First Cape2Rio race yachts get under way

THE first yachts taking part in the Maserati-sponsored 2017 Cape2Rio yacht race have set sail in gentle winds from the city’s picturesque Waterfront on Monday.

Ranked as lower handicapped boats, the eight yachts enjoyed a six-day head start over 20 other yachts in the 3 500 nautical mile transatlantic race from Cape Town to Rio de Janeiro in Brazil –the longest of its kind in the southern hemisphere.

Among Monday’s starters was the South African Scout Association’s 11.53 metreyacht JML Rotary Scout, whose crew had been drawn from Scout troops around the country and include three 18-year-olds.

JML Rotary Scout’s co-skipper Grant Grant Chapmansaid: “The conditions are looking a lot better. It might get a bit bumpy at night, but it’s looking good. We have one of the slower boats but there is a handicap system and we are going to be racing. We’ll be enjoying ourselves, but we’ll be going as fast as we can.”

Race chairperson Ray Matthews said there seemed to be no unusual weather patterns over the period of the race and that it would be interesting to watch the routes of the yachts as they chase the wind.

Switzerland’s Jimmy Eugster, skipper of Sea Oyster, an 11.45m catamaran, said they would spend some time along the route fishing and hoped to finish within 24 days.

The fastest boats hoped to complete the crossing in little more than 10 days, depending on the weather.

Pieter Kroon, owner and skipper of the 11.14m Bolero and on his first Cape2Rio race, said they were in the "cruising class' and not that competitive, but that they were going to enjoy themselves.

Race organiser Simon Borchert said Cape2Rio was “a great way of showcasing our city and to generate interest in sailing – this must be one of the most scenic settings in the world for a yacht race”.

Entriesinclude teams from Peru, Russia, Argentina, Brazil, the UK, US, Angola, Australia, India and Germany.