RHKYC yacht race from Hong Kong to Hainan

Sailing on Ambush from Hong Kong to Hainan, China

I just got back to Hong Kong after racing in the 360nm downhill race from Hong Kong to Sanya which is on the south of Hainan Island in China. I did the race on Ambush a Mills 41, with 10 other sailors. We started the race on Thursday at 12:15 and finished at 5:15 am on Saturday morning. 12 boats competed in the race, all finished except one, which retired. The race was a lot of fun we started just outside of the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club in Hong Kong harbour and raced out of the harbour and ended in Sanya at the southern end of Hainan Island.


I was lucky enough to have the day off work before we left so I decided to make some cookies and sausage rolls. Actually, I don't really generally like sausage rolls I find them really heavy and usually quite tasteless, so I decided to try to make a variation which I would enjoy.

Thai sausage rolls

Thai Sausage rolls

puff pastry with the filling 

2 Tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic minced
1 1/2 cup chopped leek
1 LB ground pork or chicken
2 cups grated zucchini
1 birds eye chilli minced
2 stalks lemongrass minced
1/2 red capsicum finely chopped
1 package puff pastry sheets
Sesame seeds for sprinkling on top
1 egg white

1. Defrost puff pastry. Preheat oven to 375°

2.  Heat skillet on stove add olive oil, minced garlic and chopped leek and sauté until leek becomes transparent (2-3 minutes). Add ground pork, grated zucchini, and minced chilli and lemongrass.  Sauté until meat is cooked (4-5 minutes). Stir in chopped capsicum. Set aside

3. Cut the puff pastry sheet in half. Spoon pork filling in a line on the puff pastry (see photo). Wrap puff pastry around filling.

4. Cut large roll into bite-size pieces and brush with egg white. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

5. Place on a baking tray and bake for approximately 10 minutes or until golden in colour.

sailing cookies

Sailing Cookies
1/2 cup butter (unsalted)

me on Ambush

1 1/2 cups brown sugar
2 eggs
2 Tablespoons vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup mini M&M's or chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Line baking sheet with parchment paper set aside.

2. Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Incorporate eggs into mixture one at a time. Stir in vanilla and set aside.

3. Mix flour, baking powder and salt together in a large mixing bowl. Add wet mix and stir. Stir in almonds, sunflower seeds, dried cranberries and M&M's.

4. Drop large spoonfuls of cookie dough on the baking sheet, make sure to leave room between dough to allow room for spreading. Bake for 9 minutes, and let cool on wire rack.

the Ambush team just off the boat after arriving in Hainan