31.05.2008
Gitana 13 reaches Hong Kong in 1 day 58 minutes and 27 seconds
This fourth Asian record promised to be quick and that's exactly what
happened. 1 day 58 minutes and 27 seconds after leaving the island of
Taiwan, Lionel Lemonchois and his men reached Hong Kong aboard their trusty
steed, Gitana 13. The maxi-catamaran in the colours of the LCF Rothschild
Group crossed the finish line at 1132 UT this Saturday 31st May, thus
establishing a new record between Taipei and Hong Kong. The sailors of
Gitana Team have improved on the previous reference time by over 1 day and
14 hours.
Gitana 13 was able to benefit from a steady NE’ly wind throughout the 465
mile course, averaging around 25-30 knotsm but climbing to 35 knots during
the course of the night. Conditions were favourable for enabling them to
slip along gently downwind, though around ten gybes punctuated the journey.
“A series of gybes were necessary according to the wind shifts, and there
were six of us on deck permanently to deal with the manśuvres. Prior to our
departure from Taipei, the grib files forecast that the wind would clock
round at the end, leading to some close-hauled sailing for the last few
miles. On the water though, things were a little different: the wind did
indeed clock round but less so than forecast… so we were able to round off
the record with some E’ly and continued to sail downwind” confided the
skipper a few minutes after crossing the finish line.
Lionel Lemonchois then gave us a brief lowdown on the record between Taipei
and Hong Kong: “We would have liked to have completed the course in less
than a day… however the big seas in the strait and the freshening wind at
this point forced us to be very careful. Last night the wind climbed to 35
knots and we were under two reefs and solent. As ever, we saw a fair bit of
shipping in the area, with a lot of fishing boats. However, there was a lot
less traffic than in the East China Sea… (laughs). This was a wet sprint but
also quick and efficient. It is now 1940 hours in Hong Kong and night has
fallen already. It’s stormy and misty and Gitana 13 is pushing her way
between the numerous islets to make her mooring” explained Lionel
Lemonchois, happy to have added another line to Gitana 13's list of records.
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