‘Regardless 2’ sails to victory in Vasco da Gama race

Only two seconds separated the frontrunners in this year’s Vasco da Gama Ocean Race that started offshore of Durban on Sunday (May 24).

According to Berea Mail, the two big Durban racing yachts duelled their way down the Wild Coast to East London with various tactics playing out. Cowies Hill resident Peter Blofield, helming Regardless 2, took the line honours competing in his third Vasco. His previous results were a second and third place. Regardless, with a crew of eight, finished the long-haul blue water 265 nautical miles ocean race in a time of one day, 10 hours, 25 minutes and 44 seconds.

Vasco stalwart Nigel Milln was on the hunt for a back-to-back victory, having won last year in dramatic style. Milln and his crew on CFM II diced the Cape entry, Rocket, in the 2025 race, cutting the tape 16 minutes ahead of Rocket. This year CFM had to settle for second place, being pipped at the post by the narrowest of margins. Milln and crew recorded a finish time of 1 Day 10 Hours 25 Minutes and 46 Seconds.

In the closest finish ever recorded in this historic event, sailing archivist and editor of SA Sailing Magazine, Richard Crockett, regaled: “Way back in 1985 Brian Tocknell’s Shaya Moya and Chris Bonnet’s Spirit of Appletiser’converged on the finish line almost neck-and-neck. Just 13 seconds separated them – with line honours going to Shaya Moya and the overall handicap honours to Spirit of Appletiser.

CFM led the early part of this year’s race, but a determined Regardless team reeled them in after seven hours, becoming the trailblazer. The two competitors sailed majority of the race side by side. Blofield made the gutsy choice to head inshore after 21 and a half hours, using the land breeze, while CFM remained further out to sea.

Barrelling towards the finish line, CFM closed the six nautical mile gap, registering faster boat speeds for six of the eight final pings from the YB tracker. In the final hour there was nothing in it between these two fierce rivals. A couple of times they were right alongside each other, with the biggest gap being a mere 0.7 nautical miles apart.

A delighted Blofield enthused, “We flew our kite right up until the end. We eked every bit of speed we could out of the dying easterly breeze. Regardless did so well being pushed to her limits. It has been a tough two days mentally and physically. We gave everything we had and nearly came up short. It truly was a great, memorable race and CFM are fantastic, worthy opponents.”

A retrospective Milln reported, “The race overall was good, in fact, it was great. It was an unusual race in regards to the weather. Never in all my years have we had such a gentle passage, the wind didn’t get above 23 knots. The final three quarters of the race was all downwind. We can only fly our Asymmetrical spinnaker, which meant we had to sail more miles. At one stage we had to put in two reefs and sail with our A3. We actually obliterated one of our kites, we blew it to smithereens.

“Overall, it was an exciting race, right up until the very end where we just didn’t make it. I think we sailed phenomenally well, to reel Regardless in, closing that 6 mile gap – that was incredible. My crew were incredible. The vibe on board was fantastic. It was one of my youngest crew yet. They have all sailed with me for some time now, so there is a strong harmony and bond between us all! I think we are all excited for next year’s race!”

The yacht Free Spirit, skippered by epic adventurer Neville Bransby, had to retire 15 hours into the race due to a total steerage failure. Bransby and crew, Shamir Rampersadh, were vying for the double-handed title and were on track for victory. Free Spirit was abeam of Red Hill, just south of Glenmore Beach near Port Edward when he had to make a tough decision to request assistance from N.S.R.I. Shelly Beach Station 20 sent out their rescue craft and Free Spirit was successfully towed back to Durban.

Next year Point Yacht Club will be hosting this epic event, South Africa’s oldest coastal ocean race, in their celebratory year.

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