Hong KongMay 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The 2026 Rolex China Sea Race, Asia’s most prestigious offshore sailing regatta, set sail from Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbour on March 4. Twenty participating yachts departed from the harbour, embarking on a classic 565-nautical-mile voyage from Hong Kong to Subic Bay in the Philippines. Throughout the race, competitors reported winds of 25–28 knots with rough seas and high waves, making this edition widely recognized as the fastest and most challenging China Sea Race in recent years.
This biennial event once again attracted international contenders, including Australia’s “Team Alive–Rampage,” China’s “Sea Wolf,” and two Philippine teams—”Standard Insurance Centennial V” and “Standard Insurance Centennial VII.” This year’s race also recorded its first solo competitor, “2 Easy.”
After starting off the Kellett Island Clubhouse, the competing yachts jostled for favorable positions, aiming to be the first to clear the Lei Yue Mun channel. Once outside the harbor, the offshore winds became more stable, allowing the fleet to sail downwind faster toward the Philippines.
Led by Phillip Turner and Chan Wai-chak, the Reichel/Pugh 66 “Team Alive–Rampage” adopted the southernmost rhumb line route, seeking to avoid adverse currents that could hinder record-breaking progress. Two TP52 yachts—”Standard Insurance Centennial VII” and “Happy Go”—sailed closer to the rhumb line, locked in a fierce battle with only a few nautical miles between them.
The Rolex China Sea Race has long been renowned for its tactical complexity. As the leading yachts neared Subic Bay, they once again entered the Luzon wind shadow zone, which had dashed record-breaking hopes for years. Ultimately, “Team Alive–Rampage” claimed the line honors title with a total time of 49 hours, 55 minutes, and 8 seconds, but fell 18 nautical miles short of breaking the race record set in 2016.
Matt Humphries, strategist for “Team Alive–Rampage,” said that despite missing the race record by just 18 nautical miles, the team was very satisfied with their overall performance: “We consistently took a more southerly route to ensure we wouldn’t encounter headwinds or calm zones when entering Subic Bay, and it worked out perfectly—we didn’t even need to sail upwind at the end. The crew worked incredibly hard, giving their all to every nautical mile and every minute, going full throttle to secure the line honors title.”
The second yacht to finish was Ernesto Echauz’s Reichel/Pugh 75 “Standard Insurance Centennial V,” the line honors winner in 2023 and a two-time IRC overall champion. Echauz praised the decision to move the race earlier, calling it a very correct arrangement: “This was an outstanding race with strong winds, and we completed it in just over two days, with only about two hours of stagnation or slow movement, but it was smooth from start to finish. Moving the race to March was a great decision, with better wind conditions. It was truly a fantastic race.”
As “Centennial V” and “Team Alive–Rampage” arrived, the competition off Subic Bay intensified. The defending line honors and IRC overall champion, TP52 “Happy Go,” engaged in a fierce duel with fellow TP52 “Standard Insurance Centennial VII,” with the two yachts swapping the lead multiple times. However, in the final two hours, “Happy Go” picked up speed again, ultimately finishing 41 minutes ahead of “Standard Insurance Centennial VII.”
Liu Yongfeng’s Ker 42 Custom “Sea Wolf” delivered an outstanding performance, crossing the finish line at 9:30:20 PM on March 6, claiming the IRC overall championship with a corrected time of 71 hours, 43 minutes, and 35 seconds, becoming the first yacht from mainland China to achieve this honor, marking a historic milestone.
“Sea Wolf” has participated in the Rolex China Sea Race five times, with improving results each year, having finished as IRC overall runner-up in the previous edition. Skipper Yan Yuye said: “We always believed we had the ability to win. Over five races, we’ve learned a lot from our mistakes. This time, despite strong winds and some equipment damage, the overall wind conditions were stable, and we were somewhat lucky. There was a brief calm zone near the finish, but the team worked seamlessly together to cross the line smoothly.”
