30th edition of Rolex China Sea Race sets sail from Hong Kong's Victoria Harbour

The 30th edition of the Rolex China Sea Race is set to kick off for its 30th run in Hong Kong's Victoria Harbour on 5 April. The biannual event returns after a five-year hiatus since its 2018 run. The race will take sailors worldwide on a 565-nautical mile (1046 kilometres) journey across the South China Sea to Subic Bay in the Philippines. Hosted by the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club (RHKYC), Rolex has been the event's title sponsor since 2008.

One of the oldest blue water races in the world and the oldest in Asia, the Rolex China Sea Race is regarded for its challenging offshore course that's attracted sailors from across the globe. 

Previous editions have seen yachts from Singapore, Japan, Australia, the United Kingdom, and France take home the Rolex China Sea Race Trophy. This year, four international fleets will be making their way to Hong Kong, including three from the Philippines and one from Greater China, to race alongside 15 Hong Kong entrants.

Two trophies are presented at the end of the race, the Rolex China Sea Race Trophy for the overall winner under IRC time correction (handicap) and the Sunday Telegraph Trophy for the first boat to cross the finish line in real-time (Line Honours). The first boat under IRC Overall handicap and first Monohull Line Honours winners will receive watches from Rolex.

It can take anywhere from 40 to close to 100 hours to complete the journey, with the weather being the most crucial determining factor. Karl Kwok's trimaran MOD Beau Geste holds the multihull race record of 38 hours, 30 minutes, 7 seconds from 2018, while the monohull race record of 47 hours, 31 minutes, 8 seconds was set two years earlier by Philip Turner and Duncan Hine's Alive, which later won the Rolex Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race in 2018.

The start of the race from Victoria Harbour is one of the most significant moments of the event. The open water segment of the race is known for its fierce winds; the final approach to the Philippines is more often sailed in light winds. 

The Rolex China Sea Race is the oldest blue water race in Asia, with its first edition  held in 1962. The race starts in Hong Kong's Victoria Harbour and takes competitors 565 nautical miles across the South China Sea to Subic Bay in the Philippines.