MEDIA RELEASE FRIDAY, 27 JANUARY 2006
PODIUM FINISH FOR FAGAN IN HEINEKEN CAPE TO BAHIA YACHT RACE
80-year old Gawie Fagan and his crew on Suidoos 2 sailed across the finish line in Salvador to complete the 3380-mile Heineken Cape to Bahia yacht race in 21 days 22 hours and 24 minutes to take the third place on handicap. This is widely considered a remarkable accomplishment for the minuscule 9-metre Royal Cape One Design Suidoos 2 and her crew. Suidoos 2 is not only the oldest yacht in the fleet, skippered by the oldest skipper in the race, but bar the two mini-Transats she was also the smallest in the fleet.
Yachting enthusiasts all believed that Fagan did his final ocean crossing when he completed the 2003 Cape to Rio race on the same boat with his crack crew of son Henry Fagan and youngsters Jamie Waters and Brandon Smith. The lure of Salvador, capital of the Brazilian state Bahia, and the exciting new route proved to much for Fagan and on 4 January, he and his intrepid crew set off on this epic ocean crossing. Race organisers had Fagan pegged as a strong contender for handicap honours due to his amazing sailing experience spanning several decades and having a crack navigator in son Henry on board.
Fagan made history during the 1982 race when he scored a handicap victory over a highly competitive fleet on the 40-feet Suidoos. In 2003, he returned on the 29-foot Suidoos 2 and again threatened for handicap honours. Sailing with the exact same crew as in the 2003 race, Fagan proved pre-race predictions correct when he led on handicap for the first ten days of the race before eventual handicap winner Windsong took over the lead. During the first 72 hours of the race, the diminutive Suidoos 2 astounded followers of the race with her cracking pace covering close to 250 nautical miles at an average speed of more than 10 knots during a 24-hour period.
However, the treacherous South Atlantic high pressure system once again frustrated Fagan when they got stuck in a lull for several days and had to contend with covering a mere 70 miles per day. Despite their weather routing information, the system once again took its toll and Fagan had to watch his handicap lead being destroyed by a flying Windsong, skippered by Rob Meek. The super-light racer made the most of their more northerly course and light wind preference to eventually take line honours in 16 days 2 hours and 46 minutes.
Respectfully dubbed "Ancient Mariner" by the rest of fleet, Fagan and his crew was elated at their arrival in Salvador. "Obviously those windless days were awful. We also had a couple of breakages and had to fix the several sails by hand-stitching, but it was a great race," mentioned Fagan shortly after his arrival.
With the final cut-off date of 4 February looming and only a week to go, all eyes are now turning to the remainder of the fleet. Currently John Morley's Dream is the yacht with the furthest distance still to go to the finish with 928 miles left of her ocean crossing. As she is currently averaging over 140 miles, she should be in Salvador before the official cut-off next weekend if the winds hold. Both mini-Transats are looking in good shape to finish over the next couple of days. Brit Richard Smurthwaite sailing solo on the 6.5metre Crean is less than 500 miles from the finish and currently making good progress at speeds averaging 6.77 knots. Fellow single-handed Argentinian sailor Rodrigo Cella on board Federico trails by about 200 miles.
For race positions and updates, visit www.heinekencapetobahia.co.za.
MEDIA RELEASE
WEDNESDAY, 25 JANUARY 2006
QUADRIPLEGIC SKIPPER FINISHES HEINEKEN CAPE TO
BAHIA RACE
Today saw the fulfilment of a longstanding dream
for quadriplegic skipper Russell Vollmer when he managed to complete the
Heineken Cape to Bahia race on his catamaran Omnimed Seague earlier
today. Vollmer, who is also the commodore of Royal Cape Yacht Club,
gathered a crack crew of six and special modifications were done for the
3380-mile ocean crossing.
This race saw Vollmer’s second attempt at a South
Atlantic crossing as he sailed in the 2000 Cape to Rio race, but did not manage
to finish before the official cut-off time. This time he took to the seas
in a fast cruising catamaran that suited him ideally as the Chris White designed
Atlantic 55 provides ample space to accommodate his wheelchair. The
configuration of the yacht also gave him the opportunity to be more independent
and the ability to contribute more to the physical aspects of sailing.
Finishing in just 21 days, Vollmer still had to
contend with a ding-dong battle with Dave Bird’s Admiral Explorer and managed
to pip them during the final approach to Salvador to finish just 55 minutes
before them at 04h28 on Tuesday morning (09h28 SA time). Shortly after
the finish an elated Vollmer said: “It was a great race! I
thoroughly enjoyed every moment of the crossing. While the winds were light and
the sea flat, it meant much more mobility for me. Obviously the heavier weather
curtailed my mobility significantly. This race was a challenge for me as
I wanted to complete it in a good time, on a yacht with the potential for a
podium position and with a crew of friends. I am so grateful to the owner of
Segue, Malcolm Hodd, who
gave me the opportunity to meet another of my challenges and our sponsor,Adrien
Pule, who provided the financial backing to bring it all together.
The two KwaZulu Natal entries Unzipped (Adrian
Kuttel) and Unleashed (Dale Promnitz) continued their sibling rivalry right to
the finish line. The two identical Alex Simonis-designed Pacer 42 Clubs,
built and owned by Leisure Yachts in Durban, finished the epic blue-water
classic a mere 7 minutes apart shortly before 04h00 Brazilian time. The
next boat expected at the finish line is Wayne Badehorst and Danny
Blackenberg’s African Renaisance, which had only 128 miles to go at the last
daily position report.
Gawie Fagan and his crew on Suidoos 2 is still 177
miles out of Salvador, but are currently experiencing good breezes and
maintaining an average boat speed of almost seven knots. If they can keep
their speed up, they should finish on Thursday morning and are likely to
shuffle the handicap leader board significantly. Although they are
currently in 10th place on handicap, a finish time of less than 23 days could
see Suidoos 2 usurping Polo Sport Gumption current position of runner-up on
handicap.
For the two mini-Transats Crean and Federico, the
race is still far from over. The small 6.5 metre yachts are being sailed
single-handed by Brit Richard Smurthwaite and Argentinian Rodrico Cella and
still have 776 and 998 miles to go respectively before they hit Salvador.
Both are currently making good progress at speeds just under 7 knots. The
two mini-Transants are the smallest yachts ever to participate in the South
Atlantic race.
For race updates and daily positions, visit www.heinekencapetobahia.co.za.
RACE UPDATE - TUESDAY, 24 JAN 2006
Dear Race Followers,
Herewith finishing times to date as
follows:
Most recent boat to arrive in Salvador:
- Mamelie - 24th at 04,19,07 UTC.
We are expecting Thunderchild in at about 12,30 today...
Recent finishers
- Windsong - 20th at 15:46:36
- Gumption - 21st at 14:42:19
- Blithe Spirit - 23rd at 11:36:20
- MTU Fascination of Power - 23rd at 13:47:43
- Devonvale Broadreach - 23rd at 14:58:46
Due to the last finishers, the handicap
rankings have shuffled significantly.
See attached position report for the latest update. (or scroll down to view position table)
DIARY ENTRY FROM AUTOATLANTIC
THUNDERCHILD (TC):
REVEALED.... "Keel Damage,
All Safe on Board"
Hi all Thunderchild supporters,
This will no doubt be the most significant
communication leaving TC the entire race, but we feel that we owe an
explanation and clarification to all family, friends & followers on the
situation reported as an "onboard anomaly" on the 4th day into the
race, and eluded to in subsequent diaries. With under 200 miles to go to the
finish and having run flat downwind for the past few days, we feel our
situation is now reasonably safe and that we can finally come clean:-
On the morning of the fourth day of the race,
after powering out of Cape Town in a 35-knot southeaster and reaching for three
days to the northwest at boat speeds of up to 23knots, a serious structural
crack was discovered in the boat's aluminium space frame during a routine
inspection of the bilges. The space frame, the backing base on which the boats
keel bolts to the hull, had developed a 750mm fracture of the weld from the
front of the keel to about half way back on the port side. Basically the port
side of the keel root has become disconnected from the structural aluminium
reinforcing inside and any further failure of the weld could be sudden and
catastrophic, ripping out the glass fibre bottom of the boat. This crack is
panting open and shut as the boat heels over waves. We can only presume this
damage occurred while pushing the boat over the first 72 hours of the race, as
pre-start examinations of the hull, keel and space frame were carried out by
three qualified experts.
