Xena wins division in 2020 Around the Island Race

From here

Xena (R), facing off with Zannekin, a fully race-fit Ker-46

New owner, Mark Nie at the helm. Behind: his wife
Zhang Haohan, and son. Others I don't know

ICC building, Kowloon, 108-storey

IFC Building, Central, 88-storey

And so to bed, Central to left, Kowloon to right

So, I'm only two months behind the news... Oh well....

These photos chosen from Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club Facebook page on the race. Thanks to Guy Nowell and Vivian Ngai.

China Coast 2015: a tale of three breezes

Day One: TIA = "This Is Asia".... easy, fluky breezes.
Day Two: moderate to building breezes.
Day Three: 20-30 knot breezes, lumpy seas, as the "Strong NE Monsoon" warning kicked in. A bit wild and wooly.  Some damage to boat(s) but none to Xena crew, thank Allah.
Overall results in Premier Divison: 1 Xena; 2 Moonblue 2; 3 Lighthorse.
Thanks to those who sent photos in.  Best, Forse.

Shiny bottom, 9 Oct, in contrast to....

...  the keel on day of race wash, 7 Oct

Crew Boss, Grunta, and Iris

Bowman Westie, hard at work....

Boat Manager, Noel

Day One, 9 Oct. Winners on the day.

Whooska! End Day Three: Dubes, Forse, Grunta, Iris, Trini,
Glyn, Andrew, Jules, Ken, Westie, Zoe, Peer

Ken, Andrew, Noel, Grant, Iris

Evening, Day Three, 11 Oct: Noel, Ken, Grunta, Iris

Nibblies, Kellett Island, 11 October: Westie, Trini, Noel, Ken, Grunt, Iris, Forse

Kellett.  Westie, Trini, Andrew

The requisite food fote...

Glyn, Dubes, Peer

1st in Premier Division, 11 October, Kellett Island, RHKYC.
Westie, Keno, Peer, Glyn, Iris, Grunta, Forse, Jules, Zoe, Dubes, Trini

Glyn and glass

Keno and glass

Ragamuffin 100', on practice day, 8 Oct, Hong Kong Island South.
Taken by mate, Mike, on his Island Gypsy.  Sent to Rags
crew, who put it on their Facebook.  Rags took, as expected,
Line Honours.  Also race record, of 42 hours.

San Fernando 2015: Maysak Makes Mean

The Course: from the Club Facebook

Typhoon Maysak meant we couldn't go to San Fernando, so the Sailing Office sent us on an Category 1 offshore course of about 360 miles, around virtual marks to the south of Hong Kong (at left), which the club called "Not the San Fernando Race".
A predominantly light winds race, Force 1-4, with occasional 6, which I characterised as "a mix of frustrating and exhilarating". To which someone said "that's pretty much the description of any offshore race", to which I say "True 'dat".
We had a couple of times where boat speed was 0.0 knots.
But we also had a great first night under A2 spinnaker with winds up to 25 knots, boat doing 12-13 knots (top score was AK with a burst of 13.7 knots), and a nice morning reach, winds 15-18 knots and steady boat speed over 10 knots.
We won our IRC Premier Cruising division, and came 4th overall.  Great crew work and camaraderie.  No major damage, save a blown A1 kite on the last afternoon, quickly retrieved.
Some photos, with various thanks to Angel, TC, Jonno, Ken and Guy (Club Facebook photos here):

Pontoon, RHKYC, 1 April.  TC, Mark, Jonno, AK, Ken, Forse, Dan, Noel, Kiwi

Pre start: watch that sheet!  Kiwi, Forse, Noel, TC, Jonno, Ken, Dan, Mark, AK

Light winds past Waglan Island.  And Jonno's cool shades...

More light winds driftin'... Noel, Kiwi, AK, TC, Shifty, Ken

Kiwi and AK on helm, light winds racing....

Kiwi on the job

Noel and TC check the AIS as Kiwi trims: plenty of shipping on the course...

TC, Mark, Dan (aka "Shifty")

The two old buggers: Ken and Forse

Arriving back in the Emerald city of Hong Kong, evening, 3 April

Canapes on the boat, 3 April, RHKYC pontoon

Dan, Ken, TC, Forse, Jonno, Mark, AK, Kiwi

Prize giving, RHKYC 4 April.  Pixie, Forse, TC, Kiwi, Dan, Ken, Mark.
(photo-bombed by the man in blue...)

[PS: some folks were asking about the name "Xena"; where did it come from.  Here's a post on that]

RCSR Prize giving, 30 April

From the RHKYC Facebook page.  Hop over to FB to Like it..

Simon Powell, Chairman of the China Sea Race Committee, presents
Forse with a lovely photo of Xena at the race start (16 April).
Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club, 30th April 2014.

RCSR Xena photos

Photos on Picasa, here.  Courtesy Jonno and Celine.

Below from Jonno, photos from the Rolex China Sea Race (RCSR).  You can see what a light-airs race it was.... (Crew full names here).

Subic, about 2:30 am on 20th April.
LtoR: Big Al, Noel, Forse, Jing, MC, Celine, Biggus, Stevo, Jonno

At RHKYC pre-start, 16 April.  Forse and Noel;
Jing and Wobbles; MC and Big Al
(The cranes and cement behind are part of the work
on a new under-harbour road tunnel)

Click "Read more" to see photos below the fold

Klaus' fabulous photos

"Sunset Skyline over water"

Some really fabulous photos from Xena crewmate Klaus, here.  Thanks Klaus!

King's Cup, catch-up photos... a day on the water.

07:00 on the beach each morning: Noel, Biggus, Iris, Strompfie, Digger,
Oscar, Jing, Forse, Bicky, MC Danger, Bucket, Grunter, G, TC

Single file to the Longtail

On way to racetrack: MC, Bicky, Biggus, TC

Grunter has just checked rudder and keel for junk

On Wednesday, we do sail past of Thai Navy vessels
to pay our respects to King's birthday.

Stromfie and MC

Oscar, Biggus, Noel, Bucket, Digger

On way to racecourse, Strompfie, MC Danger, Jing

Digger makes his beer sacrifice to the wind and sea gods...

"Grunter the pirate", says Bucket

Start in light airs: Pine, Tonga, Titania

"Legs 11"

G hands J1 jib at spinnaker hoist.  (Guy Nowell photo)....

.... and Grunter trims it downwind in light airs

Light airs Race 6: Bicky and Biggus.  Forse at helm.
Pine and Titania behind us.

Race 6: we're still in front of Titania and Pine here.
We won this race.

On the way back to the beach.  Check out the headgear on this dude!

"Noice" says Bucket.  Jing, Bicky and Grunter

Forse collects first prize for Race 6

G at the piano, with Jing and TC chillin'.... Crew dinner,
The Boathouse, Kata Beach...

... and again... a pensive TC... G @ piano, Bicky, Bucket, Jing.. (my iPhone)

And so to bed... Sunset South Kata Beach. 

Thanks to Bucket, Catherine, Biggus and Guy Nowell for the photos.

More photos from the King's Cup website here.  Scroll down and do search for "Xena".