2000hrs 21 Oct 2011: With FreeFire limping in to Vietnam with rudder and bowsprit damage, the IRC Racing Division 0 prizes were all settled before midnight on day 3, however the IRC Division 1 battle was just hotting up.
The breeze was picking up, and both EFG Bank Mandrake and Ambush had a good last hour as they neared the North Cardinal for the final tack towards the finish line. EFG Bank Mandrake pipped Ambush by exactly five minutes on the water, an incredible finish after 656nm of racing, however after correction, Zanzibar emerged triumphant by only eight minutes over the Kinmonth/ Burns owned Mills 40.
Joachim Isler and Drew Taylor were gracious in defeat, with Isler noting that EFG Bank Mandrake had made a good decision in cutting down the size of their jib to reduce their IRC rating, especially as the race is predominantly downhill. “All credit to them, they made a good decision and sailed well. They still managed to sail well in China Coast Regatta (with the reduced jib) and they deserve the win.” With a second in division in the VinaCapital Hong Kong to Vietnam Race, EFG Bank Mandrake has sewn up China Coast Race Week for the first time, and has laid down the gauntlet for Asia’s other 40 footers. More info at: http://www.rhkyc.org.hk/hkvietnamrace.htm Provisional Results
are available at http://www.rhkyc.org.hk/hkv2011results.aspx |
Neil
Pryde's Hi Fi takes handicap honours
The crew felt that, in spite of the great breeze, the 2011 edition was the calmest race to date, labeling it “sunny, flat and fast” , noting that the introduction of electric winches, while pushing up Hi Fi’s IRC rating, had also made the atmosphere on board “less testosterone driven”. Hi Fi’s nearest competitor, Sam Chan’s TP52, FreeFire, retired earlier today with gear failure. Already nursing a broken bowsprit, she reported that “we are now out for good, rudder stock failed, a loud bang and then it went a bit wobbly … we don’t have a good history with this race”. Something of an understatement - her predecessor, FfreeFire 52 had to retire in the 2008 race with a mast problem. FreeFire is proceeding under engine to Nha Trang, and all on board are reported to be safe and well. More info at: http://www.rhkyc.org.hk/hkvietnamrace.htm |
Audi
ultra takes line honours but no cigar... 1347pm 21 Oct 2011: At 09 39 24hrs (HKT) Audi ultra finally coasted across the finish line in Nha Trang to claim line honours in one of Asia’s toughest races. Her elapsed time of 43h 44m 24s was less than one hour outside Skandia’s seven year old record, which, given the demands of the race, was a phenomenal performance by the slightly smaller maxi. Crew reported several severe squalls during the race, particularly overnight, and there will be some repairs to be carried out in due course, not surprising for a trip averaging around 15kts boat speed.
The next boat expected with an ETA of 1503hrs HKT is Neil Pryde’s Hi Fi, which looks certain to defend her IRC title of 2008.
More info at: http://www.rhkyc.org.hk/hkvietnamrace.htm |
2030pm 20 Oct 2011: After over 30 hours on the water, the nine boats competing in the VinaCapital Hong Kong to Vietnam Race continue to make good progress. Earlier this afternoon, Ludde Ingvall of Audi ultra filed a report detailing her experiences, noting that “after a careful start, she settled down offshore and the crew has been seing a lot of bird life, a lot of reefs and a lot of fishing boats”. Ingvall went on to say went on to say what a great experience the young Singapore sailors on board were having, with one, Sam, admitting that it was the first time he had been sailing out of sight of land.
Looking at the latest position at 1800hrs HKT tonight, that will not deprive the super maxi of a new Race record as she has 185nm to go to reach the finish line travelling at around 17kts, however the crew still faces the challenge of the early morning gybe towards the Vietnam coast, which may offer a flat calm as daylight dawns.
EFG Bank Mandrake is virtually on top of sister Mills, Ambush, with only 1nm between the boats after 310nm on the water. Sell Side Dream is a further 40nm back, with El Oro and Cutting Edge marshalling the fleet with 400nm to go. The finish line has been laid and the race team is keeping careful watch on the fleet’s progress so that it is ‘on station’ to welcome Audi ultra to Vietnam – and a new record – in the morning. More info at: http://www.rhkyc.org.hk/hkvietnamrace.htm |
Record
set to be smashed... 11:30am 20 Oct 2011: With the NE Monsoon re-established over the Northern South China Sea, the lead boats in the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club’s 2011 VinaCapital Hong Kong to Vietnam race are setting a cracking pace.
