Twenty Teams Gear Up for 565‑NM Rolex China Sea Race

Twenty teams will start from Hong Kong's iconic Victoria Harbour, embarking on an epic 565‑nautical-mile journey across the South China Sea to Subic Bay in the Philippines." The 64th anniversary Rolex China Sea Race is due to begin with a warning signal at 11:10 AM on Wednesday 4 March 2026, and organisers list the course as a 565 nautical mile Category 1 Offshore Race run under the auspices of the Royal Ocean Racing Club.

Rolex remains the title sponsor, a partnership in place since 2008. Organisers name two main trophies: the Rolex China Sea Race Trophy for the overall IRC winner on corrected time and the Sunday Telegraph Trophy for first yacht to finish in real time, with winners in both categories also receiving a Rolex timepiece. Nautor Swan has been announced as Official Event Partner for the 2026 and 2028 editions, a move framed by the company as reinforcing its long-term commitment to growing performance sailing in Asia and aligning with its 60th anniversary celebrations.

Sources vary on the fleet size. Official notices and previews state "twenty teams," Simpson Marine describes a fleet of "20+ esteemed competitors," and an Instagram capture asserts "Twenty‑two boats are entered for the 2026 Rolex China Sea Race, with five international teams travelling to Hong Kong" though that post is truncated in the available capture. For official confirmation the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club can be contacted at Kellett Island, Causeway Bay, by email at ailsa.angus@rhkyc.org.hk or by telephone at +852 2239 0395, and the race maintains an official entry page on the Rolex China Sea Race website.

Named returning competitors include Ernesto Echauz, who is set to helm Standard Insurance Centennial V in what the notice describes as his tenth Rolex China Sea Race; photo credits on previews list Rolex / Andrea Francolini. Philip Turner’s Reichel/Pugh 66 Alive is back as well — Alive holds the current monohull record for the 565 nm course with an elapsed time of 47 hours, 31 minutes, 08 seconds. Simpson Marine also highlights two Nautor Swan entries, the Swan 45 Mazu and the Swan 56 Parnassus, referencing Parnassus imagery from the 2024 race.

Logistics around hospitality and prizes are set: a welcome party in Hong Kong on 2 March, prize‑giving in Subic Bay on 8 March and an official Hong Kong prize‑giving on 18 March. The race is organised by the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club in co-operation with the Manila Yacht Club and Subic Bay Yacht Club, and its history notes a biennial pattern with RORC recognition dating to 1972 and a multihull record held by MOD Beau Geste at 38 hours, 30 minutes, 07 seconds set in 2018.

With the fleet assembled and the start looming at 11:10 AM on 4 March, crews will contest one of Asia’s classic offshore tests across 565 nautical miles from Victoria Harbour to Subic Bay, where prizegiving is scheduled for 8 March and the line honours and IRC battles will be decided.