By Ema Poposka

What better way to celebrate Halloween than with a 24-hour sailing race for charity? Covid-19 restrictions had led to the sailing event’s cancellation last year, so organizers at the Hebe Haven Yacht Club made sure that everyone followed Covid-19 regulations and that the traditional 24-Hour Dinghy Race took place on October 30 and 31, 2021. 

The race involves teams of sailors sailing for 24 hours non-stop. Apart from sailing, each participating team also helps raise money for charity. The winners are decided based on the number of completed laps and the amount of money raised. 

Renaissance College took part in the race for a third consecutive year with a sailing team of seventeen sailors, led by Chinese teacher Crystal Chan, and raised HKD 10,000. All seventeen sailors raced in one Pico team: Adrian Tang (Year 5), Bono Vaid and Stephen Donahue (Year 6), Lucius van der Vliet (Year 7), Ankit Seitz, Monty Jackson and Jesper Liauw (Year 8), Kacie Ma, Ema Poposka, Edward Savagar, Leonardo Martinello and Scarlet Robertson (Year 9), Luke Forer, Celeste Kwan and Euan McCann (Year 10), and Maddy Tidball and Faber Liauw (Year 11).

Conditions were very difficult for the racers. There was hardly any wind during the two days, and it shifted constantly. Sailing under such conditions required a lot of skill and tact, with some sailors barely finishing one lap in two hours. Among the best sailors in the RCHK team were Scarlet Robertson and Ema Poposka, finishing six laps during their two-hour session. Robertson is an experienced racer while this was Poposka’s first 24-hour race. 

However, this was not enough to get the RCHK team among the winners. Of the eight competing Laser Pico teams, the Hebe Red Dragons came first, followed by the FIS Racing Team, and the Hebe Orange Dragons finishing third. Fastest lap awards were given to Sailability Warrior 1, followed by Hebe Dragons, and RBJs.  

Still, the race was much more than having the fastest laps and winning racers. “I joined the race because it is really fun and the atmosphere is great,” says Robertson. She loves spending the weekend at her favourite club, Hebe Haven, hanging out with friends when she is not racing, and spending the night under the stars and talking to her friends. The whole club was decorated with Halloween decorations. There was live music with local bands late into the night, with lots of dancing. For the kids, there was a fun bouncy castle, while everyone could get into a Halloween costume and take a memorable photo. During the day visitors could stroll through the small market and get some local handmade products and support local charity organizations. 

Both Scarlet and Chan agree that next year, should RCHK’s racing team keeps its numbers, the school could have more teams. RCHK could get two different boats, such as RS Feva and RS Quest, so that sailors would get more time to sail and better chances to win. 

This was the 19th annual race, held for the first time in 2001. The thirty nine teams participating this year raised close to HKD one million. The funds will be used to support the work of the Children’s Cancer Fund, IDEAL, Sailability Hong Kong, the Sai Kung District Community Centre, and Treats.

Hebe Haven Yacht Club was established in 1963. As a “Caring Organization” member, an organisation that cares about their community, the Club proactively contributes to the local community with regularly organized events. It also works closely with local schools and organizations to develop youth sailing in Hong Kong.