Being mindful of the recent Moquini tragedy
(Durban - Mauritius race) crew safety is of paramount concern and a decision
was made to immediately depower Thunderchild to lessen the stress on the keel.
The boat's inflatable liferaft, 100 litres of fresh water, lifejackets and
survival essentials have been stationed at the stern and crew members allocated
tasks in case an emergency evacuation becomes necessary. Grab bags containing
passports, flares, a portable VHF radio, the satellite phone, GPS, torches and
extra batteries have been placed strategically for swift removal. A crewmember
has been allocated the task of activating the EPIRB emergency warning beacon if
necessary and emergency frequencies on the SSB radio have been brushed up on.
Should the keel fracture or separate from the hull, there would more than
likely be only a few minutes to evacuate the yacht (bearing in mind that it
would probably be lying on its side or upside down). We are grateful that a few
of the crew have just completed a survival at sea course, a condition placed on
every yacht before they were permitted to start the race.
Once all emergency precautions had been taken,
the skippers then called a crew meeting in order to discuss the following
options:
- To take the same option as Hi Fidelity (we had just heard that they had
retired from the race with a damaged rudder after hitting a whale) and to sail
800 miles back to Cape Town against strong winds and swell which would entail
heavy beating which in turn would
place additional and dangerous stress on the keel or:
- to carry on to Salvador (downwind), choosing a route where we could keep
TC flat, thus minimising the stresses on the space frame while on port tack.
This essentially meant that we were in the hands of the gods with regard to our
route in that we would be obliged to follow the contours of the wind patterns.
The crew was further informed that the first
consideration was to get TC to shore safely & that competing in the race
would have to become a secondary consideration.
It was unanimously agreed by all that returning to Cape Town would be far
too dangerous and that the only alternative was to continue on to Salvador. It
was almost an Apollo 13 situation - we couldn't return directly home before
first reaching our destination. It was then agreed that family & friends
not be informed about the seriousness of the situation but instead that regular
satellite phone contact be maintained with one of the yachts in the fleet. It
was also decided that as our co-ordinates are only given once a day to Cape
Town Radio, we should include current time/position/heading information each
time we email updates to our website administrator, so our position is always
known.
It was also extensively debated as to whom in
the fleet we could inform of our dilemma, as we obviously did not want the
situation leaked to the press before family were informed. It was eventually
decided that Alan Mathias on Omnimed Segue would be informed. Alan, being a
crewmember of Thunderchild back in Cape Town, an extremely reliable person and
an old friend to boat, seemed to be the perfect choice. The fact that he knows
the boat well and is also due to handle the delivery of Thunderchild back to
Cape Town after the race was a bonus. Alan has been duly kept updated of our
situation via satellite phone. It was also agreed that the only mention we
would make in our daily diary of the situation was of our "onboard
anomaly” that was forcing us to deviate from the best route.
Daily checks on the extent of the damage and whether it may be worsening
were also decided upon. It was determined that keeping the boat flat and
continuing to run with the wind toward Salvador on the rhum line was the safest
option.
It becomes quite nerve wracking whenever TC is
powered up or heels over too much, particularly whilst lying in ones bunk attempting
to get some sleep. At least one night of heavy winds was spent sailing under
mainsail only in an effort to keep the heel of the boat at a safe angle.
Whilst it had always been a serious race
consideration to follow a straighter rhum-line course to Salvador trading the
stronger trade wind conditions further north for the shorter course&
lighter wind condition further south, the damage to the keel left us no option
but to continue the straighter course. Due to prevailing weather conditions it
was only possible to tack on day eleven at which time we tacked into an upwind
situation. Even then, light weather beating into the chop felt uncomfortable
and was cause for concern, again causing us to compromise on our preferred
course. Whilst we knew that we were heading into very fickle wind areas, it was
still soul destroying having to wallow around for some 5 days down south whilst
our competitors up north pulled away in leaps and bounds.
Thankfully our conditions in general have been
light, a factor that has played a part in minimising pressures on the keel and
allowing us to get TC back to within 200 miles of the finish. The irony of the
situation is that when we are alongside, it is a matter of about an hours work
with a qualified welder to repair the damage.
We offer apologies to family members and
friends for not sharing this information sooner, but felt the delayed timing of
this disclosure to be best given the circumstances.
The crew of Auto Atlantic Thunderchild express
disappointment at the situation, particularly in relation to our sponsor, Auto
Atlantic. The disappointing result is regrettable, but we are all relieved to
know that Salvador is just over the horizon and that we are sure to arrive
within the next 24 hours, safe & sound & without further mishap.
We would like to thank Alan Mathias and all
onboard OmniMed Segue for their assistance throughout the race and for
maintaining the confidentiality of the situation.
To our Web-mamma Janey - we did not want to
confide in you on the situation as we felt that it would not be fair on you to
have this burden of uncertainty hanging over yourself - our apologies &
thank you for a tremendous job well done.
To our crew who have gone through quite a
tense period but have never faltered in their duties – thanks to you all.
Co-Skippers
Rhett & Glenn Goldswain
MEDIA RELEASE
TUESDAY, 24 JANUARY 2006
DAMAGED YACHT LIMPS INTO SALVADOR TO
FINISH HEINEKEN RACE
The crew of the Lavranos-designed Auto
Atlantic Thunderchild is celebrating their completion of the Heineken Cape to
Bahia yacht race after supporters and race spent anxious hours awaiting their
arrival. In a communication off the boat on Monday, the crew reported
that they have been sailing with severe keel damage for the past two weeks.
According to the crew, they did not
want to alarm friends and family unnecessarily, but felt that with Salvador in
sight an explanation for their frustratingly slow progress should be
forthcoming. “We discovered the crack in the boat’s aluminium space frame
during a routine inspection of the bilges about four days after the
start. Basically the port side of the keel root became disconnected from
the structural aluminium reinforcing inside and any further failure of the weld
could be sudden and catastrophic, ripping out the glass fibre bottom of the
boat. This crack is panting open and shut as the boat heels over waves. We can
only presume this damage occurred while pushing the boat during the first 72
hours of the race, as pre-start examinations of the hull, keel and space frame
were carried out by three qualified experts.”
Fears that the rough, bumpy seas and
strong winds would add stress to the keel and endanger the lives of crew
members should they turn back for Cape Town urged the crew to continue for
Salvador. This decision caused the boat to search for low wind and flat
seas to minimise stress on the keel. “Obviously the safety of the crew
was my primary concern and we had the boat’s inflatable life raft and emergency
survival supplies stashed on board in case an emergency evacuation became
necessary. We are all relieved to know that Salvador is just over the
horizon and that we are sure to arrive within the next 24 hours,” wrote Rhett
Goldswain yesterday.
Auto Atlantic Thunderchild received a
tumultuous welcome when she finished the race shortly after 15h00 SA
time. This setback has obviously ruined Thunderchild’s chances on a good
handicap placing, but the handicap rankings are constantly shuffled as more
yachts finish the epic ocean crossing.
It is starting to look as if Windsong
will maintain her first place on handicap and that skipper Rob Meek and his
crew will be the recipients of the magnificent South Atlantic trophy.
