The results are in from one of the fastest editions of the Rolex China Sea Race ever sailed.
This Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC) Category 1 offshore classic, organized by the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club, sends competitors on a demanding 565-nautical-mile passage from Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong to Subic Bay in the Philippines. Twenty yachts started on 4 March 2026 and sailed into sustained winds of 25–28 knots with gusts to 30, conditions that pushed crews hard and produced record-threatening times across the fleet.
Two boats carrying a full UK Sailmakers Hong Kong inventory, Seawolf and Zesst, didn’t just finish. They made history.
Seawolf at the 2026 Rolex China Sea Race. Photos © ROLEX | Guy Nowell.
IRC Overall Champion: Seawolf
William Liu’s Ker 42 Custom | Skipper: Yan Yu Ye
IRC Division 0 Winner | IRC Overall Champion
Congratulations to Team Seawolf on a truly landmark victory. In an event that has been running since the 1960s, Seawolf became the first Chinese Mainland yacht ever to win the IRC Overall title — a moment that will be remembered long after the dock lines are coiled.
Powered by Titanium sails from UK Sailmakers Hong Kong, Seawolf crossed the finish line on Friday at 21:30:20, securing the IRC Overall crown on a corrected time of 71 hours 43 minutes 35 seconds. It is the culmination of five campaigns, steady improvement, and the kind of commitment to preparation that separates good teams from great ones.
Skipper Yan Yu Ye was characteristically measured in reflecting on the breakthrough: “We’ve always believed we could win. After five attempts, each with lessons learned, this victory means a lot. The conditions were tough with strong winds and some damage, but we were lucky to have a steady breeze most of the way.”
Navigator Campbell Murray Field highlighted what made the difference: “We had a multinational team that worked well together. We studied the course, set a clear strategy, and mostly stuck to it.”
From near-misses in the 2018 and 2024 editions to this ultimate triumph in 2026, the journey has been one of persistence, resilience, and unwavering belief. Huge congratulations to skipper Yan Yu Ye, owner William Liu, and the entire Seawolf crew. This one was a long time coming — and well deserved.
The Seawolf crew at the 2026 Rolex China Sea Race awards. Photos © ROLEX | Andrea Francolini.
Double-Handed & IRC Division 1 Winner: Zesst
Henning Mueller & Adrian Stromski | Sun Fast 3600
1st IRC Racer 1 | 1st IRC Double-Handed | 4th IRC Overall
Completing one of the most impressive performances of the race, Zesst (also sailing with a full UK Sailmakers Hong Kong inventory) claimed first in IRC Division 1, first in the double-handed division, and an outstanding 4th place IRC Overall.
Sailing shorthanded across the South China Sea is a formidable challenge at the best of times. Henning Mueller described just how demanding the crossing became: “Although we planned to rely on the autopilot, we ended up hand-steering almost the entire time. The autopilot struggled in the waves and wasn’t set up for such conditions, so one of us had to be on the helm and mainsheet constantly. It was exhausting, but we managed it together.”
They managed it together — and they managed it brilliantly.
Zesst at the 2026 Rolex China Sea Race. Photos © ROLEX | Andrea Francolini.
A Race for the Record Books
This edition will go down as one of the most remarkable in the race’s history. Race Chairman Hugues de Saint Germain summed it up: “All remaining boats finished within two to three days — much faster than in previous years.” The decision to move the start forward by a month to take advantage of the north-east monsoon paid off handsomely.
The race also saw its first-ever solo finisher: Tiger Mok aboard 2 Easy, who also raced with a UK Sailmakers radial mainsail completing the 565nm crossing single-handed in just over three days — a milestone for offshore sailing in the region.
For Seawolf and Zesst, the 2026 Rolex China Sea Race was proof that the right sails, the right team, and the right preparation can make history. Overall IRC results available here.
