Rupert Ellis Brown Dinghy Series and Protea Cup Keelers

Royal Natal Yacht Club

Rupert Ellis Brown Dinghy Series and Protea Cup Keelers

Harbour: Saturday 10 November and Offshore Durban: Sunday 11 November

Durban sailors ventured out in gorgeous sunshine to compete in two events over the weekend, the smaller crafts sailed in the Rupert Ellis Brown Regatta in the harbour on Saturday and the keelboats went offshore in the annual Protea Cup Keelers on Sunday.

The annual dinghy series held on Saturday afternoons over the month of November had 28 boats compete in the second racing day. Race officer, Graham Rose set a triangular course in the bay starting the Flying Fifteens off first on a triangle sausage track and the remainder of the fleet on a sausage triangle course with the hope that the fleet would finish relatively close together.

The dinghies competed in four races in a steady breeze with brothers Miles and Tony White topping the Flying Fifteen leader board and Richard Bates from La Lucia taking the honours in the Lasers. Sam Lombard, the up-and-coming youngster kept a clean sheet in the Oppie class. Jethro Brophy Tintinger led the Laser Pico class and the experienced Trevor Gibb won the Mirror class.

Sunday’s Protea Cup saw the fleet of keelboats head down south along the Bluff coastline in a ‘There and Back’ race, turning around offshore of the Coopers Lighthouse. The bold sailors were greeted by lumpy seas in glorious sunshine as they sailed out of the harbour and conditions worsened as they turned around the corner with swells of over 3m pounding the yachts. The race officer Hemraj Gopaul placed two buoys, the first was offshore of the water tower on the Bluff for the cruising class and the second was further down the coast, offshore of Coopers Lighthouse for the racing class.

The yachts surfed the swells with a brisk 20knot breeze behind them as they ventured down the coast. As they turned around the buoys, the yachts zigzagged their way back with wave after wave crashing onto the bow. The tough sailors all returned a bit bruised and battered but loved the challenge of the big swells and high winds.

Sean Jones on his fast paced multihull Bandit sped through the course, rounding the buoy first ahead of the monohulls and beating his way to the finish, keeping close to the shore for majority of the return trip.

In the racing class Gregg Hurter on the majestic Bellatrix managed to keep ahead of the French sailing yacht, Choose Life High Performance Sailing Team Incognito after turning around the can behind them. In the cruising class, Vernon Goss helmed his glorious yacht Choose Life High Performance Sailing Team Bellissima to a clear win ahead of the rest of the class.

If anyone would like to get involved in sailing, the Royal Natal Yacht Club invites you to join them on Wednesday night for their Twilight sailing, if you are interested to participate get in touch with Gayle on 031 301 5425.

RNYC Sailor of the Year returns to Durban

Royal Natal Yacht Club

RNYC Sailor of the Year returns to Durban

Round the World

Epic adventurer Ralf Dominick arrived back in Durban on Wednesday afternoon in breathless overcast conditions concluding his 33 month odyssey circumnavigating the globe on his yacht Imvubu.

Dominick’s final leg was sailed from Reunion, which he departed towards the end of October, sailing in mostly stormy conditions over the 12 days it took to reach Imvubu’s hometown, the last three days the ocean was calm and windless. Stepping onto the moorings, a small group of family, friends and crew welcomed the intrepid adventurer home including his mother who saw him only once during his trip, briefly last year in May when he made a fleeting visit to South Africa. 

In the celebrations, he opened a bottle of champagne that he had received on his 50^th birthday. The bottle had sailed around the world with him, waiting for a special occasion, smiling he stated, “It was well chilled through the Northwest Passage!”

The duo stopped off at 53 countries on their circumnavigation, including the gorgeous mythical Northwest Passage in August of last year. “Sailing my own vessel, I managed to stop off at a smorgasbord of places, be it cities, villages or islands. There were multiple visits to the USA and Canada; some territories have thousands of separate enchanting islands which I was able to explore!”

“Sailing under the Golden Gate Bridge at sunrise and past the Statue of Liberty at dawn are just two of thousands of my most memorable moments.”

Imvubu’s forestay was proudly decorated with flags from various countries he had visited as he motored into Durban.  

The valiant sailor departed from Durban in January 2010, heading down to Cape Town on her first voyage where the skipper tested the sea legs of his 53 foot Barens Seatraders. Asked why he named her Imvubu, which is Zulu for Hippopotamus, he laughs, “Well she is fat, large, ugly and extremely strong!”

Dominick enjoyed the company of a variety of crew throughout the journey, but bravely sailed a number of legs on his own.

Chatting about what he would like to do in the future, he comments, “Next year Imvubu and I are heading down to Antarctica, so I have a year to prepare for that journey. But I would love to do an Ocean Race, perhaps a Volvo in the years to come?”

Dominick was awarded the Royal Natal Yacht Club’s ‘Sailor of the Year’ for 2012 and also received the Gordon Burnwood Trophy by South African Sailing  and the Barton Cup by the Ocean Cruising Club for ‘the most meritorious ocean race or passage’ in 2011. 

Ralf Dominick concluded his phenomenal trip, entering the distinguished book of sailors how have successfully circumnavigated the globe.