Perpetual Rolex China Sea Race record-breaker Karl Kwok was at it again after his MOD 70 Beau Geste reached Subic Bay in the Philippines in the early hours of Friday morning, a staggering nine hours faster than the previous holder.
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Kwok smashed the 18-year-old multihull record set by Benoit Lesaffre’s Crowther 50 Catamaran, Atmosphere, by nine hours, 31 minutes and 40 seconds, with the new record standing at 38:30.07.
“As I get older I guess this is perhaps the only way to save precious time racing; you can do offshore races in less time!” said veteran Kwok, who has won both line honours and overall in previous races, breaking his own record in the process.
Beau Geste at the finish in Subic Bay.
After soaring through the first 23 hours – including a blistering 400 nautical miles in 17 hours – the Beau Geste crew had a painful few hours of tip-toeing towards the finish after the breeze died.
“We had seven hours sitting, just drifting, doing one to three knots. We got through it, it was not called for but it happens,” said Hong Kong-native Kwok.
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Kwok (HK), Gavin Brady (NZ), Margaret Chan (HK), Cowen Chiu (HK), Matt Humphries (UK), Matt Keelway (NZ), Spencer Loxton (UK), Rob Salthouse (NZ), Dave Sweet (NZ) and Cameron Ward (AUS) have now cemented their places in the record books.
