Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club (RHKYC)

We are honoured to welcome Halara as the official sponsor of the Team RHKYC for the 2026 NYYC Women international Championship.

As a leading athleisure brand, Halara is supporting our team as we share our racing journey, stories, and experiences from Newport while competing on the international stage.

We are grateful to have Halara supporting women in sport and joining us throughout this year's championship！

Practice Day for inaugural NYYC Women’s International Championship

After months of preparation, Team RHKYC has finally hit the water in Newport, Rhode Island, for the practice day of the inaugural New York Yacht Club Women’s International Championship.

Today was all about getting familiar with the IC37, fine-tuning crew work and building confidence ahead of racing. Stay tuned as we bring you behind-the-scenes updates from Newport and follow Team RHKYC's journey on the international stage.

📷 : Ashley Love

Meet Team RHKYC NYYC Women’s International Championship Coach | Peter Alarie

Newport, Rhode Island native Peter Alarie is a lifelong sailor and coach who spent 15 years racing full-time as a professional. A passionate competitor, he continues to campaign internationally whenever possible, with multiple podium finishes at the prestigious International 505 World Championships among his career highlights.

Peter is excited to welcome Team RHKYC to his home waters of Narragansett Bay for the Women’s International Championship. Bringing a wealth of Olympic-level coaching experience and a deep understanding of one-design fleet racing, he is ideally placed to guide the team on the highly competitive IC37 platform. His expertise extends beyond the racecourse, combining a sharp technical mindset developed through his work in carbon composite research and development with a genuine passion for teaching. Known for breaking down complex concepts into practical, easy-to-understand lessons, Peter helps athletes build confidence and perform at their best.

Fun fact: When he's not on the water, Peter is an avid fisherman and firmly believes that with his step-by-step coaching approach, he can teach absolutely anyone to juggle in under 30 minutes!

Meet Team RHKYC NYYC Women’s International Championship | Lisa Vos & Kellen McGee

From offshore oceans to inshore racecourses, Lisa Vos and Kellen McGee bring a wealth of experience to Team RHKYC for the upcoming New York Yacht Club Women’s International Championship in Newport.

Representing the Netherlands, Lisa Vos has raced everything from VO65 and offshore classics to international championship events, including The Ocean Race VO65 and the Double-Handed Offshore World Championships. Having recently raced alongside skipper Lily Xu in the Sydney–Hobart, Lisa will take on the role of main trimmer aboard the IC37.

Joining her on the bow is Kellen McGee, an accomplished offshore and inshore racer from the United States. Her extensive racing resume includes victories in the Bayview-Mackinac, Chicago-Mackinac, Newport-Bermuda, and Trans-Superior races. Kellen will bring her expertise to the team as bowman in Newport.

Fun Fact: While Lisa's journey has taken her from professional offshore sailing back to a desk job, Kellen balances elite yacht racing with a career in particle accelerator physics, having earned a PhD in Physics and worked at Fermilab.

Join the Hong Kong to Hainan Race 2026!

The 15th edition of the Hong Kong to Hainan Race sets sail on 29 October 2026, challenging crews on a 390 nm offshore passage race from Hong Kong to the tropical shores of Sanya, Hainan.

Traditionally a fast downwind race, this iconic offshore challenge combines competitive sailing with the reward of finishing in one of Asia's premier yacht tourism destinations. Known as the "Hawaii of the East," Sanya offers the perfect setting to relax and celebrate after crossing the finish line.

The fleet is already building, with five boats entered so far. We're also delighted to welcome Jolt from Singapore and Tong Ran from Chinese Mainland, both making their debut in the Hong Kong to Hainan Race.

Don't miss your chance to be part of one of Asia's most iconic offshore races.

Meet Team RHKYC NYYC Women’s International Championship | Tinka Visser and Ashley Love

Bringing together experience from both sides of the globe, Ashley Love and Tinka Visser add depth and versatility to Team RHKYC's crew for the upcoming New York Yacht Club Women’s International Championship in Newport.

