Heineken Cape to Bahia - HiFidelity out

by Ronelda Visser on 5 Jan 2006 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.

Event website: http://www.heinekencapetobahia.co.za