bc magazine

MAPFRE claims top spot in China

MAPFRE lead from the start to win the Dongfeng In-Port Race in Guangzhou and takes the lead in the Volvo Ocean Race In-Port Race Series

“It was very tricky racing in the river of course,” said MAPFRE skipper Xabi Fernández. “We had a very good start and then we were able to stay in phase with the wind and current and extended away.”

It was a more challenging afternoon for the hometown heroes on Dongfeng Race Team, who were over the starting line early, along with SHK/Scallywag.

But while Scallywag returned to re-start cleanly, Dongfeng found itself tangled up with the anchor line for the start mark – by the time they were free the rest of the fleet was hundreds of metres up the course.

While MAPFRE started well and extended away for the win, there was a real battle for second place between Team Brunel, with America’s Cup winner Peter Burling on the helm, and team AkzoNobel.

The pair switched places time and again on the first three laps of the course, before Burling and Brunel extended slightly on the last upwind leg to gain some comfort on the final run to the finish.

Scallywag, who were third at the first top mark, fell to Brunel on the first run and then had fourth place to themselves the rest of the way.

Meanwhile, Dongfeng Race Team was making every effort to pick up at least one position before the finish. The gap with Turn the Tide on Plastic narrowed on each leg, but in the end, Dee Caffari was able to hold off the late charge and secure fifth place, leaving Dongfeng in sixth.

Leg 5 sees the fleet depart Guangzhou on Monday for Hong Kong, with a short stop scheduled in Hong Kong before the Leg 6 start on Wednesday February 7 at 13:00 local time.

Volvo Ocean Race In-Port Race Series Leaderboard

MAPFRE – 32 points
Dongfeng Race Team – 27 points
Team Brunel – 23 points
team AkzoNobel – 21 points
Sun Hung Kai / Scallywag – 13 points
Vestas 11th Hour Racing – 12 points
Turn the Tide on Plastic – 10 points

Additional reporting and images: Volvo Ocean Race, Pedro Martinez

Women’s Rugby Fixtures – 3 February, 2018

Women’s Rugby Results – 27 January, 2018

Premiership

CWB Phoenix 13-3 City Sparkle
@ HKIED, Kick-off: 16:00

Gai Wu Falcons 79-0 HKFC Ice
@ KG V, Kick-off: 16:30

Tai Po Dragons 20-0 Kowloon
@ HKIED, Kick-off: 17:30

USRC Tigers 20-38 Valley Black
@ King’s Park, Kick-off: 18:00

National League 1

Valley Red 5-34 Gai Wu Fawkes
@ King’s Park, Kick-off: 13:30

USRC Tigers v HKCC
@ King’s Park, Kick-off: 15:00

HK Scottish Kukris 5-7 Revolution SRC
@ King’s Park, Kick-off: 18:0

National League 2

CWB Lammergeier v Kowloon
@ HKIED, Kick-off: 14:30

University 5-46 Gai Wu Hawks
@ Tai Hang Tung, Kick-off: 16:30

Tin Shui Wai v HKFC Fire
@ KG V, Kick-off: 18:00

Police Sirens 30-0 City Twinkles
@ Police Boundary Street, Kick-off: 18:00

Images: bc magazine, Takumi Photography

Roller Derby @ Victoria Park – 27 January, 2018

The ladies of the Hong Kong Roller Derby took on the Pan-Asian Spring Rollers at the Victoria Park Roller Rink. bc was there to capture the action even if, in truth, we didn’t quite understand all the rules.

A good time was had by all as the Pan-Asian Spring Rollers with a late surge snatched victory. Despite the heavy padding there’ll be some sore bodies today as the action is fast and furious.

If you’re interested to participate, then check out www.hongkongrollerderby.com. Click on any photo for the full gallery of images.

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MAPFRE wins the Around Hong Kong Island Race

It was a challenging, if grey day for the Volvo Ocean Race fleet as they tackled the Around Hong Kong Island Race with a reasonable sized spectator fleet on hand to cheer them on.

The light and variable wind shortly after the start allowed the leading boats to break away as they found the new wind pressure first. But it didn’t mean opportunities for passing later in the afternoon were completely closed off.

Three teams broke the line early and needed to restart, with Team Brunel, Turn the Tide on Plastic and Sun Hung Kai/Scallywag all turning back leaving MAPFRE with the best start in the fleet and they eked out a lead in light breeze.

It put them at an immediate disadvantage, but while Brunel had the best re-start, it was Turn the Tide on Plastic who moved up the fleet to challenge the leading pack over the next 20 minutes.

However as the race progressed, MAPFRE and Dongfeng Race Team found the new favourable wind first and built a commanding lead over the others.

“With these inshore races you never know, because just as you can have the advantage one moment, the next you can lose it,” said MAPFRE navigator Juan Vila. “Fortunately today it was more of a race in which the one in front always seemed to have better pressure. The transitions have also gone a little better for us and of course, the start and the moments afterward were key.”