Originally from Annapolis, Maryland, Ashley has competed across a wide range of disciplines, from ILCA dinghies and match racing to J/70s, J/80s and J/88s. A former USA Women’s Radial Worlds representative and current J/88 North American Champion, she will take on the role of runner aboard the IC37.

Joining her is Tinka Visser, a 22-year-old Dutch sailor currently based in Auckland, New Zealand. Having logged more than 14,000 offshore miles across classes including RC44s, Volvo 60s, Swan 65s and Class 40s, Tinka brings a wealth of offshore and keelboat experience. She will serve as one of the team's jib trimmers in Newport.

Fun Facts: Ashley is always up for anything involving boats, whether it's filming, racing, delivering, cruising or teaching. Tinka's favourite green sailing buff has accompanied her on all 14,000 offshore miles!

Meet Team RHKYC NYYC Women’s International Championship | Helen Liu

At just 16 years old, Helen Liu has already built an outstanding sailing resume. She began her sailing journey in the Optimist at RHKYC and has spent most of her life racing dinghies in Hong Kong. A standout youth sailor, she was crowned Optimist National Champion and named Sailor of the Year for three consecutive years from 2022 to 2024. Her achievements also include finishing as the 4th-ranked girl at the 2024 North American Championship and 13th-ranked girl at the 2023 Optimist World Championship, alongside competing at multiple World, Asian, and European Championships.

Over the past two years, Helen has broadened her sailing experience into 29ers and ILCAs, while also competing in 420 team racing at her high school. More recently, she has made a successful transition to keelboat racing, sailing J/80s, Cape 31s, and Fareast 28s, primarily in skipper roles.

Helen credits the Club for providing an incredible sailing community and unwavering support throughout her development as a sailor. She is also proud to have received all three Tom Larmour Awards. This September, she is excited to represent Team RHKYC at the NYYC Women’s International Championship, where she will sail as assist-runner and co-helm.

Fun fact: Helen has been part of the RHKYC Sharks Squad for 10 years and now gives back to the programme as an assistant coach.

A RHKYC delegation recently visited Nansha to meet with local government officials and engage with Nansha Marina, exploring new opportunities for exchange and cross-border collaboration.

Discussions focused on optimising the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Individual Yacht Travel Scheme, with RHKYC proposing three key areas for improvement:
1) Lower Costs: Reducing fees for entry/exit clearance, survey, and safety and custody.

2) Broader Eligibility: Expanding owner and captain qualifications beyond Chinese nationals.

3) Higher Capacity: Raising the 12-passenger limit.

We look forward to refining the scheme, deepening our collaboration, and organising more joint regattas across the Greater Bay Area! ⛵

Meet Team RHKYC NYYC Women’s International Championship | Kirsty Curthoys

Born and raised in the UK, Kirsty Curthoys grew up sailing around the coasts of Britain and Europe before establishing an impressive racing career on the Solent. Over the years, she raced Farr 45s, competed in match racing, campaigned in IRC big-boat classes, and spent three seasons racing Melges 32s across Europe and the United States.

What was meant to be a short-term move to Hong Kong with her husband soon turned into a much longer adventure. Nearly nine years later, RHKYC had become home. During her time in Hong Kong, Kirsty competed in many of the city's major regattas, formed lifelong friendships, and introduced her children to sailing at Middle Island. Although she has since returned to the UK, she remains a proud RHKYC member and considers the Club her forever home.

Kirsty's sailing resume includes an impressive list of achievements, with highlights including winning the Rolex Commodores' Cup in 2008 as part of the top-scoring boat overall and as the highest-scoring female sailor, winning Black Group and IRC 1 at Cowes Week 2006, and finishing fourth in IRC 0 at the 2007 Rolex Fastnet Race. She now brings this wealth of experience to Team RHKYC, where she will take on the mast/floater role at the upcoming New York Yacht Club Women's International Championship in Newport.

Fun Fact: Kirsty met her husband while match racing Farr 45s, and one of their earliest dates involved racing the Fastnet together aboard the same boat, on the same watch. A sailing partnership that has stood the test of time!