TEAM ALIVE-RAMPAGE CLAIMS ROLEX CHINA SEA RACE LINE HONOURS, BUT RECORD REMAINS INTACT
Phillip Turner and Noel Chan's Reichel/Pugh 66 reaches the Philippines in elapsed time of 49 hours, 55 minutes and 57 seconds
Team Alive-Rampage claimed line honours in the 2026 Rolex China Sea Race from Hong Kong to the Philippines on Friday, although they fell short of beating their own 2016 record.
Phillip Turner and Noel Chan's Reichel/Pugh 66 crossed the line in Subic Bay in an elapsed time of 49 hours, 55 minutes and 57 seconds, having led from almost the moment the fleet left Victoria Harbour on Wednesday.
Despite a strong early pace, the lighter winds around the notorious "Luzon Hole" claimed another record attempt, even if the speed was enough for a decisive line honours win.
Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team.
Matt Humphries, the boat's technician, said that although they finished 18 nautical miles short of breaking the record, the team was still happy with their performance.
"The boys pushed extremely hard," Humphries said. "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 said they had driven "the boat like we stole it".
Second to cross the line was Standard Insurance Centennial V, Ernesto Echauz's Reichel/Pugh 75 and the 2023 line honours winner.
As the top two 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.
More Articles from SCMP
Qatar’s LNG halt exposes Asia’s energy vulnerability
China’s last CMC general urges more ‘political rectification’ in PLA centenary countdown
Table tennis head Wang Liqin says progress being made to fix toxic fan culture
Meet Paradise star Sterling K. Brown’s wife, Ryan Michelle Bathé – who was in All’s Fair
This article originally appeared on the South China Morning Post (www.scmp.com), the leading news media reporting on China and Asia.
Copyright (c) 2026. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.
2026-03-06T14:08:22Z
