Sailors hunt for the unknown in Hong Kong-Vietnam ‘mini-Trans Pacific’ offshore race as masochists float on fibreglass

Andrew Taylor admits offshore sailing is so tough it can be hard to come up with a reason to take part, but the pain, teamwork and freedom all add up to a phenomenal experience. He is preparing for the Hong Kong to Vietnam Race, starting on October 15 and 16.

“Floating around on a piece of fibreglass, a very expensive piece of fibreglass, doesn’t make a lot of sense,” he said. “But it’s the not knowing what’s going to happen, even though forecasting is very good, that’s great.”

“It's the camaraderie,” Taylor said. “There's no one else you rely on. You're out there and it's up to you guys. You cannot dip into a store when something breaks, you cannot dip into a cave and wait out a storm. But it's the competitiveness too.”

Taylor is one of a 10-person crew aboard Ambush. The race has a staggered start, with the slow boats starting a day early so they all arrive at a similar time. The slowest boats are expected to take three days to complete the 700 nautical mile (1,300km) course, and the quickest boats in less than two.

One of Taylor ’s teammates, Joachim Isler, organises the race on behalf of the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club. Since he first took part in the race in the early 2000s, he has seen it change as technology has evolved.

“You know where the other boats are now,” Isler said. “You get this information and suddenly it gets very exciting. You have to make decisions. Even though it's a straight line race, you have to decide ‘do we jibe, or go here or there’. It becomes like a chess board and it is exhilarating.”