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Hong Kong to Vietnam Race 2023

YachtBoatNews19/07/2023

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The Hong Kong to Vietnam Race, Asia’s longest Category One offshore race which takes competitors 673nm from Hong Kong to the pleasant coastal city of Nha Trang, Vietnam, is back after a hiatus of four years due to the Covid pandemic.

Today marks 100 days until the 10th edition of the Race, which starts on 24 and 25 October 2023.

This blast across the South China Sea is recognised as a qualifier for the Rolex Sydney-Hobart Race. It was first run in 1996 and then regularly since 2004. The 2019 edition attracted a slew of international entries hailing from Great Britain, Italy, Singapore and the United States. The focal point was the battle for Multihull Line Honours between two racing trimarans; Italian Maserati Multi70 and Hong Kong entry SHK Scallywag/Fuku. Meitatsu Fukumoto and Seng Huang Lee’s SHK Scallywag Fuku took the win and set a new Multihull Race Record of 30h 09m 27s, just under two hours ahead of Maserati.

VNR13 0422 – Audi Hong Kong – Vietnam Race 2013. KukuKERchu, Walawala 2 – photo © RHKYC/Guy Nowell http://www.guynowell.com/

The current Monohull Race Record of 41h 30m 20s was also set in 2019 by professionally crewed Lucky, a US based J/V Maxi 72 skippered by Bryon Ehrhart, beating the previous race record of 42h 17m 24s set by Syd Fischer’s Ragamuffin 100 in 2015.

Veteran race participant Geoff Hill said “I think the Hong Kong to Vietnam Race is one of the most iconic races in Asia, and certainly one of the best that I do.” The Hong Kong to Vietnam Race should be on every sailor’s bucket list along with the RHKYC’s Club’s flagship offshore, the Rolex China Sea Race.