Heineken Cape to Bahia- Flying Start

by Ronelda Visser on 5 Jan 2006 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) 1300 GMT 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 Sydney 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: http://www.heinekencapetobahia.co.za