2014 Cape to Rio Race - Day 8

Maserati during the Cape to Rio yacht race © Imagina

Maserati just 730 miles from Rio de Janeiro with January 14th looking her likely finish date

Maserati continues her non-stop gallop to Rio de Janeiro with the Trade Winds giving her a very brisk 15 to 20-knot pace. The Italian crew, who cast off from Cape Town (SA) on January 4th, now have just 730 of the 3,300 route left to cover.

There is also something of a match race playing out between her nearest rivals, the Australian 52' Scarlet Runner and the South African Open 60 Explora, both of which are now 700 miles behind Maserati, the only 70' taking part in the race.

All going well, Maserati should cross the finish-line at Rio de Janeiro on the afternoon of January 14th.

The Cape2Rio Yacht Race record is held by Zephyrus IV, a 74' American maxi that clocked a time of 12 days, 16 hours and 49 minutes in 2000.

Soldini is flanked by a nine-man international crew: Italians Guido Broggi, Corrado Rossignoli and Michele Sighel; German Boris Herrmann; Spaniard Carlos Hernandez; French sailors Vincent and Gwen Riou; Dane Martin Kirketerp Ibsen; and, for the first time, Pierre Casiraghi of Monaco.

Updates with video footage and still photographs from the boat and a chart showing Maserati's position can be found at www.maseratisoldini.it and on the following social networks; Facebook and Twitter where the crew will tweet and post images from aboard.

The challenge is sponsored by our main partner, Maserati, after which the yacht is named, and by co-sponsors Swiss bank BSI (Generali Group) and Generali itself.

For more information including tracking of all the competing yachts: www.cape2rio2014.com