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Star-Bulletin Sports


Thursday, July 5, 2001


[TRANSPAC]



Japanese entry
taking chances

Girl's courage inspires yacht


Star-Bulletin staff

The Japanese entry in the 41st Transpacific Yacht Race is in enough of a hurry to get home that it is resorting to tactics not seen in a half-century.

Yoshihiko Murase's Bengal II is running all alone above the rhumb (direct) line, where the rest of the field fears to tread.

The strategy has paid off so far, as Bengal II logged 251 nautical miles and climbed to second place in corrected handicap time, only four hours behind Brent Vaughan's Cantata.

Bengal II was 1,331 miles from Honolulu -- not quite halfway -- while the larger Divisions 1 and 2 boats were bearing down from behind, led by Philippe Kahn's 75-foot Pegasus at 1,561 miles.

Bob McNulty's 74-foot chance was six miles farther back, and Roy E. Disney's 73-foot Pyewacket another 11.

Out in front with the eight Aloha Division boats that started five and six days ahead of the others, Jim Warmington's Shanakee II had 595 miles to go.



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