A Hong Kong Summer

Since the beginning of July, two longtze premier's teams have been participating in a series of summer regattas. The Typhoon series and the Saturday Series 2008 which take place every weekend in Hong-Kong. It is a convivial ambiance along with a strong competitive fleet of sportboats.

In Hong-Kong, it is a sporting summer, and the least we can say, is that for the two Longtze Premier teams on the scene, the weekends are refreshing and active. With the Typhoon Series, which come together every other Sunday, some sixty odd boats, and the Saturday Series which reunites every Saturday some thirty sportboats, there is no reason to get depressed in Hong Kong during the summer.

Thierry Barot, who participates in Longtze Premier Class construction, sails with the new owners and participates in the regattas every weekend: « The Saturday Series are sportboat regattas set to high level sailing. We are able to step up to the podium almost every time. For the July just gone by, we are 7th and 8th overall even after having missed three regattas because the boats hadn't arrived yet We are halfway through the racing season... there are 14 regattas in all... my feeling is that we are going to improve our placing in August and enter all the events. For the Typhoon Series, we are placed a little better, 3rd and 5th overall out of 17 boats. Last week, Lionel Lemanchois, (2006 “Route du Rhum” winner 2006 on board Gitana) who also has been in Hong Kong all summer, in order to prepare for the Hong-KONG/London record on Gitana, took part in the regattas on Longtze. It was really great. We really had a great time here!»

A third Longtze, already on site, will join the sailing program during August. Six boats should be on the water in the coming months to participate in the Asian racing circuit. The Lipton Cup and the around the island Hong Kong race in November, and the Langkawi regatta in January.