippines, it becomes a very tactical race, dealing with shifty and light breezes and attempts to avoid the notorious “Luzon hole”.  In the 2012 race, we were leading the whole fleet for 2 ½ days, including TP52s and a 90-footer.  Then we fell into the “hole” for 6 hours, zero wind, zero boat speed, floating with sails down, fishing for squid in the middle of the night.

But this time the breezes were gentle even as we headed out, making the first night the calmest any of us had done.  The winds continued gentle all the way, 3-12 knots.  Xena showed her light-wind colours, as we managed to keep moving, with boat speed above wind speed, even in zephyrs of 3-4 knots.

It was a rhumb-line race, but with the fleet being forced south of rhumb by veering winds.  One tactical call was middle of night two: do we tack back to the rhumb, or stay on Port? No, we won’t tack. We tried it last time and it didn’t pay. 

Another tactical call was approaching Subic Bay around midnight.  Do we duck inside a rock and the mainland, or leave the rock to port, north of us? We decided on the inside duck, just as the full-ish moon rose ahead to give us a clear view of the gap.  Mistake. 

From 9 knots boat speed under our North Sails' A2 spinnaker, we came to a screeching halt with zero wind and boat speeds.  A whisper of wind and we hoist the Code Zero, tack with the tide, which gives us apparent wind, and head back to the main bay. 

Meantime, we had our long-time friendly rivals Moonblue2 (a Warwick 61) right on our tail just two boat lengths behind us.  They stayed in close to shore, while we searched for wind in the bay. 

One a.m., and the land breeze kicks in, 18 knots and a race to the line, which Moonblue 2 won by minutes, giving them another win in our “on the water” competition, which now stands at 3-2 to Xena in races to the Philippines.

And so to Subic and its pretty town of Olongapo. Rum and calamansi.  Mahi-mahi, dried milk fish, prawns.  Friends met, lies told.   

Wait for Explorer….  Result: X-Yachts First and Second in Premier IRC Division, Rolex China Sea Race.  Well done, XY!

Another Subic under the belt and the next one to look forward to, searching for a second win, our record to Philippines now being one win and three seconds.  Ducks in a row,  we need another bullet….

Peter Forsythe

26^th April 2014

In a box out-take:

Xena Crew: Regulars: Peter “Forse” Forsythe and Jing Lee (Owners); Steve “Stevo” Trebitsch (Crew Boss);  Ben “TC” Harding (Navigation); Michael “MC” Dangar (Main); Richard “Biggus” Hawkins (Radio Op); Noel Gabutin (Mid-Mast). Newbies: Alan “Big Al” Reid (Trim assist); Joe Bottomley (Bow); Jonathan “Jonno” Rechten (Mast); Celine “Wobbles”  Shao (Sina.com embed and Trim Assist); Robert Bottomley.