HONOLULU, HI--(Marketwire - July 30, 2008) - The
Waikiki Yacht Club announced
today that Skipper
Philippe
Kahn, with co-skipper Richard Clarke of Canada, set a new record for
the 2008
Pacific Cup race of 7
days, 15 hours, 17 minutes and 50 seconds. The prior record was set
by Volvo Ocean Race winner Stan Honey in 1992.
Commenting on the record, Honey said, "Congratulations on beating my DH
record from 1992, of 8 days, 20 hours, 47min set on the Santa Cruz 70
Mongoose. Nicely done!"
Crossing the finish line just before sunrise, the Pegasus Open 50 had the
fastest elapsed time of all 61 boats, including fully crewed racing
machines that ranged from 45 feet to 73 feet in length.
"Just the two of us, it's so rewarding and real," said Kahn. "We had a
great side bet and competition with Dave Ullman and Adrienne Cahalan on
Holua, a fully crewed SC-70. This is some of the best sailing that I have
ever done. Richard is an awesome teammate!"
A Fast, Wild Ride
The start Saturday was a picture-perfect afternoon, windy with a strong ebb
tide. A powerful North Pacific gale hit the fleet during the first 36 hours
of the race. There were breakages and injuries. "This is what sailing is
all about -- endurance, survival, strength and intelligence. With gusts
more than 40 knots, this race was a test for every crew. Richard and I are
a great team. We really complement each other, and sailing double-handed is
an amazing intense experience. You are on twenty-four by seven," stated
Kahn.
Squall after squall and hole after hole, the skippers wondered if they made
the right navigational decisions, especially just after sundown on July 23,
when the Pegasus flying at 25 knots ran over a large fishing net, bringing
the boat to a stop and putting the kite in the water, which ultimately
wrapped around the keel. "Up until this point we'd been pretty lucky, but
now we were in for trouble," Kahn said. "It was dark and we needed to get
that sail off the keel. Because of the darkness, we couldn't dive in the
ocean to free the boat, especially double-handed, so we did what we could
from above, pulling, pushing, grinding, cutting, yanking and winching."
Exhausted, but determined to not give up, the duo finally succeeded after
11 tries. The Pegasus continued charging toward Honolulu.
The Sailboat and Crew
The Pegasus 50 is an Owen Clarke designed Open 50 acquired by Pegasus
Racing in 2007. After an extensive refit, it was christened as Pegasus and
launched in San Francisco. To train for the double-handed race, Kahn and
Clarke developed all the skill-sets usually covered by a full racing
crew. Ultimately they competed successfully against full racing crews in
the Pacific Cup.
Kahn, a well-known technology visionary and most recently creator of
MotionX applications for the Apple
iPhone 3G, said, "The race isn't about technical equipment; it is about
good old-fashioned navigation skills, which includes tracking the clouds
and squalls. You must find the balance between sailing minimal distances
and extending south to find more breeze. I've been in these high
mid-Pacific ridges nine times before, but it is different every time.
Luckily, I learned navigation skills from the best, Mark 'Rudi' Rudiger,
one of the most sought-after ocean racing navigators in the world. Rudi
passed away earlier this month; this race and record are dedicated to Rudi
and his family."
About the Pacific Cup
Started in 1980, the Pacific Cup race has attracted sailors of all stripes,
from the hard-core ocean racer to the family ready and prepared for a true
adventure. Stan Honey, Philippe Kahn and other luminaries in the sport have
taken home Pacific Cup trophies, as have many family enterprises. The 2008
race was one of the most heavily attended in recent years, with 61 entries
from 24 to 73 feet competing for a range of trophies including the Pacific
Cup itself for best corrected time over the 2070-mile course from San
Francisco to Honolulu. For more information, visit
www.pacificcup.org.
About Pegasus Racing
Pegasus Racing is a world-class one-design sailboat racing team made up of
some of the finest sailors in the sport. Led by Philippe Kahn, successes
range from winning the Melges 24 Worlds twice (2003 and 2007), to winning
the Transpac (2001 and 2003) and setting the Pacific Cup double handed
record (2008). For more information on Pegasus Racing visit
www.pegasus.com
Note to editors:
For more information on Philippe Kahn visit www.fullpower.com
MotionX-Poker information is available at www.motionx.com
Read the Skipper's race log at http://www.pegasus.com/log.htm
Contact Information: Contact:
Tami Casey
Kulesa Public Relations for Pegasus Racing
(650) 340-1984
Michael Roth
Waikiki Yacht Club
(808) 595-4124
