Cape to Rio Race - Sea dog Jon Saunders tackles fearsome conditions
by Yachting Western Australia on 19 Feb 2011
Jon Saunders Yachting Western Australia - copyright
www.wa.yachting.org.au
Cape to Rio Race competitor Jon Saunders, at the age of 71, has certainly ‘been there and done that’ repeatedly but he still has what it takes to tackle the world’s most fearsome sea conditions.
No stranger to single handed sailing, Jon quietly without any fuss departed Fremantle in November 2010 single-handed in his trusty S&S 39 Perie Banou 11 to compete in the 2011 Cape to Rio. Non phased by prospects of the South Atlantic, record holder of note, Jon has done it all many times – he did three non-stop circumnavigations back-to-back between 1986 and 1988. 'Well, we think we have wind, but they should just come to Cape Town,' he says, gesturing at the rigging clanking in the forty knot south-easter.
On 15th January 2011 Jon and his crew comprising nephew Andrew Saunders, Brian Caldwell (a Hawaiian who has also done a solo circumnavigation in an S&S 34) and a young South African departed Royal Cape Yacht Club in Table Bay, Cape Town for the iconic Cape to Rio Yacht Race begun nearly 40 years ago.
Perrie Banou II finished fourth IRC with an elapsed time of 24 days 2 hours 2 minutes 11 seconds on eighth February 2011
Jon will leave Rio shortly probably for the British Virgin Islands where Perrie Banou II may be laid-up while Jon does some delivery work. Nowadays he works as a delivery skipper, moving yachts from one port to another for owners 'These days it gives me something to do. It keeps me from sitting in pubs and drinking beer. There is always something to do on a boat, I am always busy.'
Later he'll go on to complete his ninth
Cape to Rio website
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