FAR EAST 26 Popular at China Cup

SHENZHEN, China, November 14, 2011 /PRNewswire-Asia/ --

China Cup sailors enjoyed a competitive three days racing across the 10 boat FAR EAST 26 One Design fleet. Both Chinese and international sailors were invited to sail the company supplied boats, along with many staff members who helped with the fleet. With double the number of FAR EAST 26s from last year's event, the fifth China Cup saw plenty of thrills and spills as the conditions reached 18 knots, making for an exciting regatta finale for the 700 sailors.

This year's China Cup attracted an even larger contingent of international sailors including youngest woman around the world, Jessica Watson, along with international yachting media who enjoyed watching all the action amid the 87 boat fleet.

International yachting journalist and former editor-in-chief of Yachting Australia magazine skippered a FAR EAST 26 during the regatta and was duly impressed. "These boats are great value and nicely laid out for sailors. They are built with quality gear including Harken deck fittings, a Selden mast and of course European design," he said.

"Also, their high volume hulls allow the FAR EAST 26 to be a real cruiser-racer, capable of giving families weekend cruising, thanks to a recently developed bathroom and space for galley stove," added the Sydney based journalist who is also a regular attendee on the SE Asian circuit.

Among the fleet, local sailors were also pleased with the performance of the Simonis Voogd designed boats. Martin Clark, based up the coast at Sanya, is a regular attendee at the China Cup and has been sailing the FAR EAST 26 for a year.

"The quality is quickly improving among the FAR EAST 26 One Design sailors and this year there are strong crews from Singapore and Japan, along with a number of other good teams," he said.

Clark skippered his boat and enjoyed close racing, he said. "It's interesting at the China Cup because the main competing boats, the J80s start at the same time as the FAR EAST 26s but the FAR EAST often beats them at the starts, which is surprising because the J80s are a well established international boat."

Eventually after the six hard fought race series that included a windy offshore race around the islands near the marina at the Shenzhen Maritime base, Singapore team Constant Wind took final honours.