On handicap Audi ultra
is currently second based on her recent VMG with Neil Pryde’s Hi
Fi leading ahead of Zanzibar. Neil Pryde celebrated his birthday at sea
last night onboard Hi Fi, so belated happy returns to Neil. Sam Chan’s
Freefire has just traded her clear handicap lead for a move to the East,
being the first boat to gybe onto starboard to close the coast of Vietnam.
Bold or inspired? Only time will tell. In the forty footers, Zanzibar is leading the pack. Significantly lighter than the two Mills boats (Ambush and EFG Bank Mandrake), Zanzibar will no doubt be enjoying the downwind slide. EFG Bank Mandrake and Ambush seem locked together on the race track, and this contest will also be one to follow closely. Sell Side Dream, El Oro and Cutting Edge are also making great progress. With all boats in the fleet currently on or close to the rum line, and the breeze is looking like it will hold for the next 24 hours at least. Everyone is looking to finish in good time. More info at: http://www.rhkyc.org.hk/hkvietnamrace.htm |
From there, the nine competitors will round Wenwei Zhou before passing a series of island marks on the 656nm journey to Nha Trang in Vietnam. With 16 to 18 knots of due easterly, Race Officer Jimmy Farquhar set a windward mark at just over 0.6nm from the start line and wasted no time in bidding the fleet ‘bon voyage’.
The first position reporting schedule is at 1800hrs tonight, and all eyes are on Audi ultra to see if she is on course to smash Skandia’s 2004 record of 42h 45m 41s. Video
footage of the start is here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfGWCQEKsro |
The race is not for the faint-hearted, with challenging downhill conditions of 15 to 30kts often leading to gear failure on even the best-prepared boats. Entrants must pass strict scrutineering and safety checks, and are required to have a minimum of 50% of their crew qualified in First Aid and have undergone Safety at Sea Survival training.
2008 IRC Racing 1 winner Ambush was the only boat in her division to finish that year, however the Isler/ Taylor owned Mills 41 will have a battle on her hands this time around, with the Kinmonth/ Burns owned Mills 40 EFG Bank Mandrake making her first appearance on the route to Nha Trang together with fellow first-timers Sell Side Dream (A40/ Simon Powell) and Cutting Edge (Grand Soleil 40/ YK Szeto).
Let us hope that the wind gods deliver! More info at: http://www.rhkyc.org.hk/hkvietnamrace.htm These RHKYC Press Releases are proudly sponsored by the following advertisers.
AsianYachting
Ventures Sdn. Bhd. (Co.
No. 627106-T) |
Jonathan
Mahony's Zanzibar takes Div 1 by 8 minutes after 656nm of racing
Widely
fancied to take Division 1, Zanzibar, skippered by Jonathan Mahony, arrived
at a wet, cold finish line at just after 0500hrs HKT. Giving the other
boats in her division ‘time’ under her IRC handicap, Mahoney
and his crew had a nail-biting wait of 4.5 hours to see if they had clinched
the Division on corrected time.
On
shore, Kinmonth was delighted, saying “The race down was absolutely
fantastic fun. We had a couple of slightly hairy moments, one on a spinnaker
change when it got stuck and we had to send ‘Fletch’ up the
mast to spike it, and a couple of others coming around the Paracels”
Asked
whether the 40 foot version of Mandrake was more fun than the previous
50 foot incarnation, Kinmonth responded that “it was a different
experience, but it was fun to have close racing with Ambush. We pulled
into a lead and somehow managed to sail deeper and get inside them but
is was a nerve-wracking finish as they had a code zero and the wind died
and there was a strong tide coming in to the finish”.
This
win makes it two in a row for Hi Fi, although Pryde would not be pushed
on whether or not 2013 would see him celebrate his 75th birthday on the
open water but confessed to a softening of discipline on this race, with
crew smuggling two bottles of champagne on board to celebrate his birthday
on the first night out – according to one long time crew member,
this was the first time he could remember consuming alcohol during a race.
