Cape to Rio Race 2014

A 12 or 30 day, 3 600 nautical mile transatlantic voyage to Rio.

Today was the start of the 14th highly tactical Cape to Rio event, from Table Bay Cape Town to Rio de Janeiro Brazil. Records for the crossing of the Atlantic seem set to tumble in both the Mono hull and Multi hull divisions, with Maserati or Scartlet Runner as favourites to win.

The Australian 52' Scarlet Runner (R/P 52) was first to round the second buoy as she is a force to be reckoned with in light breezes


News :

http://www.bymnews.com/news/newsDetails.php?id=127050


Photo Gallery

http://www.bymnews.com/photos/thumbnails.php?album=1187

OC

 

That post brings back memories

I did the 2000 race in a Norseman 43. There were 80 starters that year, many retired due to calms

see here

http://sailingcatamarans.com/index.php/articles/10-race-reports/39-capetown-to-rio-2000

Richard Woods of Woods Designs

www.sailingcatamarans.com

 

Race website:

http://www.cape2rio2014.com/

9 boats out of the 36 entrants are multihulls not a bad turnout.

 

Thats great Richard.

The race is used mostly i think to advance on to the Caribbean sailing season from SA, or did you and others specifically travel there for the race.


OC

 

Yes, I flew into Capetown three days before the race. As you can see from my report, the 2000 race was a slow one. One reason boats retired is because crew had booked flights home from Rio too soon, so they had to motor in to make them - some from 1000 miles out. I was in Brazil less than 24 hours, so I only just made my flight.

And you are right, many boats use the race as part of a Caribbean delivery. The boat I sailed was doing that, I saw the boat again in the BVI a couple of years later when I sailed there on my 32ft Eclipse

Richard Woods

 

The fleet has taken a pounding and there sadly has been a fatality on a Bavaria 54 (BILLE) when it dismasted.

http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/2014/01/05/fatality-cape-rio-race/

 

Thanks Richard.

Do you know the regs that they have to comply with like Cat 1 to qualify to enter the race.

Just a guess and no offence intended, possibilty due to the nothern hemisphere boat owners, unwilliness to comply with cat 1 regs plus extra safety features, disaster has struck some boats, as can be seen from the link corley has posted. Commenced racing knowing a expected storm was on the weather charts in the parth of the race.

Plus perhaps some advertising for inexperienced paying crew and or sailing short handed.

OC

 

Oh dear, that is very sad news. Fortunately for the surviving crews they are not far from land and rescuers

The Cape-Rio is one of the world's longest ocean races so I assume everyone carries all possible safety gear and (these days) all have proof of competence. I say "these days" as 14 years ago anyone could do the race. Indeed only two of us (out of six) on the boat I sailed had any offshore experience at all - two had never even sailed at night before.

And as you will have seen from my report, one monohull sank in 2000 after hitting a container. But fortunately there was a catamaran nearby which rescued all the crew. Catamarans are useful things to have around when you sail a boat that can sink!

My sympathies to the crew's family

Richard Woods of Woods Designs

www.sailingcatamarans.com

 

My sympathies also to the crew's families, freinds, and acquaintances.


Current Positions: and Chart



Annimated Weather.

With access to all the worlds lastest weather information at your finger tips available here on this website, there should be no excuse to venture into Storm, Gale, Cyclone, Typhoon and extreme weather zones, which if you do will in all probability necessitate activation in search and rescue operations support.
Access it before making venturing decisions.
http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~philclarke/Weather.htm

Wave height Chart From my weather website.

http://www.stormsurfing.com/cgi/display.cgi?a=satla_height

Wind Charts also available on my website.

http://www.stormsurfing.com/cgi/display.cgi?a=satla_wind

Surf Height Annimated. Available also from my Weather site.

http://www.stormsurfing.com/cgi/display.cgi?a=satla_wave1

Wind MSLP and Rain detail Charts & Days

http://www.metvuw.com/forecast/forecast.php?type=rain&region=satlantic&noofdays=7

Plus Passage Weather.

http://www.passageweather.com/#

Rio Charts





OC

 

I hadn't seen stormsurfing.com before. Very nicely formatted, thankyou

Richard Woods

 

Nice,but the size makes it a pain, to me at least, to read other posts.
Such ashame about the injuries and death.....

 

Bille was an Angolan sponsored entry and the sailor who died was António João Bartolomeu

http://www.vsail.info/2014/01/06/farewell-antonio-joao-bartolomeu/

from the article:

Farewell sailor,

His name was António João Bartolomeu and unless you have a close relation to the sport of sailing in Angola you, most probably, have never heard of him. The 47-year old from the capital city of Luanda, wasn’t a sailing “rockstar”. In fact, he wasn’t even a professional sailor, his day job being sound technician at the National Radio of Angola.

However, the sea and the ocean were his big passion since early childhood. At the age of 9 he joined the Sailing Academy of the Angola Sailing Federation at Ihla de Luanda. Five years later, he moved to the Vaurien class, a simple and affordable two-person racing dinghy, popular in Africa. He was one of his country’s best sailors in the class and had an equally successful number of races in various regattas in bigger, cruising yachts.

António João Bartolomeu was part of the BILLE crew that together with her sistership MUSSULO III, represented the emerging country of Angola for the first time ever in the history of the Cape 2 Rio race. The two Bavaria 54 yachts sailed into rough seas with 6-meter waves and 60-knot gale-force winds, during the first night of the race, and although MUSSULO III got out nearly unscathed, BILLE initially reported mainsail problems and informed the race committee they were heading back to Cape Town. However, a few hours later they reported they had dismasted, having suffered two injuries and a tragic death.

 

Gov't Sponsorship as well.

Seven ways to become known.

In heaven now I guess if he found the steps.

Always check the weather before going sailing.

OC

 

08 Jan 2014

MAYDAY MAYDAY MAYDAY

More drama on day two of Cape to Rio Race
08 Jan 2014


RCYC General Manager, Marcus Reuter, boarded SAS Islandwana last night as they set sail for the fleet to assist yacht Bille. Communications with SAS Islandwana have been constant and accurate and the report from Marcus were “Islandwana crew have been so professional”.

The majority of the fleet were still suffering rough sea conditions last night with poor visibility and a lot of rain this morning.

The current situation on the following yachts:

BILLE – All crew of have now been transferred to SAS Islandwana. Two reported injured crew, the skipper with broken ribs and one crew member with lacerations. Both have been tended to by a medical doctor and all are stable and now sleeping.Then navy managed to clear all damaged rigging and have the left the vessel to return to later. Once crew were secured, SAS Islandwana immediately left the area to go to assist yacht AVA.

AVA – We have just had a report from SAS Islandwana that they have spotted yacht in very poor visibility. AVA sailing without power and communications but all well on board. SAS Islandwana now on their way to yacht Isla.

ISLA reported late last night they were taking on water in the engine compartment and had an electrical fire. They have had a container vessel Bosun, standing by for assistance since early this morning. All is under control and although they originally took the decision to sail back to port now Smit Madura is on station with yacht Isla possibly to tow them back to port.




BLACK CAT – NSRI Station 3 are on route to tow her back to shore due to no steerage from a broken rudder.

INDABA – On it’s way back to port with on injured crew member.

PEEKAY safely in harbour at Yachtport.

DO DO, AVOCET, AVANTI & FTI Flyer – are currently heading back to shore.

Tranquillo are only able to receive calls, otherwise all well.

 

Race Tracker:


http://www.xtra-track.com/admin/hom...f73635436d32cb7097a23d90ab9&RaceCode=RAC00016