Nicholas Mace on Polo Sport Gumption remains in second place, while John Martin
on MTU Fascination of Power is currently third after they finished on Monday
afternoon. Double-handed sailors JJ Provoyeur and Anthony Spillebeen
celebrated their arrival in Salvador and overall fourth place on handicap on
Monday night.
Both Gillie B (Mike Bartholomew) and
the German entry (Mamelie) finished in the early hours of the morning (08h12
and 09h19 SA time respectively) to move into fifth and sixth places on
handicap. Gawie Fagan and his 3-man crew on board Suidoos 2 are still
being plagued by the lightening winds and are averaging just over 5 knots with
over 300 nautical miles still to go to the finish line. 80-year old Fagan
led the handicap race for the first ten days after the start, but the light
conditions has seen them slip down to seventh spot on the rankings with hopes
of making good times diminishing quickly.
For race updates and daily positions,
visit www.heinekencapetobahia.co.za.
MEDIA RELEASE
MONDAY, 23 JANUARY 2006
FLURRY OF FINISHES IN HEINEKEN CAPE TO
BAHIA YACHT RACE
The 37-foot Reichel Pugh design Windsong, skippered
by Rob Meek, took line honours in the mono-hull class of the Heineken Cape to
Bahia yacht race when they finished in 16 days 2 hours and 46 minutes on Friday
evening. Skipper Rob Meek and his crew are obviously delighted with this
achievement and look set to make it a double whammy with the handicap honours
as well. Depending on the finish times of the rest of the fleet, Windsong
could join only two other boats in the history of the race to win both line
honours and the South Atlantic handicap trophy.
Polo Sport Gumption, skippered by Gauteng businessman
Nicholas Mace, put up a brave fight after instrument failure earlier in the
race caused them to divert to a more northerly course than originally
planned. However, as the South Atlantic high pressure system played havoc
on the fleet, the northerly route suddenly looked tactically like an inspired
move. As the rest of the fleet was becalmed, Gumption still managed
speeds in excess of 8 knots to make up valuable time. Gumption finished
her race on Saturday evening in 17 days 1 hour 42 minutes – a mere 23 hours
behind the superfast, light-weight Windsong to provisionally take the second
spot on handicap.
It now becomes a waiting game for the yachts that
have already finished. Gawie Fagan’s Suidoos 2 is clinging tenaciously to
the third spot on the handicap ratings and could still be a threat to the
second placed Polo Sport Gumption. Son Henry Fagan reported that all is
well on board the 29-feet yacht and that everyone is in good shape.
“Conditions are still favourable for excellent trade-wind sailing. We’re
flying along beautifully with just over 470 nautical miles to go to the
finish.”
The race committee in Salvador is currently
frantically busy organising a warm Salvador welcome with dancing groups,
traditional blessings and samba bands for the next arrivals due later on
Monday. Australian Neville Stanford and his crew on the multi-hull Blithe
Spirit and sailing legend John Martin and his naval crew on MTU Fascination of
Power finished within hours of each other. Blithe Spirit finished in 19
days 11 hours 36 minutes, while Martin clocked in at 19 days 13 hours 47
minutes just after 15h00 SA time. The double-handed entry Devonvale
Broadreach with JJ Provoyeur and Anthony Spillebeen on board is also expected
to finish shortly.
However, the wind gods continue to haunt the
competitors as lighter airs are being reported throughout the fleet. A
very frustrated JJ Provoyeur reported being stuck only 15 miles from the
finish. “I can’t believe it. We are currently doing only 3 knots
and the wind has literally died on us. We had John Martin in sight
earlier, but they’ve disappeared and we’re still out here. It is
excruciating!!”
Martin and his crew have been relegated to fifth
position on handicap by the German entry Mamelie, who snuck into fourth place
on handicap over the weekend. Devonvale Broadreach is currently in sixth
place.
For race positions and updates, visit www.heinekencapetobahia.co.za.
RACE UPDATE - MONDAY, 23 JAN
2006
Dear Race Followers,
With 3 boats already docked in the port
of Bahia, see attached images of the arrival of Gumption and crew.
We eagerly await the arrival of next
competitors in line: Blithe Spirit, Mtu Fascination of Power
and Devonvale Broadreach . We were expecting them to arrive yesterday this
time, but with no wind, no arrival!
Based on the latest report, Blith Spirit has a
mere 22 nautical miles to shore, Mtu Fascination of Power has 33 miles to go
and Devonvale Broadreach is close behind with 37 miles before reaching the
finish.
See attached position report for
the latest update. (or scroll down to view position table)
DIARY ENTRY FROM OMNIMED SEGUE: SUNDAY EVENING
'Chasing down the Admiral'
We are fair romping home, great speeds through
the night, 11 knot averages in an hour, great sailing!
At sunrise a masthead light was spotted on the
port forward bow, they were identified as Admiral Explorer, Dave Bird. They've
done very well to be ahead of us but we are hoping to change this situation.
Working hard on closing them down and to make matters worse the winds have
lightened and we're required to work much harder at our boat speed.
Deck showers are very popular and again today,
even Malcolm succumbed, but when asked if he enjoyed it, he commented,
"Cold and wet, most unpleasant!"
Best,
The Crew
No media releases
received other than to say that Windsong finished on Friday as scheduled
followed by Polo Sport Gumption on Saturday.
Looks like PSG’s plan of going north at the start (even though it was
partly due to instrument failure) paid off as they did not suffer any days of
little or no wind and were able to make up the extra miles from their deviation
and also pass the rest of the fleet.
Congratulations to both boats.
RACE UPDATE - FRIDAY, 20 JAN
2006
Dear Race Followers,
As we excitedly await the arrival of Windsong
in Bahia, expected at noon today (5pm SA time), the rest of the fleet
continues the battle of the waves and the wind in the race against
time. Unleashed has made remarkable progress moving up 4 positions (from
11th yest to 7th place today).
Unzipped, Maestro and Gilly B have all moved
down 1 position in the IRC class.
In the Rally-Multi class, Alleycat has climbed
1 position to 4th place with Admiral Explorer moving down 1 place to 5th
position.
DIARY ENTRY FROM LEADING 'WINDSONG'
: THURS EVE AT 18h50
Riding the squalls into Salvador
We expect to cross the finish line off the
Marina Bahia at noon today .
We have been experiencing frustrating and
demanding sailing conditions as we get closer
to the coast. The prevailing wind has dropped to 9 knots except where the
large black rainsqualls come sweeping down onto Windsong and the wind changes
direction and increases in strength to 30 knots.
.These gusts hit at night and we have had a few
classic broaches.
We are well positioned with regard to our
opposition and are nicely placed between Gumption and
the finish and she appears to be more than a day behind us.
Our crew are now working as tight knit unit
but looking forward to our first meal, which is not
freeze dried. Each day we open a ration pack numbered for the day and
the only items that we have pirated from later packs is musli and rusks, so
Esme Beamish who vitalled the boat has done a great job. Even our
illusive water maker
is working and we are all in good shape.
The wind has just dropped away to 3 knots and
we expect a night of hard sailing before we finish.
Regards to all,
Rob Meek
MEDIA RELEASE
WEDNESDAY, 18 JANUARY 2006
HANDICAP HUNT IS ON FOR HEINEKEN CAPE TO BAHIA
FLEET
The Simonis Fast40 Polo Sport Gumption is chasing
hard to decrease the lead between her and handicap frontrunner Windsong, skippered
by Rob Meek, in the Heineken Cape to Bahia yacht race. Gauteng
businessman Nicholas Mace and his crew are pushing the boat hard and managed a
distance of 232 nautical miles at a pace of 9.6 knots during the past 24
hours. While Windsong only has 455 miles to the finish line in
Salvador and is enjoying good breezes and boat speed, Polo Sport Gumption still
trails by approximately 280 miles and will definitely put up a good fight.
