Heineken Cape to Rio - Race update on City of Cape Town

by Rob Taylor on 24 Jan 2011 Heineken Cape to Rio update.

He’s been tipped by one of South Africa’s greatest sailors to go all the way and so far Gerry Hegie has not disappointed in the 2011 Cape to Rio yacht race.

Hegie’s 41-ft City of Cape Town, built in 1991, took the lead on handicap on Wednesday when she gambled on sailing well north of the fleet to overhaul the 54ft hi-tech maxi Prodigy and she hasn’t relinquished it.

At one stage Hegie’s 1991 Simonis was only nine nautical miles behind Prodigy, which was built in 2006 with a canting keel and is off the charts in terms of her design and size in this year’s race. On board is a race-bred crew, including navigator Wolf Seitz, a two-time winner of the Cape to Rio.

City of Cape Town reported a 24-hour run of 228,8 nautical miles yesterday, just 6nm shy of Prodigy and well ahead of the other maxi in the race, Grand Filou II (215,4nm).

Says race director John Martin: 'Gerry continues to sail this boat incredibly hard and without damaging it. He prepared well for this race and now he is reaping the rewards.'

City of Cape Town was given a stiff IRC handicap following a number of modifications by owner JJ Provoyeur, who lengthened the yacht, extended the mast and boom and made the boat lighter by placing the keel back to its original setting. The yacht also has an exceptional set of sails which has improved horsepower. If it sails well it can meet that rating,' says Provoyeur.

Ciao Bella, skippered by Mike Robinson, has kept its grip on second place on handicap, clocking 208,6nm and outdistancing third-placed Dale Kushner’s Xtra-Link (196,2nm). Cape Storm (209,4nm) is lying fourth, Perie Banou II (181,9nm) fifth, Yachtport SA (227,9nm) sixth, Spirit of Izivunguvungu (203,5nm) seventh, Prodigy, eighth, Grand Filou II, ninth and Envirodiesel Me to Me (192,6nm) in 10th place.

Prodigy is 1,643nm from Rio, City of Cape Town 1,720nm, Grand Filou II 1,776nm, Xtra-Link 1,845nm and Cape Storm 1,849nm.

For the latest race results, click here

RCYC website