THERE was great rejoicing on two continents on Monday as Zululand Yacht Club Cape2Rio entry Nomad crossed the finish line at Rio de Janeiro.
Champaine corks popped on board as well as at the home club in Richards Bay with the news that owner Craig Deverson and his crew had completed the gruelling 3 000 mile race in a time of 23 days, 1hour and 2 minutes.
This after a ‘race within a race’ against arch multi-hull rivals Tulliana, who came in just two hours and 10 minutes later after swapping positions regularly across the Atlantic.
However, while gaining class line honours, Nomad will concede to Tulliana on handicap when the prize-giving takes place in Rio on Saturday.
Most of the team will be flying back after that, with plans still to be finalised for bringing the yacht back from Rio.
PHOTOS: Trevor Wilkins
22 JANUARY 2014
Nomad still in the hunt
WITH another five or six days to go, Zululand Yacht Club’s entry in the Cape2Rio 2014 trans- Atlantic race is still in the hunt for silverware.
Nomad, owned by Craig Deverson was at noon on Wednesday reported to be only 18 nautical miles behind arch multi-hull rival Tulliana, with 833.6nm to go before reaching Rio de Janeiro.
The two boats have swapped the lead a few times since leaving Cape Town, and it’s anyone’s guess as to who will cross the line first.
15 JANUARY 2014
Nomad strives for class win
NOMAD, Zululand’s Yacht Club’s first ever entry in the epic Cape2Rio race, is dicing hard for top honours in the multihull class.
This after monohull speedster Maserati stormed into into Rio de Janeiro on the 11th day of sailing, taking line honours and smashing the record with a time of 10 days, 11 hours, 29 minutes and 57 seconds.
‘Having got off to a slow start, we upped our game but unfortunately lost steering to one rudder on the second day,’ crew member Rod Banwell reported on Wednesday.
‘Our new 200m2 spinnaker is proving a handful and we are aiming at the Guinness Book of Record with the number of wraps, the last one being at 4am on Monday.
‘This resulted in Ty de Jager having to go up the mast and hang by his toes to disentangle the ropes, but the spinnaker was saved to live another day.
‘The wind is fickle and our hard-earned move to the front was short-lived but we are pushing to regain the lead.
‘We are the only cat to be completing the race without our engines, which makes it all the more difficult.’
It hasn’t all been hard work and no play for the Nomad clan as they celebrated crew member Michele Banwell’s birthday on Saturday with balloons, a cooked breakfast and champagne.
A good party ensued in the evening, with ‘rump steak, good music and a little dancing’ and this was followed by a busy night with many sail changes due to various squalls.
Nomad owner and crew member Craig Deverson expressed thanks for all the support they are receiving.
‘All crew are well and in good spirits.
‘We are hunting down our main opposition, Croatian yacht Tulliana and are determined to take class honours.’
The Cape2Rio ends officially at midnight on 31 January.