Gumption took the most northerly route of the whole
fleet and the gamble is paying off handsomely as she moves into second position
on the handicap rankings and relegating former handicap leader Suidoos 2 into
third place. Fortunately the wind is coming through and most boats have
reported significantly increased speeds and vastly improved spirits on
board.
Skipper Mace is hoping to get stronger winds in
order to haul in Windsong and has commented on the competitiveness of this
race. “This is one of the only South Atlantic races in history that
constitutes a genuine, highly competitive race. Mono-hull line honours could
just as easily have gone to Hi-Fidelity, Thunderchild, Gumption, Unleashed or
Windsong – a 5 boat race. The fact that it is Windsong, the smallest of these,
leading shows just how tactical the race has been. Almost all the others have
almost been foregone conclusions. Similarly, the handicap competition has been
a very closely matched affair with likely candidates including MTU Fascination
of Power, Devonvale Broadreach, Suidoos 2, Unzipped and Gilly B. It will
be close in the end,” wrote Mace aka Skipper Sweetie.
John Martin and his naval entry MTU Fascination of
Power remains in fourth, while the Germans on Mamelie are placed fifth.
Double-handed entry Devonvale Broadreach has dropped down to sixth spot.
In a message from Anthony Spillebeen, he mentioned that JJ Provoyeur had a
nasty fall and is currently in quite some pain. “We were flying along and
as we came off a relatively long surf, I just heard a bang and then the
proverbial expletive. I found JJ prostrate on the leeward deck over the
runner winch with that nasty little shiny bit digging into his ribs. No
blood, but extremely painful.”
At the south of the fleet Thunderchild is still
struggling for breeze and for the second day in the row had to face a low
mileage of 73 miles. A report on their website reads: “Another frustrating day awaits us. It seems that someone
has contrived to send us into every light aired area in the whole South
Atlantic. This is day four of this no wind story and frustrations have given
way to irritation. Everyone is on edge and it's not much fun to be aboard. All
we can do is wait patiently for the wind to fill in - although the
non-fulfilment of the past few days’ weather predictions has not left us with
much hope for this. “
Towards the rear of the fleet, solo sailor Richard
Smurthwaite on board Crean exulted in the long-awaited wind. “What a
difference a day makes! Spirits are high again on Crean. This is
what these mini-transat boats are made for. I have been surfing at 10-12
knots on a direct heading for Salvador and did 100 miles in 12 hours -
certainly a personal record. Flying fish are now accompanying me in
shoals of 200, which look like a flock of birds taking off -
spectacular. I have devised a new way of keeping things on course whilst
resting. I found that when the boat is heeled at the right angle, I can
see the Windex through the hatch and can change direction from my bunk using
the autopilot remote control,” reported Smurthwaite.
p.s. Windsong is a UK boat!
MEDIA RELEASE
TUESDAY, 17 JANUARY 2006
WIND KICKS IN FOR HEINEKEN CAPE TO BAHIA FLEET
After frustratingly slow progress for the Heineken
Cape to Bahia fleet during the past couple of days, the weather gods have
eventually smiled on the fleet again. As the high pressure systems
shifts, the wind is filling in and boat speeds are generally picking up. Rob
Meek on Windsong is still in the handicap lead followed by Gawie Fagan on
Suidoos 2 and Polo Sport Gumption in third place. John Martin and his
naval crew continues in the fourth spot with double-handed entry
Devonvale Broadreach remaining in fifth place on the handicap rankings.
Windsong’s more westerly location to the rest of
the fleet has seen her skirting the worst effects of the high pressure system
and she’s back to a boat speed of over 8 knots. Wolf Seitz, navigator on
board handicap leader Windsong, reports relief at the changing
conditions. “The worst is over - we have changed gear and are heading for
base. We seem to have broken out of the lull and are back to regular
trade wind conditions of 12-16 knots wind speed. We were fortunate to be
able to skirt the 'parking lot' most of the fleet is still struggling to
escape. It seems as if the South Atlantic high moved north and split into two
cells, trapping most of the fleet in an extended calm in the middle. This also
forced us further north of our intended course in fairly light conditions
adding extra time and distance to our passage,” writes Seitz.
Looking at their position, Seitz reckons that
Suidoos2 will still struggle for wind for the next 24 hours. “Gumption
has made a remarkable appearance on our radar screen to the north east of us.
However, they will be challenged to catch up the 300 nautical miles difference
as the pressure starts to fill our sails as well,” mentions the 2003 Cape to
Rio race handicap winner.
Auto Atlantic Thunderchild has probably
been the most severely affected by the shift in the system and had to be
satisfied with a dismal 2.3 knots boat speed and coverage of only 55
miles. This saw them drop another two places in the handicap rankings to
tenth position. “After a hot and deathly boring day, we have finally
found some wind. That we are doing only 5 knots and are happy about it, should
tell you something about our levels of frustration,” read the report from the
boat early this morning.
The German crew on board Mamelie is delighted with their overall fifth place on handicap. Last night they reported a magnificent full moon and eventually getting enough wind to outsail the flying fish. “We’re currently running along nicely and if we manage to maintain an average speed of 7 knots, we are in a really good position to get to the top of the IRC 2 class. We need to give some time to our chief competitor Suidoos 2, but if we concentrate and put in the effort, we might just achieve this goal,” stated the message on their website.
MEDIA RELEASE
MONDAY, 16 JANUARY 2006
HANDICAP BATTLE HEATS UP IN HEINEKEN CAPE TO BAHIA
YACHT RACE
After this weekend’s excitement at Adrenalina
Pura’s record-breaking crossing in the multi-hull class of the Heineken Cape to
Bahia yacht race, the rest of the fleet is settling down to fight the
frustrating battle for wind and ultimately handicap honours in this blue water
classic. Rob Meek and his crew on Windsong have increased their hold on
the handicap position and opened a 31-hour lead over former handicap leader
Suidoos 2.
The hi-tech Windsong still has 869 miles to go to
the finish line in Salvador and is currently maintaining an average boat speed
of 6.95 knots. As the most westerly located yacht, Windsong has escaped
the frustration of absolute wind lulls, while Suidoos 2 had a miserable day and
only managed to make 72 miles progress to keep their second position in the
handicap rankings.
Polo Sport Gumption on the other hand is currently
on an absolute flyer averaging over ten knots. Skipper Nicholas Mace took
a gamble last week when he veered almost due north, but it seems as if this
tactic is paying off as their run during the past 24-hours has catapulted them
into third place on handicap. As predicted over the weekend, the rest of
the fleet was captured in nearly windless conditions, while the breeze filled
in for Gumption.
John Martin on MTU Fascination of Power has moved
down to fourth place and reported extremely frustrating conditions. “For
the first time in the race, we actually stopped dead still for about 3
hours. Talk about parking lots!! On the bright side, the water
temperature is 25 ºC and the sea the most stunning turquoise,” wrote Martin.
JJ Provoyeur and Anthony Spillebeen sailing
double-handed on Devonvale Broadreach remain in fifth place and are also
fighting the elements. “Shortly after filing my report on Saturday, JJ
advised of a pending shower. There was a big black cylinder of water on
the horizon and we were sucked into this system, pulled forward with a feeling
of euphoria, only to spit out the moment we felt comfortable. There we
sat for 12 hours becalmed in a place that is surely very beautiful for gin and
tonics, but not for yacht racing. Fortunately we’ve been moving it up
again since Sunday evening. Formulating a new game plan and eking every
last sport of energy out of the wind,” wrote Spillebeen.