By
RHKYC Media
Three
hours after the race finish, although at anchor in the lee of Hon Tre
Island, the crew was still fully occupied on board, substituting the delivery
main for the race main and tidying up the boat, so it has not yet been
possible to get Ludde Ingvall’s thoughts on Audi ultra’s performance.
0927
Russ Parker (FreeFire Racing) posted on Facebook
The
longest offshore Category 1 race in Asia is a true test of Audi ultra’s
mettle, with Ingvall reporting squalls of up to 26kts overnight, and an
average boat speed of 23kts, one blown spinnaker and a little damage to
the bow which cost them around 8 minutes.
70nm
behind Audi ultra and running west of the rhumb line, FreeFire is piling
on the pressure in her quest to lift the IRC Racing Division 0 title on
corrected time, having built up a significant cushion over Hi Fi. In IRC
Racing Division 1, Zanzibar is, in theory just over half an hour ahead
of EFG Bank Mandrake on estimated corrected time but the tactics employed
as they near the coast will influence the final outcome.
Photos
by Guy Nowell - RHKYC
- Cynthia Law
At
1030hrs this morning local time – just shy of 16 hours into the
race, the Supermaxi Audi ultra had covered half the course distance, and
is currently set to smash Grant Wharington’s 2004 race record or
42:45:41. To do this she must finish before 08:40:41hrs Hong Kong time
on Friday. Current predictions put her finishing sometime between 0500hrs
and 0600hrs on Friday if she keeps up her current pace, but closing the
coast and getting in to the finish can be notoriously tricky, so this
one may go down to the wire.
Race
Start - Press Release
19
Oct 2011: Organised by Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club and postponed from 2010
due to the track of super typhoon Megi, the VinaCapital Hong Kong to Vietnam
Race finally got underway at 1355hrs today, off the south east of Lamma
Island.
Audi
ultra showed off her lines as she powered around the windward mark in
11 minutes at the head of the fleet, ahead of FreeFire and Hi Fi. In IRC
Racing Division 2, Ambush was round in 13 minutes, ahead of EFG Bank Mandrake,
who appeared to have a headsail problem, followed by a less than slick
spinnaker hoist. After 20 minutes, the lone Premier Cruising entrant,
El Oro, rounded the mark, and the race committee left the course.
17
Oct 2011: Postponed from 2010 due to the proximity of Super Typhoon Megi,
the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club’s VinaCapital Hong Kong to Vietnam
Race will start on Wednesday 19 October at 1210hrs. Offering 656nm of
sheer exhilaration, this Category 1 Offshore race has become a biennial
calendar fixture since 2004 and is currently recognized as a qualifying
race for the CYCA’s Rolex Sydney to Hobart Race. 
Grant
Wharington’s 2004 monohull record of 42h 45m 41s may be under threat
from the Super Maxi Audi ultra, however Singapore-based skipper, Ludde
Ingvall, while confident of taking line honours for the 2011 event, does
not expect to top the podium after IRC handicaps have been applied to
the finish times unless he and his team have sailed an exceptional race.
According
to Neil Pryde, the defending IRC Racing 0 champion, the VinaCapital Hong
Hong to Vietnam Race is“..one of the great Ocean races, combining
an exhilarating downhill slide with a very interesting tactical challenge
that unfolds as the fleet approaches the Vietnam coast …the race
that nobody wants to miss”. Pryde is looking for another offshore
win with his well-drilled crew on Welbourn 52, Hi Fi, while Sam Chan is
back again with his latest TP52, Freefire. From Singapore, Jonathan Mahoney
on Humphreys 42 Zanzibar is participating for the first time. 
Tim
Wilson’s El Oro is, literally, in a class of her own, being the
only Premier Cruising boat to enter this year’s race, however the
Auzepy-Brenneur, thwarted in her attempt to race in the 2010 event, is
champing at the bit after last year’s post-Megi delivery trip, with
Wilson saying “We are looking forward to the VinaCapital Hong Kong
to Vietnam Race because we got a feeling of how good this Race could be
with 30kts downwind last year and 20kts speed down the waves with reefs
in.” 
