SINGAPORE, Oct. 26, 2011 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- The Audi ultra finished the VinaCapital Hong Kong to Vietnam Race 2011 (19-21 October) with line-honours -- the first-ever Singapore registered yacht to manage this, following its line-honours victory in the previous week's China Coast Regatta in Hong Kong.
The Audi ultra is one of the world's most advanced ocean racing yachts with a 26-strong crew consisting of experienced international sailors and 12 of Singapore's most promising young sailors.
After sailing in good winds for the first 90 per cent of the race, the Audi ultra looked set to break the monohull record but the attempt over the 656 nm course was compromised when the 27.5m yacht experienced wind squalls up to 26 knots, a blown spinnaker and damage to the bow.
Still, crossing the line in 43h 44m 24s, the Audi ultra team was less than an hour off Grant Wharington's 2004 monohull record in supermaxi Wild Thing.
Ludde Ingvall, co-owner of the Audi ultra said, "After top speeds at over 26 knots, a tropical thunderstorm in the night between Thursday and Friday off the coast of Vietnam brought rain so intense that you could not see many metres in front of you. The wind became very erratic and then non-existent.
"However, we got the desired line-honours and won, finishing several hours ahead of the competition. I am very proud of the newly-formed Singaporean Audi ultra racing team and have no doubt of its capability to achieve further successes," finished Ingvall.
The week before, the team had taken on the region's most experienced yachtsmen and crossed the line first in four of seven China Coast Regatta's races.
Tan Wearn Haw, who skippered the Audi ultra for majority of the China Coast Regatta races said: "Our sailors did very well in tough international competition".
"We have built the breadth of sailing experience in Singapore and will cycle more sailors through this exciting and unique offshore racing programme, brought on by owners, Ingvall and Singapore-based entrepreneurs Thomas Zilliacus and Ron Creevey. The Audi ultra will continue to develop opportunities for Singaporean sailors to have a career in big boat sailing and make Singapore the Asian kingpins in offshore racing," said Tan, who is also the CEO of Singapore Sailing Federation.
The Audi ultra will now be preparing for the 2011 Phuket King's Cup Regatta held on 3-10 December.