German Jakob Leverkus on board Mamelie and Mike Bartholomew on Gilly B have managed to force Auto Atlantic Thunderchild down into eight handicap position, but spirits remain upbeat onboard. “After two days of patchy light winds and a period of over 10 hours sitting becalmed, we have finally hit a good airflow, which is propelling us to the west at over 7 knots. In approximately 12 hours, we will alter course to the north and begin the fast and exhilarating run toward Salvador. Needless to say, the general morale of the guys has improved exponentially with the increase in boat momentum,” reported their website on Sunday.
MEDIA RELEASE SUNDAY, 15 JANUARY 2006
RECORD SHATTERED IN HEINEKEN CAPE TO BAHIA
The Brazilian catamaran Adrenalina Pura crossed the
finish line in Salvador at approximately 18h00 local time (23h00 SA time) on
Saturday evening to take line honours in the multi-hull class of the Heineken
Cape to Bahia yacht race. With her
awe-inspiring performance and crossing time of 10 days 8 hours and 1 minute,
Adrenalina shattered the previous crossing record by just over to five days.
Skippered by owner George Ehrensperger and Donald Wright, Adrenalina Pura set
the record of 15 days 8 hours and 44 minutes in the 2003 Cape to Rio race when
multi-hulls were for the first time allowed to enter the race.
As predicted, she beat the race organisers to
Salvador and two travelling South African journalists and officials from the
nautical centre CENAB became the official race time keepers in the absence of
the race committee. Seasoned followers
of the race reckon that this record could stand unbroken for several future
races. Adrenalina Pura and her crew
received a boisterous welcome to Bahia, the land of the drums, with dancing
girls in traditional costumes and musical troupes waiting at the quayside to
welcome them home.
According to Ehrensperger, it has been an
absolutely incredible race. “We had the
best sailing on the first night of the race when the boat reached a top speed
of 27 knots. We’ve been really lucky as
our wind never slackened and we had no problems on board. We literally just had the best weather
ever,” said Ehrensperger shortly after his arrival. Ehrensperger played a huge role in persuading local organisers
and the Bahian authorities to bring the race to its new finishing port of
Salvador, capital of the state Bahia, for the first time in the illustrious
history of the South Atlantic race, which was first sailed in 1971.
“I suspect that this might actually be my last
South Atlantic race, although the boat might be back to defend her record. I would, however, very much like to stay
involved in the organisational side of the race. I think this is an absolutely amazing and exciting race. It has huge potential to grow and I’d like to
play a part in that,” mentioned Ehrensperger.
In the race for handicap honours and the coveted
South Atlantic trophy, a ding-dong battle is developing between the front
runners. Most of the fleet is currently
almost becalmed as the dreaded South Atlantic high pressure system lives up to
its reputation of ruining races. Except
for handicap leader Windsong and the more northerly located Polo Sport
Gumption, the reports of frustratingly slow progress have poured in from all
the boats.
Windsong still leads Suidoos 2 in second position
with John Martin in third position on MTU Fascination of Power in third
position. Double-handed entry Devonvale
Broadreach with JJ Provoyeur and Anthony Spillebeen has moved up into fourth
place and German entry Mamelie in fifth.
Veteran sailor John Martin, skipper of the naval
entry MTU Fascination of Power, has posed the question whether paddling is
against race regulations. “This is literally
what they call being up the creek with no paddle. Well, at least we’re maintaining our sense of humour. With an average speed of 3½ knots there’s
not much else we can do,” wrote Martin.
Rob Meek on Windsong still enjoys the handicap lead
and is delighted with their pre-race tactics.
“Our more northerly course has definitely paid off as the boats to the
south of us have been trapped in the South Atlantic High. Our secret weapon to get Windsong through
the high was to unleash the three Vaalies on the boat. For them the South Atlantic High is like
heavy weather sailing compared to what they are used to sailing in on the Vaal
Dam. Wingsong is behaving like a highly
spirited filly in these conditions and her large billowing spinnakers are able
to get her moving fast in almost any wind,” wrote skipper Rob Meek from on
board Windsong.
Meek reckons he has pulled together a highly
balanced team with three Gauteng sailors, two Capetonians and one
Durbanite. As navigator, Wolf Seitz
brings his experience of a handicap win in the previous Cape to Rio race to the
game, while Craig Schweitzer is on as general crew and Graeme Willcox, winner
of the recent Fireball nationals, is a specialist helmsman. Matt Trautman from Durban is the bowman and
will be Windsong’s delivery skipper back to the United Kingdom. Sieraj Jacobs from Cape Town has taken a
break from the Shosholoza crew and is bringing a high level of professionalism
to Windsong from his America’s Cup experience.
Gauteng businessman Nicholas Mace on Polo Sport
Gumption has put his instrument problems behind him and is still worrying the
rest of the fleet. “Except for Gumption
and Windsong, the more southern boats are trapped in low to zero winds and
according to predictions can expect no relief for the next three days. On the other hand we are making in excess of
180 miles per day and expect to increase this substantially if we can jump into
the wind belt just ahead of us.” Within
the last 48 hours Gumption has moved from 13th to 8th place on the handicap
rankings.
MEDIA RELEASE
FRIDAY, 13 JANUARY 2006
WINDSONG LEADS HANDICAP RACE IN HEINEKEN CAPE TO
BAHIA
Following ten days of incredibly resolute
performances by Gawie Fagan and his 3-member crew in the Heineken Cape to Bahia
yacht race, Suidoos 2 has relinquished her handicap lead. After a close
battle fought over several days in ever lightening wind conditions, Rob Meek on
Windsong has overtaken the 29-feet Suidoos 2 to head the handicap honours list
in this epic trans-Atlantic crossing. Over the past 24-hours, Windsong
has opened a lead of 3.5 hours over closest rival Suidoos 2, but with the
unpredictability of the South Atlantic high, this can by no means be considered
a comfortable lead.
Skipper Rob Meek was delighted by their ranking
today, but hesitant to celebrate too early. “Now the question is, can we
hang onto it? Gumption is beginning to look like a threat - she's very fast in
light winds (but so are we), and she's further North than us. On the other
hand, yesterday she was 300 miles behind us and she owes us time on handicap.
The high is forecast to move South again and she could get the wind before us,”
mentioned Meek.
By position report time earlier on Friday, Polo
Sport Gumption continued to baffle spectators – this time through radio
silence. Gumption was the most northerly positioned boat of the whole
fleet and speculations were rife that Nicholas Mace and his crew were planning
a very tactical assault on their competitors into Salvador. However, in
an e-mail to race organisers later on Friday, Mace admitted to major instrument
trouble on board. “All our offsets were deleted. This was combined
with a GPS failure and no communications between the PC and the instruments and
GPS. The result was that we were steering further north rather than
northwesterly – a blunder that has seen us lose 60 miles to Thunderchild,”
wrote a disappointed Mace.
All is not necessarily lost for Gumption as her
position at the top of the high gives her significantly more wind than the
remainder of the fleet, which is literally becalmed. “We’re getting
between 8-12 knots of winds and the forecast is that the calms in the south are
due to persist for a couple of days, while we can expect 12-14 knot breezes in
our area. Who knows, we might just be able to pull a great Houdini.”
The curse of the Atlantic has struck most of the
fleet as the high pressure system doubled in size and brought most of the
yachts to a crawling halt. Whether it is just the feared hole of the high
pressure system or if the old fishermen’s superstition about Friday the 13th
“A Friday’s sail always fails” is coming into play, only time will tell.
Fagan has slowed down to an average of only 4.75 knots while the rest of the
contenders are having to work hard to keep speeds up, which are currently
hovering under 6 knots.
MTU Fascination of Power, skippered by John Martin
with a naval crew, remains in third position with Auto Atlantic Thunderchild
entrenched in fourth place. Double-handed entry Devonvale Broadreach
continues a good performance to stay in fifth place, which is a very credible
position if taken into account that they’re sailing two up against fully crewed
competitors.
