Australian entry, Phillip Turner’s Reichel Pugh 66 Alive is steaming along at around 18kts. Alive is now only around 35nm behind the IRC Racer 2 division which started 25 hours earlier and is on her way to take Line Honours. In the IRC Racer 2 division Nick Southward’s J109 Whisky Jack is leading on corrected time
Joachim Isler and Drew Taylor’s Mills 41 Ambush did two early gybes; the first of which may have put them west of the rhumb line; a tactic which has not paid off for Fred Kinmonth and Nick Burns’ Sydney GTS 43 Ontonomos Mandrake and Jonathan Mahony’s HYD 42 Zanzibar. Luckily Ambush gybed back and is sending it to be keeping up with the 50 footers. She is currently 1st in IRC Racer 1. Onboard Ambush is father and son team Bruce and Drew Taylor who have done 57 Rolex Sydney to Hobart Yacht Races between them as well as eight Hong Kong to Vietnam Races.
The 50 footers are keeping close together with the first Italian entry to take part in the Hong Kong to Vietnam Race, Matteo Savelli’s Cookson 50 Mascalzone Latino leading the IRC Racer 0 division on corrected time and 1st in IRC Overall. On board is a slew of well known professional sailors including navigator, Ian Moore who has participated in numerous campaigns including the America’s Cup and the Volvo Ocean Race.
Sadly Geoffrey Hills’ Santa Cruz 72 Antipodes has had to retire due to steering issues. The crew is all well and they are now sailing yet slightly slower towards Da Nang, Vietnam.
