Heineken Cape to Rio - Prodigy crosses finish line

by Jeanne van Rooyen on 1 Feb 2011 Heineken Cape to Rio update.

Prodigy found the wind on Saturday, but lost it on Sunday and finally crossed the finish line on Monday morning to take line honors.

Skippered by Chris Frost, the 54ft yacht arrived about 8am, completing the race in just under 16 days and easily breaking the record set by Robin Knox-Johnston’s Ocean Spirit 40 years ago.

The Durban yachtsman, 47, wasn’t that far off his forecast of taking just 14 days to reach Rio after an exceptional 24-hour run of 241 nautical miles on Saturday.

But Prodigy ran into a calm about 30nm from Rio, which stalled her progress before she crossed the finish line near the Fortress of Copacabana in a lifting fog and in only two knots of breeze. 'It was like being stuck in a Formula One car without petrol,' said trimmer Craig Schweitzer. 'It took us seven hours to complete the last 500 metres.'

There were few revellers on hand to welcome the yacht, but Frost and his crew were in full party mode following their 3,320nm crossing and can now look back on their achievement with immense satisfaction, given that Knox-Johnston’s 71ft yacht took 23 days and 40 minutes to finish the race.

'It’s great to have a record-breaking race,'said race director John Martin. 'It wasn’t quite as fast in finishing the race as the owner had predicted, but it was good enough for me.'

'Chris Frost has had many setbacks in the building of the boat and then setting it up to reach racing standards, which he has now achieved. He fully deserves to win the race on line honours.'

Gerry Hegie’s City of Cape Town, which was on the same latitude as Prodigy on Saturday, but could only manage 180nm, is still on course to win the race on handicap and is aiming to reach Rio on Tuesday.

Hegie, 25, is also well placed to finish second on line honours, well ahead of the other maxi in the race, the 63ft Grand Filou II, a remarkable effort from a young skipper on a smaller boat with a stiff handicap.

The rest of the 17-yacht fleet is expected to drift into Rio later this week with Ciao Bella, skippered by Mike Robinson, still in second place on handicap, followed by Perie Banou II, Xtra-Link, Yachtport SA, Spirit of Izivunguvungu, Cape Storm and Envirodiesel Me 2 Me.

Latest positions : Handicap positions as at 31st January 2011

1st - City of Cape Town
2nd - Robtek Ciao Bella
3rd - Perie Banou 11
4th - Xtra-Link
5th - Prodigy
6th - Yachtport SA
7th - Spirit of Izivunguvungu
8th - Envirodiesel Me2Me
9th - Cape Storm/Sugarstick Sisters
10th - Grand Filou 11
11th - Hot ice
12th - Leyna
13th - Nora Simrad
14th - Nemesis
15th - INS Mhadei
16th - Myrtle of Bonnievale
17th - Ratcatcher

Event website