Adrenalina Pura, skippered by George Ehrensperger and
Donald Wright, looks set to shatter the multi-hull crossing record of 15 days
and could even beat the race committee to Salvador. With only 495 miles
to the finish at an average boat speed of 13.7 knots, the big catamaran could
cross the finish line as early as Saturday afternoon in an incredible crossing
time of only ten days.
MEDIA RELEASE
THURSDAY, 12 JANUARY 2006
WEATHER SLOWS DOWN HEINEKEN CAPE TO BAHIA FLEET
The dreaded South Atlantic high pressure system has
eventually caught up with most of the fleet participating in the Heineken Cape
to Bahia yacht race. After a couple of really fast days, the system has
almost doubled in size within a couple of hours and light winds have been
reported widely. Except for the front runners, most competitors are
experiencing significantly slower boat speeds and smaller distances covered.
Gawie Fagan on the small Suidoos 2 is still
clinging ferociously to his handicap lead and although they only covered 153
nautical miles in the past 24 hours, they are still leading Rob Meek’s
Windsong. Meek and his highly experienced crew are currently the most
westerly located mono-hull and it seems as if their winds have persisted as
they managed to cover 210 miles at close to 9 knots.
The ding-dong battle for the third spot on handicap
between John Martin and his navy crew on MTU Fascination of Power and the
Goldswain brothers continues as Martin swaps moves into third place and Auto
Atlantic Thunderchild slips down to fourth place.
Devonvale Broadreach being sailed double-handed by
JJ Provoyeur and Anthony Spillebeen, remains in fifth position and it seems
that their route tactics of a more northerly route continues to pay off as they
covered close to 200 miles. Provoyeur wrote earlier today that they had
an interesting though predominantly light day. “We know the race is about light
air tactics and just maybe that gybe north is going to have some silver lining
attached to it. We are both physically tired, more from sleep deprivation than physical
work. It has become obvious to us that double handed sailing against
fully crewed boats is a bit more than we thought and that our combined
naturalyl competitive instincts are forcing us to become smart quickly.
Someone on deck 24/7 is imperative to keep the speeds up.”
Polo Sport Gumption continues on its northerly
course and confounding spectators with her tactics. Speculations are rife
that skipper Nicholas Mace might just have an ace up his sleeves and could
cause a surprise if the wind gods smile on him. With the exception of the
big multi-hulls, the lighter Windsong and Devonvale Broadreach, Gumption was
the only boat to cover a distance greater than 200 nautical miles. This
might mean that she’s still in stronger breezes and if the high pressure system
lulls the rest of the fleet, Gumption could be in win a strong chance.
In the mean time a race of a different kind has
developed between the Brazilian catamaran Adrenalina Pura and the race
organisers to see who will get to Salvador first. After the latest
report, George Ehrensperger and his crew are going full throttle averaging over
15 knots with only 823 miles to go to the finish. Having obviously caught
the better winds in front of the system, they are recording their fastest speeds
of the race to date and could finish as early as this coming Saturday.
Paraplegic skipper Russell Vollmer is also on an
absolute flyer on the catamaran Omnimed Segue maintaining an average boat speed
of over 13 knots in an attempt to catch rival multi-hull Blithe Spirit,
skippered by Australian Neville Stanford.
Solo sailor Richard Smurthwaite on the 6.5metre
mini-Transat Crean is also lamenting the wind changes. “Having had a good
day yesterday averaging 10/11 knots and covering 150 miles, the wind has
dropped right off today. Spent 7 hrs creeping out of it by going
North, and even North East for a bit, but is now underway again.
Celebrated being out there for one week by having fruit cocktail and evaporated
milk! Lots of baby powder and sudocrem are being used
for the sore bits, which are now emerging. Grateful for that extra
piece of foam that was packed at the last minute! Generally in good
spirits though,” wrote Smurthwaite.
MEDIA RELEASE
WEDNESDAY, 11 JANUARY 2006
ROUTE TACTICS CRUCIAL FOR HEINEKEN CAPE TO BAHIA
RACE
After a day of radio silence, Gawie Fagan on
Suidoos 2 reported his position this morning to confirm that he still leads the
handicap race in the Heineken Cape to Bahia yacht race. A great day of
sailing, the 37-feet, super-light Windsong has, however, reduced the lead on
handicap to just over 3 hours.
Skipper Rob Meek and his crew covered 226 nautical
miles averaging 9.4 knots during the past 24 hours. According to race
secretary Eric Wells, Windsong is currently really well-placed in the existing
weather conditions and on a more westerly course. “I would, however, keep
a close watch on Nicholas Mace of Polo Sport Gumption as they might be on a
flyer and if they strike stronger winds, there might be an exciting challenge
on the cards. Gumption was the only other mono-hull to cover a similar
distance (225 nm) at a similar speed to that of Windsong,” stated Wells.
Polo Sport Gumption started on a more northerly
course earlier this week and is still going north. Although they are on
virtually the same latitude as Windsong, they are still further to the east and
a sudden wind change could cause quite a battle. Gauteng businessman Mace
predicted prior to the start of the race that he’ll take a more northerly route
and then try to slingshot into Salvador.
John Martin and his naval crew on board MTU
Fascination of Power remains in third position on handicap with Auto Atlantic
Thunderchild in fourth place. The double-handed entry Devonvale
Broadreach with JJ Provoyeur and Anthony Spillebeen on board has moved up two
positions in the rankings into the fifth position on handicap. Earlier
this week, they decided on a more northerly course similar to that of Gumption,
which saw them dropping down to 7th place.
In an e-mail by Spillebeen, he confessed their initial disappointment with their tactics to sail a more northerly course, but this was soon remedied. “We met good steady breeze and have just come off a potential 230 mile straight line day, which has been an awesome experience even if the desired effect on the overall position is not there. We were flying along, chatting, snacking and dealing with a humungous squall. The predawn was awesome with Provs (Provoyeur) at his vintage best, bottom lip tucked in and head cocked. With an average wind speed of 15 knots, we never dropped below 9 knots,” wrote Spillebeen.
MEDIA RELEASE
TUESDAY, 10 JANUARY 2006
PURE ADRENALINE IN HEINEKEN CAPE TO BAHIA RACE
The Brazilian catamaran Adrenalina Pura had another
scorcher of a day in the Heineken Cape to Bahia yacht race covering close to
300 nautical miles at an average boat speed of 12.45 knots. She seems to
be headed due west and managing to sail over the top of the notorious South Atlantic
high pressure system. With only 1400 miles still to go to her home port
of Salvador, it becomes more likely that the current multi-hull crossing will
be shattered by several days.
George Ehrensperger and his crew set the record of
15 days 8 hours 44 minutes and 33 seconds in the 2003 Cape to Rio, which was
widely considered a fairly slow race. With the shorter route to Salvadar,
capital of the state of Bahia in Brazil, race organisers were fairly confident
that the record will be bettered. Before the start of the race,
Ehrensperger predicted that they should be able to shave at least a day off the
existing record in the forecasted weather conditions. If Ehrensperger and
his highly experienced crew of Claudio Bieikarck, Alex Welter, Donald Wright, Chris
Tibbs and Gustavo Pacheco maintain their current blistering boat speeds, a new
crossing record of 11 days is definitely on the cards.
Ehrensperger regularly sailed with Brasilian crack
yachtsman Torben Grail, the most successful Olympic sailor of all times, on the
MUMM 36 circuit in Europe and the States in the mid-1990’s. He was also
instrumental in the dynamic and exciting route change for the historic South
Atlantic Race, which will be finishing in the spectacular city of Salvador,
Bahia for the first time since its inception in 1971.
