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.

SOURCE  Audi Singapore Pte Ltd.