The Hong Kong-based J/109 WHISKEY JACK finished second in the IRC division of the 2009 China Cup International Regatta sailed last month. The following report came from her owner Nick Southward.
�The third China Cup International Regatta, held at Longcheer Yacht Club at Daya Bay in Shenzhen, China, is China�s only international sailing regatta. Teams from all over the world come to participate, in either chartered Beneteau 40.7�s, or IRC racing yachts from Asia. China is new to the art of organizing regattas, so their style may not have been to everyone�s taste. However, if you just wanted to go and sail for four days in good weather, flat water and decent breeze then this was the place to be in late October. We took our J/109 WHISKEY JACK up for the regatta, which consisted of a 32-mile passage race from Hong Kong to Shenzhen on Day 1 and six windward leeward races spread over the remaining three days.
�UK-Halsey Hong Kong�s Barry Hayes has referred to the J/109 as an IRC speed demon, but having a speed demon is one thing; doing everything right to make it win is another.... Fortunately, Barry was with us and we were finally able to prove just what a demon she is.
�The boat was sailing higher and faster than the main opposition, some extremely competitive and well sailed A35�s, and we finally managed to nail them and the rest of the IRC racing fleet. We won Sunday�s racing with a 1-1-2 and went into the final day tied for 1st place with one of the A35�s. Conditions on the final day were 25 knots of wind and a short steep chop. We made the decision to play it safe and didn�t push the boat too hard and that earned us second place for the regatta. The price of first for the A35 RED KITE was some blown kites so we renamed her Dead Kite!�
In the 30-boat Beneteau 40.7 one-design class, the team from South Africa sailing SHERATON TEAM won by 10 points. She was helmed by former SHOSHOLOZA America�s Cup skipper Mark Sadler. Teams from 13 different countries on five continents participated in this division. All 30 boats sailed with UK-Halsey Tape-Drive sails.
Beneteau 40.7 Class Results:
1st Sheraton, South Africa, 6 pts.
2nd Yachtfinders Global, New Zealand, 16 pts.
3rd Simpson Marine,Hong Kong, 17 pts.
4th China Boating, China, 18 pts.
5th Team GBR, 27 pts.
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