![]() ![]() Yacht 'The Farr Side' holds the record for most repeat performances, having competed in every edition in the past 10 years. The oldest crew on record was 75-year old Graham Cooper aboard 'Rhumb Punch' in 2011. The youngest sailor in race history was 8-year old Timothy Metz aboard 'Koala' in 2007, and he then became the youngest runner at 13 in 2011. The Four Peaks Race attracts people of all ages. 'One of the most important challenges is to keep going whatever happens and not give up because the boat has barely moved in 4 or 5 hours, you are being drenched by cold rain, and you’ve lost a spot or two because of a tactical error,' Dr Davies said. Davies knows well the challenges the race can bring - in 1986 he was dismasted, forcing him to retire. The race demands a mix of good seamanship, teamwork, preparation, endurance and strong running, making it hard to get everything right. 'You’re sailing from Tai Tam Bay, up into Port Shelter and trying to get there as quickly as possible, as one of the features of Port Shelter is that the wind disappears towards evening.' 'Hong Kong is the perfect place in the world for a race like this because it is compact, it has fantastic mountains, you’re going from sea level to almost 1,000 meters in less than two horizontal miles, and you can do it all in a weekend,' said Dr Davies, who still races aboard his J80, FG3. In Hong Kong, the race takes runners to Violet Hill, Lantau Peak, Mt Stenhouse and either Peak 300 Cape d’Aguilar or Ma On Shan, depending on the racing division.ĪBC Four Peaks Race, Hong Kong © Four Peaks Race ![]() The event, founded by sailor and Chinese maritime historian Dr Stephen Davies, is modelled on the Three Peaks race in the UK, during which yachts visit the highest mountains in Wales, England and Scotland - Mount Snowden, Scafell Pike and Ben Nevis. When the runners return to the boat, it’s off to the next peak. ![]() Yachts criss-cross Hong Kong waters to stop in designated areas where runners paddle ashore in kayaks or dinghies and then climb to the top of one of Hong Kong’s many mountain peaks. It is thus fitting that Simpson Marine has signed a three-year title sponsorship agreement with the organiser, Aberdeen Boat Club, starting with this year’s 31st edition being held on the 31st of January and first of February 2015.Įach racing team consists of both sailors and runners. In fact, founder and Managing Director of Simpson Marine, Mike Simpson, took part in the second Four Peaks Race in his Beneteau First 345 in 1986, scoring a second place finish. Held in cold, bracing conditions, the race demands sweat and tears from the competitors and the varied courses have led to plenty of spills and thrills.īeneteau has always been well-represented on the starting line and, as the exclusive dealer of Beneteau in Southeast Asia, Simpson Marine has had a special interest in the event. And sailing to get there in the first place! Every year in January, yachtsmen and runners come together for one of Asia’s toughest sporting challenges, the Aberdeen Boat Club’s Four Peaks Race, in Hong Kong. Next weekend Asia’s No 1 sailing adventure race celebrates 31 years of running the hills of Hong Kong. ![]()
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