Bakewell-White TP 52 'Braveheart' reclaims Swiftsure record for Charles Burnett

by Sail-World on 30 May 2007
The Bakewell-White designed second generation TP52 'Braveheart' took line honours and set a new course record of 15hours and 8 minutes, for the biggest race in the US Pacific North West.

In the past 50 years only six yachts have held the elapsed time record for the 137nm Swiftsure Lightship Classic and Charles Burnett III is the only two time record holder.

When Burnett first took the record in his Davidson 72 ‘Cassiopeia’ it had been 17 years since ‘Windward Passage’ set her mark back in 1978.

He crushed the '78 record by 2 hr. 44 min. but Roy Disney and ‘Pyewacket’ came along a year later and clipped just over an hour off the record time. Now, 11 years later 'Braveheart' has smashed Roy Disney's record by more than an hour and a half.

For the fleet of 206 yachts it was a typical Swiftsure, with a tight tactical battle during the beat out to the Swiftsure bank lightship, battling wind, strong tides, and fog banks to the turning mark, and then a wild ride back to Victoria, hitting speeds close to 23kts during the night.

It was a close battle to the finish with 'Braveheart' taking line honours by 65sec from the Nelson Marek 68ft 'Coruba'.

For further information on 'Braveheart', 'Wired' or the other successful Bakewell-White Designs contact:
Brett Bakewell-White,
Design Principal
Bakewell-White Yacht Design
Phone: +64 9 357 0606

Or see the website: www.bakewell-white.com