Yates Cup- US supermaxi Rio100 wins first offshore race + Video
by Richard Gladwell/Sail-World.com on 22 Nov 2014
Rio 100 soon after the start of the Yates Cup, November 2014 Richard Gladwell
www.photosport.co.nz
The supermaxi Bakewell-White design, Rio100 (Manouch Moshayedi, USA) has won her first race, sailing in the Yates Cup.
She finished at 7.30am on Saturday morning, followed by the Botin 80 Beau Geste 14 minutes later with the Volvo 70 Giacomo 67minutes later. Giacomo is the former Groupama, winner of the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12.
After getting away to a slow start, Rio sailed through the other monohulls downwind and led at Cuvier Island, only to be passed when the fleet came onto a tighter sailing angle on the next leg to their Hen and Chickens, and their canting keels were able to provide additional righting moment.
Rio100 is a revamped supermaxi, with a new stern section, and is completely manually powered, but with a 6metre draft when her keel is fully extended. She was purchased and rebuilt for a US owner and optimised for the Transpac classic to Hawaii, sailed largely in tradewinds.
The Yates Cup was her first race since the revamp, and with only a few days of sea trialling in Auckland. many of her crew flew in for the event including top navigator and sailor, Peter Isler.
The ORMA60 TeamVodafoneSailing was the first (and only) multihull in the event finished 30 minutes ahead of the supermaxi.
Skipper Simon Hull report that they had 'a great start, good bit of reaching to Rangi light. Pity that was all the reaching in it!
'A big leeward – windward – leeward. Good ride though, 3 sail running out to Cuiver.
'Bit of puff round the corner, reef in reef out, trim – solent changes. Then settled down to a nice flat water on the wind.
'Till the Poor Knights park up.
'After a couple of 4kt pirouettes we got round the Knight and started some more light WMG running action, not a ORMA60's strong point.
'The maxis closed in and I think Rio probably could have crossed at one stage. But we managed to wiggle back in front and hook into a 30min reach to extend a little.'
TeamVodafoneSailing finished about 30 minutes ahead of Rio100 at Finishing at 07:12:36.
The 230nm race organised by the Royal Akarana Yacht Club started off Orakei Wharf at 10.00am on Friday and took the fleet to Channel Island, Cuvier Island, around the back of Great Barrier to the Poor Knights, passing inside Sail Rock and back to the finish off Orakei.
Monohull Finish times on 22-11-2014
1st Rio100 Finish: 7:36:14 Elapsed: 00:21:36:14
2nd Beau Geste Finish: 7:50:54 Elapsed: 00:21:50:54
3rd Giacomo Finish: 9:07:01 Elapsed: 00:23:07:01
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