Filipino fast-food businessman Ray Ordoveza bit off more than he could chew with his ageing boat Clariden Karakoa, champion-apparent to the Asian crown, which retired with rudder problems on its first attempt at the China Sea Race.
Nine hours into the race and in stormy waters, the 10-year-old Karakoa began to take on water forcing skipper Ordoveza, who feared the boat could break in half, to trim the sails, jury rig the rudder, and return to port and shelter at the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club yesterday.
'We started taking in a lot of water under the bilge and found out that the upper rudder bearing had given way and the rudder was unsteady. The wind had started to pick up to 30 knots and the seas were 10 feet high and I was worried that if the rudder ripped off, it would damage the back of the boat. We dropped our sails and decided to return back to Hong Kong,' recounted Ordoveza.
Ordoveza's bad luck will be a boon to Hong Kong sailors Fred Kinmonth and Neil Pryde whose boats Stella Minter Ellison and Hi Fidelity, respectively, were lying second and third behind Karakoa in the Omega Asian Yachting Circuit. The 965km China Sea Race from Hong Kong to Subic Bay in the Philippines is the last of the four-leg circuit.
Both Kinmonth and Pryde had ruled their chances of winning the Asian title as slim before the race. They had pointed out that Karakoa, and Andrews 53, would need to break down if they were to stand a chance of overtaking the leader. Their words proved prophetic.
'It is very disappointing that I could not finish the race and wrap up the Asian series. But these things happen. Things can easily go wrong and it did for me. We have been driving this boat fast and it takes a toll. The boat is 10 years old and is starting to show her age,' said Ordoveza, who runs three McDonald's franchises outside Manila.