HONG KONG, March 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Phillip Turner and Noel Chan’s Reichel/Pugh 66 Team Alive-Rampage crossed the finish line at Subic Bay on Friday 6 March at 13:15:08, claiming Line Honours in the 2026 Rolex China Sea Race, organized by the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club (RHKYC), from Hong Kong to Subic Bay.
It was a tense and exciting morning for race followers, as all eyes were on Team Alive–Rampage to see whether they could challenge their own long‑standing race record set in 2016. The team had led the fleet on the water since departing Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbour on Wednesday 4 March, pushing hard along the southernmost section of the rhumb line and building a commanding 20 nm lead over Centennial V.
The China Sea Race is renowned for its tactical complexity. As the leaders approached Subic Bay, the prevailing northeasterly breeze often bends around the northern tip of Luzon, creating an area of lighter, more unstable winds. Once again, the front‑runners found themselves navigating this notorious “Luzon Hole”, where many promising record attempts have slowed in previous years.
Despite their strong early pace, Team Alive–Rampage eventually crossed the finish line at 13:15:57 on Friday 6 March, recording an elapsed time of 49 hours 55 minutes 57 seconds — fast enough for a decisive Line Honours victory, but just short of eclipsing their 2016 benchmark.
Matt Humphries, technician on board Team Alive–Rampage, said that although they finished 18nm short of breaking the race record, the team was still very pleased with their performance.
“We wanted to bank a little bit of a southerly route to make sure we didn’t fall into a bad transition or a hole coming into Subic Bay. That part actually went very well for us — we didn’t have to sail upwind at the end. The boys pushed extremely hard; they fought for every mile and every minute. They were on fire, making sure we secured Line Honours and delivered a strong result.”
Australian skipper Duncan Hine echoed Humphries’s satisfaction with how the race unfolded: “We had a lot of fun. You set out a plan, you work through it, and we basically drove the boat like we stole it.” Hine also spoke highly of the collaboration between Alive and Rampage: “The culture between the two teams has been phenomenal. We’ve thoroughly enjoyed this venture. It was something completely new — this is the first time Alive has ever had another team involved in the programme. And looking ahead, I can’t see why we couldn’t do it again with Rampage, or even with another team.”
Second to cross the line was Standard Insurance Centennial V, Ernesto Echauz’s Reichel/Pugh 75 and the 2023 Line Honours winner. Choosing a route closer to the coast to take advantage of the developing sea breeze, she finished at 15:43:48 on Friday 6 March.
Echauz praised the decision to bring the race forward, calling it an excellent move. “It was a very good race—an excellent race. The wind was strong, and we finished in just a little over two days, which is really very fast. There were only about two hours where we didn’t move, or moved very slowly, but after that everything was fine from start to finish. So it was a good thing the race was moved to March, when the wind conditions are much better. Fantastic.”
As Centennial V and Team Alive–Rampage celebrated their arrivals, the battle further offshore intensified. The defending Line Honours and IRC Overall champion, the TP52 Happy Go, was locked in a dramatic, neck‑and‑neck duel with fellow TP52 Standard Insurance Centennial VII. The two boats traded the lead repeatedly, but in the final two hours Happy Go found an extra gear, ultimately edging out Centennial VII by 41 minutes at the finish.
With the front of the fleet now safely ashore, attention shifts to the battle for IRC Division 0 and IRC Overall Honours — where Seawolf remains the boat everyone is watching.
In IRC Division 1, both Zesst and Zoe’s Guard continue to deliver strong performances, trading pressure throughout the race. Meanwhile, in the IRC Premier Division, Fenice has been steadily gaining ground, while Lisa Elaine continues to sail impressively and hold her position among the leaders.
Race action is being tracked by Yellowbrick Tracking https://yb.tl/rolexchinasea2026 and is being shown live at www.rolexchinasearace.com – the Race can also be followed on the YB Race Viewer App.
For more information about Rolex China Sea Race 2026, please visit www.rolexchinasearace.com.
Photos credit: ROLEX / Andrea Francolin
ABOUT ROYAL HONG KONG YACHT CLUB (RHKYC)
The Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club is one of the oldest and largest sports clubs in Hong Kong, with a rich, colourful history that spans over 170 years of community and competitive sailing and rowing. RHKYC provides training programmes for practitioners of all abilities and ages – both members and non-members – to nurture their development, produce elite athletes capable of competing at the highest levels, and contribute to the growth and popularity of these great pastimes. The Club also organises a full calendar of high-profile local and international race events, helping place Hong Kong firmly on the global sporting map.
ROLEX AND YACHTING
Rolex celebrates human achievement, recognizing the journey marked by milestones and emotions that culminates in defining moments – determined by a path followed, not just a trophy. Since the late 1950s, Rolex has championed perseverance and resilience in yachting across all its forms – from prestigious yacht clubs to pioneering feats of exploration, legendary offshore races, and its most successful sailors. Today, the Swiss watchmaker supports the innovative future of sailing through its Title Partnership of the Rolex SailGP Championship, the world’s leading sailing league where the best athletes compete on identical supercharged foiling F50 catamarans on some of the world’s most famous stretches of water. Furthermore, the brand is Title Sponsor of 15 major international events, from the annual Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race and the biennial Rolex Fastnet Race to grand prix competition at the Rolex TP52 World Championship and spectacular gatherings at the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup and the Rolex Swan Cup. Rolex also partners institutions that share its enduring commitment to sailing, including the New York Yacht Club, Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, Royal Yacht Squadron, Royal Ocean Racing Club, Cruising Yacht Club of Australia and Royal Malta Yacht Club. Integral to this relationship are the towering figures in the sport and Rolex honours their unrelenting determination in the pursuit of excellence. From groundbreaking round-the-world yachtsman Sir Francis Chichester to modern-day sailors, Rolex celebrates the individuals who embody adaptability, teamwork and precision. The Rolex family of Testimonees includes legends Paul Cayard and Robert Scheidt, the most successful Olympic sailor of all time, Sir Ben Ainslie, and the heroes at the heart of the Rolex SailGP Championship, Hannah Mills, Tom Slingsby and Martine Grael.
ABOUT ROLEX
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Rolex is an integrated and independent Swiss watch manufacture. Headquartered in Geneva, the brand is recognized the world over for its expertise and the quality of its products – symbols of excellence, elegance and prestige. The movements of its Oyster Perpetual and Perpetual watches are certified by COSC, then tested in-house for their precision, performance and reliability. The Superlative Chronometer certification, symbolized by the green seal, confirms that each watch has successfully undergone tests conducted by Rolex in its own laboratories according to its own criteria. These are periodically validated by an independent external organization. The word ‘Perpetual’ is inscribed on every Rolex Oyster watch. But more than just a word on a dial, it is a philosophy that embodies the company’s vision and values. Hans Wilsdorf, the founder of the company, instilled a notion of perpetual excellence that would drive the company forward. This led Rolex to pioneer the development of the wristwatch and numerous major watchmaking innovations, such as the Oyster, the first waterproof wristwatch, launched in 1926, and the Perpetual rotor self-winding mechanism, invented in 1931. In the course of its history, Rolex has registered over 600 patents. At its four sites in Switzerland, the brand designs, develops and produces the majority of its watch components. A fifth site, also in Switzerland, is under construction and is expected to open in 2029. Rolex carries out its own manufacturing operations, from casting the gold alloys to machining, crafting, assembling and finishing the movement, case, dial and bracelet. Furthermore, the brand is actively involved in supporting the arts and culture, sport, and exploration, as well as those who are devising solutions to preserve the planet.
