Hong Kong and Macau_ City Guide (Lonely Planet, 14th Edition) - Andrew Stone [165]
Hebe Haven Yacht Club ( Map; 2719 9682; www.hhyc.org.hk; 10.5 Milestone, Hiram’s Hwy, Pak Sha Wan; 92 or 299)
Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club ( Map; 2832 2817; www.rhkyc.org.hk; Hung Hing Rd, Kellett Island, Causeway Bay)
A major sailing event in Hong Kong is the Hong Kong–Manila yacht race, which takes place every two years. Phone the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club or contact the Hong Kong Sailing Federation ( 2504 8159; www.sailing.org.hk) for details.
If there is a group of you, you should consider hiring a junk for the day or evening. Eight hours of vessel hire (four hours for night trips), plus a captain and deck hand, are usually included in the price. Jubilee International Tour Centre ( Map; 2530 0530; www.jubilee.com.hk; Room 2305-6, Far East Consortium Bldg, 121 Des Voeux Rd Central; 8.30am-5.30pm Mon-Fri, 8.30am-1pm Sat; MTR Sheung Wan, exit E3) hires out vessels for 10 to 25 people from $2000 on weekdays and $3000 on the weekend.
Jaspa’s has six junks for hire carrying up to 40 people each. The minimum booking is for 14 guests. An evening or daytime party, including drinks and a full menu prepared and served on board, costs $600/200/100 for adults/children/infants. There must be a minimum of 14 passengers. The boat can pick up or drop off guests at either Sai Kung or Causeway Bay. Ring Jaspa’s Party Junk ( 2869 0733; www.jaspasjunk.com) or consult the website for details.
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SPECTATOR SPORTS
Sporting events are well covered in the sports section of Hong Kong’s English-language newspapers. Many of the annual events don’t fall on the same day or even in the same month every year, so contact the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB; 2508 1234; www.discoverhongkong.com) for further information.
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CRICKET
Hong Kong has two cricket clubs: the very exclusive Hong Kong Cricket Club ( Map; 3511 8668; www.hkcc.org; 137 Wong Nai Chung Gap Rd; 63), above Deep Water Bay on Hong Kong Island, and the Kowloon Cricket Club ( Map; 3473 7000; www.kcc.org.hk; 10 Cox’s Rd, Tsim Sha Tsui; MTR Jordan, exit E), where the Hong Kong International Cricket Sixes is held in late October or early November. This two-day event sees teams from Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, England, the West Indies, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and South Africa battle it out in a speedier version of the game. For info, contact the Hong Kong Cricket Association ( 2504 8102; www.hkca.cricket.org).
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FOOTBALL (SOCCER)
Hong Kong has a fairly lively amateur soccer league. Games are played at the Happy Valley Sports Ground ( Map; 2895 1523; Sports Rd, Happy Valley; Happy Valley), a group of pitches inside the Happy Valley Racecourse, and at Mong Kok Stadium ( Map; 2380 0188; 37 Flower Market Rd, Mong Kok; MTR Prince Edward, exit B1). For match schedules and venues, check the sports sections of the English-language newspapers or contact the Hong Kong Football Association ( 2712 9122; www.hkfa.com). The big football event of the year is the Lunar New Year Cup, which is held on the first and fourth days of the Chinese New Year (late January/early February).
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HORSE RACING
Horse racing is Hong Kong’s biggest spectator sport, probably because until recently it was the only form of legalised gambling in the territory apart from the Mark Six Lottery, and no one likes to wager like the Hong Kong Chinese. There are about 80 meetings a year at two racecourses: one in Happy Valley Click here on Hong Kong Island, with a capacity for 35,000 punters, and the newer and larger one at Sha Tin Click here in the New Territories accommodating around 80,000.
The racing season is from September to June, with most race meetings at Happy Valley taking place on Wednesday at 7pm or 7.30pm and at Sha Tin on Saturday or Sunday afternoon. Check the website of the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC; information hotline 1817; www.hkjc.com; Ground fl, Kin Lee Bldg, 130 Jaffe Rd, Wan Chai; MTR Central, exit J3) for details, or pick up a list of race meetings from any HKTB information