At 07:27:34 HKT in Nha Trang, Vietnam, Ragamuffin 100 slid gracefully over the line to claim her second Hong Kong to Vietnam Race in succession, with a new race record to boot.
After reaching boat speeds of 35kts plus, and breaking the existing record by nearly 24 minutes, Skipper David Witt was happy with the performance, although philosophical about their failure to break the 40 hour barrier for the 673nm race.
“It was a quiet ride in the first half, and the second half was basically VMG. It wasn’t so much the wind speed but the wind angle that affected that and you can’t do much about it…. It (the second half) was nice and fresh, so that was good.”
“We didn’t break anything and that’s always a tick in the box and we didn’t have any downtime on the boat at all during the race. The crew did a really good job and (those factors) are pretty important when you’re trying to break a record.”
With owner Syd Fischer sitting this one out, Witt had already been in contact with the family by the time he reached the dock, with the reaction described as “pretty excited”.
While Syd Fischer’s Team Ragamuffin enjoyed presentations by local officials before relaxing with a well-earned beer, the other 11 boats in the fleet continue with their race.
Alive finishes second on water, good prospect for IRC Overall
Recording an elapsed time of 49:56:21, RP66 Alive finished the Audi Hong Kong to Vietnam Race in second place on the water and in a commanding position in the IRC overall stakes, although still open to a challenge from FreeFire or Black Baza if today’s healthy breeze continues to blow.
The conditions saved the best until last, with owner Philip Turner saying “today’s racing was probably the most exciting … getting 20 to 25kts, meaning a lot of sail changes – busy-busy!”
The 673nm Category 1 race has a reputation for being tough on boats as well as crew so it was no surprise when Turner added “we had a couple of dramas, a big broach and we did some damage to the spinnakers ..”
The next boat due in at the finish in Nha Trang will be the first Hong Kong boat to finish. Sam Chan’s TP52, FreeFire is expected at around 2200hrs HKT, followd by Race Chairman Geoff Hill’s Smith Custom 72 Antipodes, just after midnight.
– RHKYC Media