Although Gawie Fagan on Suidoos 2 did not report
his position today, an estimated distance of 175 miles keeps him in the
handicap lead over Rob Meek’s Windsong in second and John Martin on MTU
Fascination of Power. Auto Atlantic Thunderchild is in fourth position
with Mike Bartolomew’s Gilly B in fifth place.
Both double-handed entry Devonvale Broadreach (JJ
Provoyeur/Anthony Spillebeen) and Polo Sport Gumption, skippered by Gauteng
businessman Nicholas Mace, have veered sharply north and although this have
resulted in slower speeds, the next report will show if this tactical gamble
has paid off.
According to an early morning e-mail from
Spillebeen, the move has already paid dividends. “We know the competition
is to the north – now it’s hunting season. We started gibing north and
slowly began to build speed. The plan was to stay north until a big
header or shift came along. The shift came violently early this morning
and voila, we’re pointing back to Bahia. We’ve also settled into our game
plan of both being on deck in the wee hours. Life on board is great,
eating well, although not quite following the menu plan. Bit of improvisation
as we go along. As Napoleon
said: “A good army marches on its stomach.” I think
Taberley also preached
this rule,” reported Spillebeen.
For daily updates and tracking, visit www.heinekencapetobahia.co.za
MEDIA RELEASE
MONDAY, 9 JANUARY 2006
THE CHASE IS ON IN HEINEKEN CAPE TO BAHIA RACE
On day five of the Heineken Cape to Bahia yacht
race, the yachts at the front of the fleet have hit the trade winds and the
first couple have crossed the Greenwich Meridian. With approximately 2000
nautical miles still to go to the finish line in Salvador, skippers are now
turning their minds to tactics in order to catch handicap leader Gawie Fagan on
Suidoos2.
Fagan has been in the handicap lead since day one
of the 3380 nautical mile trans-Atlantic crossing and is putting in a stellar
performance on the small 29-footer. At this stage, Suidoos2 is leading
her closest rival Windsong by more than six hours on handicap.
Rob Meek on Windsong has maintained their position
in second place on handicap and is turning his attention to catching
Fagan. “Windsong being such a light boat with a large sail meant that our
weather routing programme indicated a more Northerly course than the rest of
the fleet. The next couple of days should show which route worked the
best. Today we suddenly arrived in the trade winds, the skies cleared and
the sea became deep blue and warm with skimming flying fish. As the
weather settles and the crew has managed a bit of rest, we were able to dry out
the boat and get some order. The rest of the fleet are strung out to the
south of us as we approach the Greenwich meridian. We look forward to a
tactical exercise as we move westward towards Bahia and see how we can slip
past the Ancient Mariner on Suidoos 2,” wrote skipper Meek in an e-mail.
Another veteran sailor John Martin and his navy
crew on board MTU Fascination of Power also made the most of the improved
weather conditions by jumping two places to third spot on handicap. “We
are cooking out here! Had a really good night averaging 11 knots and
surfing at 17 knots! We actually saw stars last night and spirits are
high,” reported Martin early on Monday morning.
The Goldswain brothers on Auto Atlantic
Thunderchild are in fourth place on handicap. JJ Provoyeur and Anthony
Spillebeen sailing double-handed on Devonvale Broadreach are continuing to
fulfil pre-race expectations of a very competitive challenge by remaining in
the top five on handicap.
George Ehrensperger’s catamaran Adrenalina Pura is
still leading the charge into Salvador and at her current pace is expected to
shatter the existing multi-hull crossing record of 15 days. The big
catamaran is approximately halfway to her home port and can reach it within 11
days if current weather conditions persist.
For further information and updates, visit www.heinekencapetobahia.co.za
MEDIA RELEASE SUNDAY, 8 JANUARY 2006
LINE HONOURS FAVOURITE WITHDRAWS FROM HEINEKEN CAPE
TO BAHIA
The yacht HiFidelity, skippered by Eddie de
Villiers and Allan Dawson, has officially withdrawn from the Heineken Cape to
Bahia yacht race. The highly successful
Asian racer was widely considered as the favourite for taking line honours in
Salvador, the new finishing port in Bahia, Brazil. The yacht officially retired today and is currently heading back
to Saldanha after sustaining serious rudder damage in a collision with a whale.
The rest of the fleet is reporting regular rain
squalls as they head towards the high pressure system. Gawie Fagan on Suidoos2 continues to lead the
race for handicap honours with Rob Meek and his crew on Windsong maintaining
their second place. Windsong’s
performance comes as no surprise although their departure from Table Bay was
the first time that the Windsong team sailed together. Skipper Rob Meek has pulled in Gauteng
businessmen Wolf Seitz, handicap winner of the 2003 Cape to Rio, and the highly
experienced Craig Schweitzer as part of his crew and race organisers consider
Windsong as a strong handicap contender.
Auto Atlantic Thunderchild skippered by Rhett and
Glen Goldswain continues her good run in third position. According to their latest e-mail, the crew
is feeling very confident. “Our course
is basically straight to Salvador. So
once we are over the high, which should be in the next day or two, it will be
straight downhill to Salvador.”
Former around-alone sailor JJ Provoyeur is tackling
the race double-handed with Anthony Spillebeen on Devonvale Broadreach. A good 24-hour run of 243 nautical miles and
averaging 10.13 knots has seen them move up to fourth position on
handicap. John Martin and his navy crew
on MTU Fascination of Power reported a quiet night on board. “We’ve had lots of rain squalls, clouds and
it has been strange not to see any stars for 3 nights running now. We had a slowish run and only did 220 miles,
but we are happy enough to be about 9 knots currently," said Martin.
In the first news from the mini-Transat Crean, Brit
Richard Smurthwaite mentioned that he was flying along at an average speed of 7
knots. “I was hit by the first squall
yesterday, but am OK. Conditions are
settling now although the bowsprit broke when I put the gennaker up. Took me three hours to saw part of it off
and bind it up, but I’m happy as it’s probably stronger than before. I wish I had a wider variety of food as I’m
already getting bore with the limited choice.
And my socks are beginning to smell – all part of the joys of living
within a 6.5 metres boat!”
MEDIA RELEASE SATURDAY, 7 JANUARY 2006
FAGAN LEADS HEINEKEN CAPE TO BAHIA YACHT RACE
80-year old Gawie Fagan, a Cape Town architect and
veteran of the South Atlantic Race, maintains his handicap lead in the Heineken
Cape to Bahia yacht race which started in Cape Town on 4 January. Putting in an amazing sailing performance,
Fagan and his crew of three on board the 29-foot Suidoos2 continues to astound
with their speed averaging just under 10 knots the past 24-hours.
Rob Meek on board the yacht Windsong had a
particularly good day covering a distance of 273 nautical miles at an average
speed of over 11 knots. This has
catapulted them into second place on handicap and shows the combined experience
of the crew. Navigator Wolf Seitz is no
newcomer to the race and actually put in a show-stopping performance when he
took handicap honours in the 2003 race on board the yacht Baleka. Seitz reported that the conditions on board
are very cramped. “Everything is
sopping wet and we’ve been working really hard. We’re all very tired and desperately in need of sleep. We had prepared food for the first two days
and only got around to cooking our first meal on Friday afternoon. It was roast leg of lamb with potatoes and
veggies. This probably sounds very
exotic until you realise that it’s all freeze-dried,” stated Seitz.
Auto Atlantic Thunderchild has moved to third
position on handicap with John Martin and his navy crew on MTU Fascination of
Power in fourth place. After three days
of sailing in big swells, lots of wind and no sleep, Martin reported their
first gentle night at sea. “The swells
are now down to only two metres and the wind has subsided enough to allow us to
fix some leaks and catch up on some much needed sleep. The repairs are holding well and spirits on
board are high,” mentioned Martin.
Martin should be quite happy with his move up the handicap rankings as
he was expecting a drop down the leader board after they experienced rudder
problems earlier.