“It was very tricky conditions today but we had a lot of good advice from local sailors and it helped us a lot,” said Dongfeng Race Team skipper Charles Caudrelier. “So I think we prepared it very well and the result is there, so that’s good.”

Behind the leading pair, it was team AkzoNobel and Turn the Tide on Plastic battling for third place early. But a the teams rounded the southern shore of the island, Sun Hung Kai/Scallywag and Team Brunel slipped through in the middle of the channel with better wind.

Local favourite Scallywag went from being last across the starting line to a third place finish with Team Brunel just a couple hundred metres back to take a popular podium result.

That left AkzoNobel, who won Saturday’s HGC In-Port Race Hong Kong to take fifth place in front of Turn the Tide on Plastic, who had a frustrating weekend trailing the fleet in both races.

Sunday’s results mean Dongfeng Race Team has the best overall score on the weekend after two second place finishes. The team will claim a full 7 points from the Hong Kong series which pulls it into a tie on the overall In-Port Race Series Leaderboard with MAPFRE, both sitting on 25 points. Dongfeng Race Team is ranked first based on winning the most recent series in Hong Kong.

“It is a very good result for us,” Caudrelier continued. “We are in the same position as the MAPFRE crew which is full of inshore specialists, so I think we can be proud of the team’s performance.”

Volvo Ocean Race In-Port Race Series Leaderboard

Dongfeng Race Team – 25 points
MAPFRE – 25 points
Team Brunel – 17 points
team AkzoNobel – 16 points
Vestas 11th Hour Racing – 12 points
Sun Hung Kai / Scallywag – 9 points
Turn the Tide on Plastic – 7 points

Additional reporting and images: Volvo Ocean Race, Ainhoa Sanchez

Gai Wu Falcons Win Women’s Premiership 2017-18

Congratulations to Gai Wu Falcons, winners of the Women’s Premiership 2017-18!

photo: Takumi Photography

AkzoNobel Win Hong Kong In-Port Race

Team AkzoNobel took the win in the Hong Kong In-Port Race on a dull grey afternoon on the waters of Victoria Harbour.

It was a typical harbour race. The wind was a 6 to 10 knot Easterly, quite shifty and puffy, and with a strong tide running crews needed to keep concentration levels high.

For spectators while the grey backdrop was dull, the puffy nature of the breeze allowed all those watching to fully appreciate what a beautiful boat the Volvo 65 is. Graceful on the water, picks up speed on the slightest puff and nimble on the tack. A much stronger breeze and the fleet would have had to be more circumspect on their tacks and crossings, as it was boats were tight to the transom – just as you would race in a dinghy.

“We had a fantastic race, pretty exciting. We planned to sail our own race today. It was tricky enough with the tide and the windshifts,” said team AkzoNobel skipper Simeon Tienpont. “The team sailed an unbelievable race and the guys in the back of the boat played the tactics very well… It’s good when things come together. It’s a nice reward for all the effort the team has put in.”

Dongfeng Race Team finished in second place, with Team Brunel third. The two swapped places on the third lap of the course after a solid upwind leg by Brunel gave them the lead, but the Dongfeng crew fought back on the run to secure second place.

A fourth place finish on Saturday by the series leader MAPFRE means Dongfeng vaults to the top of the table. But it’s a tight leaderboard and it could compress further following Sunday’s Around Hong Kong Island Race, when results of the weekend of racing will be combined to assign the points from this stopover.

Hong Kong’s hometown heroes Scallywag had a fantastic start, but fell back and battled to a fifth place finish over Turn the Tide on Plastic on Saturday. Both teams will be determined to move up with a better result on Sunday.

Watch a full reply of the Hong Kong In-Port race here

The Around Hong Kong Island Race is scheduled to start at 11:30am on 28 January. There will be live coverage of the start and finish of Sunday’s race on www.volvooceanrace.com

Volvo Ocean Race In-Port Race Leaderboard

Dongfeng Race Team – 24 points
MAPFRE – 23 points
team AkzoNobel – 18 points
Team Brunel – 18 points
Vestas 11th Hour Racing – 12 points
Scallywag – 9 points
Turn the Tide on Plastic – 7 points

Additional reporting and images: Volvo Ocean Race, Ainhoa Sanchez, Pedro Martinez

T20 Blitz Squads Announced

A record 27 overseas players will compete with the best of Hong Kong’s domestic talent as the final squads were confirmed ahead of the 2018 Hong Kong T20 Blitz on 6-11 February.

Ten overseas players return for a second time, including headline stars Kumar Sangakkara (Galaxy Gladiators), Daren Sammy (Jaguars) and Dwayne Smith (Cantons).

