SOUTH African racing trimaran Love Water won the Cape2Rio sailing race, and the crew did so by smashing their goal of completing it in just eight days. Crewmembers are Rick Garratt, Craig Sutherland, Phil Lambrecht, Mike Clarke, Ken Venn, Minx Minkley, An
THEY did it.
South African racing trimaran Love Water won the Cape 2 Rio, and smashed their goal of completing the race in just eight days.
And they did it all for environmental awareness.
The team was still in Rio de Janeiro yesterday, but skipper Craig Sutherland had previously said the team was in good spirits.
“We’re focusing on sailing at absolute optimal speed and wind angles at all times, while tactically also positioning the boat well to deal with oncoming wind and weather systems,” he said.
The race connects Cape Town and Rio de Janeiro across the vast South Atlantic, with a course length of about 3 600 nautical miles (6 670km).
It is the longest single intercontinental race in the Southern Hemisphere, and attracts club and professional sailors. In its 16th edition, the race had start dates: the first for smaller boats on January 4; the second for larger boats on January 11.
The prize-giving will be held in Rio de Janeiro on February 2.
In partnership with WWF SA, the team had been sharing stories online about plastic pollution during their voyage.
Race chairperson Luke Scott said: “Maserati needed to finish by 14:26 UTC to hold on to the handicap lead they had held for many days. Sadly for them, they just didn’t have enough wind to keep up the exciting charge to the end, and finished in 15:39. Well done to Love Water – taking the multihull double so far. The handicap result will remain open until other multis finish, or it becomes impossible to challenge the corrected time set.”
SAA 223 operating pilot Richard Button tracked the boats. “I flew straight over the leaders, Love Water, who were about 200nm (nautical miles) out of Rio. It was still light, but too many clouds, didn’t see a thing. The main fleet was only halfway across the Atlantic and our track took us 25nm south of the most southern boat, an Italian boat called Almagores II,” Button said.