Navigator Campbell Murray Field affirmed the team’s preparation and chemistry: “Our crew, from different nationalities, worked together closely. We studied the route in detail before the race and formulated strategies, executing the plan overall. Some adjustments were needed in the final stages, and slowing down toward the end was a bit frustrating, but everything remained under control.”
The IRC overall runner-up was awarded to Franco Cutrupia’s Solaris 60 “Fenice,” competing in the China Sea Race for the first time. Team manager Rosario Pedicini said: “This is our first Rolex China Sea Race, and it’s been very exciting. The number of participating yachts and the international fleet thrilled us. Most importantly, we thoroughly enjoyed the race—ideal wind conditions, crew safety, and no major damage.”
IRC overall third place went to Stefan Fillip‘s Neo 400+ “Neo One,” continuing its strong performance from 2024. Navigator Cameron Ferguson described the journey: “It was truly a fantastic voyage—sailing downwind at high speed across the China Sea. It was a bit slow leaving Victoria Harbour initially, but once in open waters, the wind picked up to 20 to 30 knots with strong gusts, and overall, it went quite smoothly.”
The double-handed category champion was Henning Mueller and Adrian Stromski’s Sun Fast 3600 “Zesst,” the only yacht to complete the race in that category, also achieving an impressive IRC overall fourth place.
The owner was delighted to set the fastest completion time for the double-handed category, sharing: “We set off with full confidence—Adrian and I have been competing in double-handed races in Hong Kong for many years. We planned to rely on the autopilot most of the time, but ended up steering manually almost the entire way. The autopilot was unstable in rough seas and not fully suited to these conditions, so we had to take turns closely monitoring the helm and mainsail. It was quite tiring, but we successfully completed the entire race smoothly.”
The race also witnessed a historic moment—the first solo competitor, Mo Junjie, completed the full 565-nautical-mile voyage in a total time of 3 days, 6 hours, and 30 minutes, setting a new personal and race record.
He shared: “Being the first person to solo the Rolex China Sea Race is incredibly meaningful. This race is challenging even with a full crew or double-handed, let alone solo. This challenge was tougher than I expected, but fortunately, everything fell into place. I’m glad I made this decision six months ago. The biggest challenge of the race was actually the mental pressure—whether it’s the weather or onboard equipment, no matter how well you prepare, new situations always arise during the race. Seeing the finish line felt surreal; my mind and emotions are still processing the entire experience.”
In IRC Racing Division 0, “Sea Wolf” took first place, Stefan Fillip’s Neo 400+ “Neo One” came second, and Nie Hua’s “Happy Go” placed third. In IRC Racing Division 1, Henning Mueller’s “Zesst” won, Yuen Wai-keung’s “Zoe’s Guard” took second, and Fraser & Glenn Smith’s “Wild Card” placed third. In the IRC Premier Division, Franco Cutrupia’s “Fenice” claimed the title, Peter Churchouse’s “Moonblue 2” was runner-up, and Tom Attenborough’s “Parnassus” took third.
The double-handed and PHS category champions were “Zesst” and Bradly Wilkins’ “Blowers Daughter,” respectively.
Race Chairman Hugues de Saint Germain said: “This edition was very successful, thanks to the excellent organization by the host, the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club. Although three yachts retired, all others completed the race in two to three days—much faster than previous years. We are very pleased with the decision to move the race forward by a month, which brought more favorable racing conditions.”
Many teams praised this edition as the fastest ever. Peter Churchouse, owner of “Moonblue 2” and a veteran with over 40 years of experience, said: “I’ve been participating in this race since 1982, and this was the fastest completion.”
This grueling offshore race was a significant physical and mental test for the crews. Yuen Wai-keung, owner of “Zoe’s Guard,” remarked: “This race was really tough—it makes you question life in the moment, wondering why I’m putting myself through this. But I still look forward to participating in more offshore races in the future.”
Olympic gold medalist Xu Lijia, competing for the first time, also shared her dream: “I’ve always had a small wish—to one day organize an all-female crew and return to compete in the China Sea Race.”
High-resolution images can be downloaded at: RCSR 2026 wrap up
Note: Images provided by ROLEX / Andrea Francolini or the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club / Guy Nowell