“I loved the previous season of the Blitz, and cannot wait to represent Gladiators for the second time running. I’m super excited to get back with the team,” said Sangakkara. “I loved the Hong Kong experience and vibe and to come again and play with the home-grown talent in front of such enthusiastic supporters is something I am looking forward to.”

Defending champions Kowloon Cantons have gone to pace in their bid for a three-peat with Pakistan’s Wahab Riaz set to play in the Blitz for the first time. They won’t be the only side with pace to burn, with Hong Kong Island United securing 216cm quick Mohammad Irfan. Meanwhile the Galaxy will have young gun Jofra Archer in their armoury, who has been bowling in excess of 150km/h in the Big Bash League.

City Kaitak boast a wealth of international experience with West Indies’ Rayad Emrit returning to the franchise and supported by Sohail Tavir, Ravi Bopara, Samuel Badree and Kyle Coetzer, who was the second leading run-scorer in the tournament last year.

“The depth of talent in this year’s overseas draft is incredible,” Tournament Director Matt Stiller said. “The franchise owners have done fantastically well to assemble these squads, which are sure to provide a great spectacle for cricket fans in Hong Kong.”

To encourage the continued development of emerging cricket nations and Chinese cricket, each squad is required to field one overseas Associate player and one Cricket Hong Kong Dragons player.

The franchises have embraced this vision wholeheartedly according to Stiller. “It’s great to see franchises promoting the Associate member nations, not only by raising the profile of the tournament in Hong Kong, but by including players like Paul Van Meekeren and Scotland captain Coetzer, who will make up integral parts of the playing XI’s. We’re expecting a great show with sold out crowds on the weekend,” he said.

Over 120 sixes were hit over five days of the tournament last year and that number is expected to increase with some power hitters signed on.

HKI United’s Kamran Akmal is one of the most notable with 145 sixes in his T20 career alone, while Galaxy’s Cameron Delport smashed 109 off 59 balls for Leicestershire in England’s T20 Blast last season.

And not to be forgotten is the hitting power of the locals, with Hong Kong captain Babar Hayat, the leading run scorer in Nepal’s Everest T20 League, and Nizakat Khan looking to repeat the his whirlwind century against City Kaitak in last year’s Blitz.

City Kaitak

Overseas: Samuel Badree (WI), Rayad Emrit (WI), Sohail Tanvir (Pak), Ravi Bopara (Eng), Kyle Coetzer (Sco)
Domestic Players: Anshuman Rath, Aizaz Khan (c), Waqas Barkat, Jamie Atkinson, Manjinder Singh, Ishtiaq Muhammad, Umar Mohammad, Raag Kapur, Mudassar Hussain, Siegfried Wai, Kalhan Marc Challu

Galaxy Gladiators Lantau

Overseas Players: Kumar Sangakkara (SL), Seekkuge Prasanna (SL), James Franklin (NZ), Cameron Delport (RSA), Jofra Archer (Sussex), Chetan Suryawanshi (SGP)
Domestic Players: Karandeep Singh, Haroon Arshad, Imran Arif, Shahid Wasif, Amandeep Singh, Li Kai-ming, Moner Dar, Muhammad Balal, Mohammed Osama, Awais Mohammad

Hong Kong Island United

Overseas players: Kamran Akmal (Pak), Mohammad Irfan (Pak), David Wiese (RSA), Luke Ronchi (NZ), Hussain Talat (Pak), Ryan Ten Doeschate (NED)
Domestic Players: Tanwir Afzaal, Ehsan Khan, Yasim Murtaza, Zeeshan Ali, Daniyal Bukhari, Ahsan Abbsai, Suhaib Ahmad, Jason Lui, Chris Carter, Hamed Khan

Hung Hom JD Jaguars

Overseas players: Darren Sammy (WI), Ben Laughlin (Aus), Riki Wessels (Eng), Johan Botha (RSA/Sydney Sixers), Roelof van der Merwe (Ned)
Domestic Players: Kinchit Shah (Capt), Nizakat Khan, Tanveer Ahmed, Adil Mehmood, Kyle Christie, Ninad Deveng Shah, Nadeem Ahmed, Scott Mckechnie, Damien Yee, Aarush Bhagwat, Rana Nasrulla

Kowloon Cantons

Overseas Players: Dwayne Smith (WI), Wahab Riaz (Pak), Samit Patel (Eng), Ashar Zaidi (Eng), Paul van Meekeren (Ned)
Domestic Players: Babar Hayat, Ehsan Nawaz, Waqas Khan, Ryan Buckley, Adeel Shafrique, Hussain Butt, Hassan Khan, Simandeep Singh, Sunny Bhimsaria, Saad Mahmood, Bobby Chan

T20 Blitz

Date: 6-11 February, 2018
Veune: Tin Kwong Road
Tickets: $1,300, $600, $350, $200, $20 from Ticketflap