Hong Kong China Rowing Association

This year’s Around the Island Race (ATIR) saw para-rowers Ajmal SAMUEL and Daniel YAU, partnering with two other rowers to establish a memorable first-ever record for para rowers to complete this 45 km test of rowing endurance.  They shared their celebrations with top coastal rowing crews from Great Britain, Russia, Spain, Singapore, Peru, Monaco and Mainland China as well as local teams competing for honours in what is fast becoming a key annual international challenge for world coastal rowers around the world.

A new fastest-ever course record was also established by visiting Spanish double sculls crew Adrian Miramon and Jaime Lara from Malaga in 3hrs 32m 39sec.  But the quality of the competition was demonstrated by the closeness of the finishing crews. In the double sculls event, this winning crew was only 20 seconds ahead of their second-placed rivals, also from Spain who were in turn less than 1 minute ahead of the Great Britain crew. With a total race time of 3hrs 33m, this was equivalent to a three-way photo-finish. All three crews smashed the old course record.

Spain also dominated in the Women’s double sculls with their winning crew from Alicante setting a women’s course record in 4hrs 23 m 28 sec.  Other events included Mixed and Open Quadruple sculls with medals widely spread between the different countries competing.

The fast times were no surprise considering that the field of 20 crews, racing in two and four-person boats, included a Rio Olympic Games rowing medallist, former-world champion rowers and current world record holders. And the enthusiastic response of many of the visiting rowers indicated that the event will have no shortage of world-wide attention in the coming years!

The ATIR is co-organised by the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club and the Hong Kong, China Rowing Association and takes advantage of Hong Kong’s wonderful environment, starting in the iconic Victoria Harbour and taking crews around the wild coastlines of Cape D’Aguilar, past the beautiful southern beaches and back to the harbour to finish.  It is truly a unique course to challenge the best in the world and to put Hong Kong firmly on the map of international rowing.

Starting at the same time as the rowers, but with a start and finish line in Deepwater Bay, 29 OC6 outrigger canoe crews also joined the ATIR.   Team Hong Kong Hawaii, a composite crew of Hawaiian and Hong Kong paddlers, were the fastest time finishing in 3hrs 32m 40 sec in the Open Unlimited category. This was only one minute behind the course record set by a Hawaiian crew in 2006. The Women’s Unlimited category was won by another Hawaii based team, Pacific Wahinie in a time of 4hrs 10m 26 sec. The Mixed Unlimited category was tightly contested between two local teams, Victoria Recreation Club (VRC) and Lamma Outrigger Canoe Club with both teams fighting all the way until VRC narrowly took victory in 4hrs 7m 10 sec.

To bring a strong community element into the ATIR, a parallel land-based 45km Ergo Challenge was raced on matching rowing machines at the same time as crews were fighting their way around the island.  The Hong Kong Rowing Team took up this challenge, setting a new record, as one of the ten crews competing, including school, corporate and club teams.  The Ergo Challenge raised funds for environmental charity Ocean Recovery Alliance and the 2019 World Rowing Coastal Championships (to be hosted in Hong Kong). The boisterous and exciting atmosphere surrounding this indoor race belied the total fatigue of many of the competitors when the finish was finally reached!

The annual Around the Island Race is one of a wide range of events that the Hong Kong, China Rowing Association will promote and organise in the lead up to the 2019 World Rowing Coastal Championships in Hong Kong. It was also an excellent promotion of the ideal environment which Hong Kong has to offer for water sports enthusiasts, both the local community and visitors from all over the world.

 

Official Website: https://www.atirhk.com/

Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club & Hong Kong, China Rowing Association

28 November 2017