The battle in the multi-hull class is still being
led by the huge catamaran Adrenalina Pura, who is heading for Salvador at
speeds averaging over 14 knots. She is
followed by Australian Neville Stanford on board Blithe Spirit. The Australians almost saw their trans-Atlantic
dreams scuttled when the boat sustained damage to her hull a mere hour before
the start of the race.
For updates and position reports, visit the race
website on www.heinekencapetobahia.co.za
MEDIA RELEASE
FRIDAY, 6 JANUARY 2006
WILD RIDE FOR HEINEKEN CAPE TO BAHIA FLEET
Participants in the Heineken Cape to Bahia yacht
race, which left Table Bay earlier this week, have reported a wild and wet
24-hour period. A third of the 30-strong fleet reported average boat speeds
of over 10 knots since the last position report.
The yacht HiFidelity is back on local shores after
hitting a whale and sustaining rudder damage. A disappointed owner and
skipper Eddie de Villiers is currently in Saldanha where the yacht has been taken
out of the water. “The bearing was badly damaged and as we could not find
one here, we’re currently having one made. If all goes well, we can be
out of here tonight by 20h00 to rejoin the race,” mentioned De Villiers.
”We really had a narrow escape. Gary Sindler
was at the helm at the time of the collision and if I did not manage to
catch him, he would have gone overboard after the impact. Fortunately we
hit the whale with the bottom of the rudder. If the impact was any higher
up, I think the rudder would have come off and we’d have sunk.”
HiFidelity was rated as the fastest mono-hull in the race and was a widely
toted favourite for line honours in Salvador.
In the race for handicap honours, Gawie Fagan’s
29-foot Suidoos2 is still flying at an average speed of over 10
knots. Fagan and his crew of son Henry Fagan, Jamie Waters
and Brandon Smith are sailing their socks off covering 244 nautical miles
within the last 24 hours to maintain their handicap lead. The Goldswain
brothers on Auto Atlantic Thunderchild remains in second position with the
KwaZulu Natal entry Unzipped (Adrian Kuttel) moving into third place on
handicap. Rob Meek on Windsong is fourth with the double-handed entry
Devonvale Broadreach taking the fifth spot.
The double-handed team of JJ Provoyeur and Anthony
Spillebeen on Devonvale Broadreach reported a wild night after their steering
cable sheered and they had to install a makeshift spectra cable courtesy of the
tack line. “Last night came with a vengeance. No moon, no lights,
big swells! I’ve always dreamt of being at the helm with the spray flying, but
not in the dead of night. Anyway the cable held and is now finally
adjusted,” wrote Provoyeur, who also recounted sightings of three albatrosses,
a lonestar and lots of whales during the night.
John Martin and his naval crew on board MTU
Fascination of Power have also seemingly overcome their rudder problems, which
took over an hour to repair yesterday. “It's real rough and tumble out
here with 7 metre swells and very wet. We’ve had a good night and the
repairs to the rudder bearings are holding up. We’re currently catching
up and averaging about 11 knots,” said Martin.
In the multi-hull class, the big Brazilian
catamaran Adrenalina Pura is screaming towards home. She covered 384
nautical miles at a reported boat speed average of 16 knots during the past 24
hours. No position reports were received from Maestro or the two
mini-Transats Crean and Federico.
Don’t worry there has been an update from
Crean and he is doing well, if a little wet
MEDIA RELEASE
5 JANUARY 2006
POTENTIAL LINE HONOURS WINNER HEADING BACK TO SHORE
Less than 24 hours after the sizzling start of the
Heineken Cape to Bahia yacht race in Cape Town on Wednesday, 4 January, the
yacht HiFidelity is heading back to shore with reported rudder problems.
HiFidelity, co-skippered by owner Eddie de Villiers and Allan Dawson, was
officially rated as the fasted mono-hull in the fleet and considered as a top
contender for line honours in Salvador.
The yacht reportedly sustained damage to her rudder
and is heading for St Helena Bay. De Villiers bought the 42-foot racing
yacht in Malaysia last year specifically for the 3380 nautical mile Heineken
Cape to Bahia race.
At the first daily position report, the Brazilian
catamaran Adrenalina Pura was still leading the fleet towards her home port of
Salvador at an average speed of over 13 knots covering 322 miles since the
start. In the mono-hull class, Polo Sport Gumption (Nicolas Mace), Auto
Atlantic Thunderchild (Rhett & Glen Goldswain) and Windsong (Rob Meek) are
giving chase at boat speeds exceeding 8 knots.
The oldest participant in the race, 80-year old
Gawie Fagan is currently at the top of the handicap leader board on the small
Royal Cape One Design Suidoos 2. This performance comes as no surprise as
Fagan made history during the 1982 race when he scored a handicap victory over
a highly competitive fleet on the 40-feet Suidoos. In 2003, Fagan
returned on the 29-foot Suidoos 2 and again threatened for handicap
honours.
The newly lightened Auto Atlantic Thunderchild is
second on handicap, followed by Ankie Roux and Paul van As on Maestro.
Windsong is in fourth place and the KwaZulu Natal entry Unzipped (Andrew
Kuttel) in the fifth spot.
MEDIA RELEASE
4 JANUARY 2005
FLYING START FOR HEINEKEN CAPE TO BAHIA FLEET
The fleet of 30 yachts participating in the 2006
Heineken Cape to Bahia yacht race got off to a flying start in Table Bay in
perfect sailing conditions with a strong southeasterly of approximately 25
knots and flat seas. The fleet set sail at 15h00 (SA time) 1300GMT and
the top contenders quickly made their serious intentions known.
John Martin and his naval crew on MTU Fascination
of Power led the fleet towards the first mark off Granger Bay amongst a
flotilla of local support craft, but the Fast 42 was quickly overtaken by the
superfast Brazilian catamaran Adrenalina Pura. The 20-metre catamaran,
co-skippered by George Ehrensperger and Donald Wright, went flying past the
first mark at an approximate boat speed of 20 knots and showed that the
multi-hull crossing record of 15 days set in the previous Rio race will
definitely be under threat.
Polo Sport Gumption, skippered by Gauteng
businessman Nicholas Mace, was the first to put up a spinnaker and showed her
true potential to pass the second mark off Mouille Point in second place.
Asian racer HiFidelity, skippered by Eddie de Villiers and Allan Dawson, went
past the mark in third place and showed why she is officially rated the fastest
mono-hull in the race and serious contender for line honours in this class.
Devonvale Broadreach, the double-handed entry of JJ
Provoyeur and Anthony Spillebeen, narrowly avoided a collision when another
yacht threatened to broach, but continued without further incident.
Durban entries Unzipped and Unleashed and Thunderchild formed part of the first
group of yachts to head past Robben Island for their epic journey of 3380
nautical miles to the finish port of Salvador, capital of the state of Bahia in
Brazil.
The dream of Australian skipper Neville Stanford to
participate in the Heineken Cape to Bahia yacht race was nearly shattered even
before the official start gun went off. Battling to manoeuvre the 12.7
metre catamaran Blithe Spirit off the moorings at Royal Cape Yacht Club in
gusting southeasterly winds, the yacht hit the moorings and an adjacent and
sustained damage to both hulls. They did however manage to repair the
damage and set off shortly after the rest of the fleet rounded Robben Island.
Stanford, who arrived in Cape Town three months
ago, left Sidney in March last year to fulfil his dream of doing a
trans-Atlantic crossing from Cape Town. “I’ve wanted to return to South Africa
for a long time and this race was a perfect opportunity to do so,” said
Stanford, who is sailing this epic blue water crossing with old friend Ross
Letten and a scratch crew.
For live tracking and updates, visit the race
website on www.heinekencapetobahia.co.za.