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SCMP Reporter

HONG KONG yacht Beau Geste yesterday won the Rockport Islands race, the second heat of the Corum Cup regatta.

  Owned by Karl Kwok and steered by American Bruce Nairn, Beau Geste took both line honours and handicap victory in the prestigious IMS Grand Prix division of the 58-strong fleet.

  The 54-mile race started in idyllic conditions of 15 to 18 knots of northerly wind but the breeze began to fade.

  However, the Beau Geste crew handled the changing conditions well, establishing a lead at the first mark of the race and building on it to take the gun by a comfortable margin.

  Kwok said: 'The conditions were very good for Hong Kong. We had wind all the way and although it became sluggish on the fourth leg, there were no parking lots.'   Second place went to the Japanese-owned yacht Corum No Problem with New Zealand's Boogie Flash third, steered by owner Bryce Woods.

  The surprise of the race was the fourth place of Hong Kong yacht Wizard with four mainland Chinese in the crew.

  This is the first time they have ever sailed in an offshore race.

  The owner of the boat Steve Ellis, a local publisher, said: 'They are learning very fast. They never stopped trying today and deserved to do well.'   The race started off Clearwater Bay on the blue waters to the north of Hong Kong Island, the yachts sailing against a backdrop of the craggy mainland shore, and in the big swell left over after the recent monsoon conditions.



Wizard's magic is just a blowin' in the breeze