Sun Hung Kai & Co. Hong Kong Race Week 2026 - Day 1
by Vivian Ngan 30 Jan 13:59 NZDT
29 January - 1 February 2026
Feisty stuff to start Sun Hung Kai & Co. Hong Kong Race Week 2026 © RHKYC / Guy Nowell
If you enjoy sailing in a breeze, Day 1 of Sun Hung Kai & Co. Hong Kong Race Week 2026 was one to savour.
Competitors were greeted with fresh conditions, with winds reaching up to 20kts across two race areas off Po Toi Island.
29er Asian Championship
Racing for the fourth edition of the 29er Asian Championship took place near Beaufort Channel. Race Officer Dave Norton described a challenging but rewarding start to the regatta: "When we arrived, it was blowing 20kts with quite a big sea. As the day went on, the wind and sea state eased to around 12 to 14kts and turned into really nice sailing conditions. Photographers always say they need wind, waves and sun - and we had all three today. It was a really good day."
A total of 26 teams are competing, promising close and intense racing. Hong Kong fields a strong contingent of 19 home-grown teams, led by standout pairing Louis Polson and Ethan Kiu, who were widely tipped as title contenders. The duo finished fifth in the U17 division at the 2025 29er World Championship and claimed second place (Boys U17) at the 2025 29er Eurocup Final.
They face stiff opposition from four Australian teams and three strong Singaporean entries, competing in the Asian Championship for the first time. Among them are Sean Kum and Nigel Tan, both former Optimist standouts who finished second and fourth respectively at the 2024 Optimist Asian & Oceania Championship in Hong Kong. Now teaming up in the double-handed 29er, their debut attracted considerable attention.
After four races on Day 1, three Hong Kong, China teams occupied the top three places. Polson and Kiu delivered an outstanding performance, scoring three race wins to lead the fleet by two points. Nicholas Hon and Kaden Chan sit in second place, while the all-girls team of Chloe Kong and McCarley Wong rounded out the podium in third.
ILCA Classes
The ILCA fleet raced in a separate area near Po Toi. Race Officer Elberti Uiterwaal Postma was pleased with how the day unfolded:
"We started with around 15kts, gusting up to 23kts. The wind angle was oscillating between 50° and 100°, but it always came back to around 70°. We completed three good races and didn't have to relay the course - thank God."
In the ILCA 4 fleet, Singapore's Ian Goh leads after Day 1, with Hong Kong's Tiago Cheng just two points behind in second place. Another Singaporean sailor, Austin Yeo, sits third. In ILCA 6 local sailors, Charalampos Velianitis dominated the day with two race wins to take the overall lead. Samuel Tan Hardy is in second after three races.
Stanley Bay Fleets
Racing at Stanley Bay included the 2.4mR, RS Feva, RS Tera and Optimist (Main and Intermediate) fleets. Race Officer Inge Strompf-Jepsen reported tricky conditions: "The wind was steady, but very fluky - ranging from about 50° to 90°. Wind strength was around 11 to 14kts, with the occasional gust up to 20kts. We are using robotic marks for the start line, and it took a bit of time to readjust today, but we'll have it sorted tomorrow."
In the Optimist Main Fleet, Singapore's Kevin Ho leads on 10 points. Local sailor Rohan Maliah and Greece's Giorgos Mandilas are tied for second on 12 points. In the Optimist Intermediate fleet, Chinese Mainland sailor Huan Ran Lin ended Day 1 in first place.
Green Fleets
This year's event includes two Green Fleets - Fusion and Optimist - designed to introduce younger sailors to regatta racing. The Fusion fleet began racing on Wednesday and wrapped up its two-day series today. Eric Ma, from Tsinglan School, claimed overall victory after travelling from Dongguan to compete.
"I've been sailing for one and a half years," said Eric. "The wind here is very shifty, maybe because of the mountains. I've been learning how to deal with those shifting conditions."
With strong breeze, competitive racing and sunshine throughout the day, Hong Kong Race Week 2026 got off to an impressive and memorable start.