Royal Natal Yacht Club's Dinghy Bay Series, Flying Fifteen Regional Class Champions and Umdhloti Mayor’s Race

The Royal Natal Yacht Club had a busy weekend with three events taking place for the small dinghies and the larger keelboats.

On Saturday the Flying Fifteens and dinghies competed in the bay, the larger boats competed in both the third day of the Dinghy Bay Series and the Flying Fifteen Regional Class Championships while the other competitors participated in the club Dinghy Bay Series.

In the blustery prevailing wind, the sailors had their jobs cut out for them, reading when the puffs would overpower their boats and having to work hard as the switchy wind dropped down. There were a number of thrills as the sailors planed their boats flying down to the bottom mark with their spinnakers flying, working hard to maintain the power as the wind shifted around. A few spills saw a couple of people landing up in the water as they pushed their boats hard around the windward leeward course.

The only Laser brave enough to venture out watched in dismay as his mast snapped half way up during the second race, leaving Denmar Nel stranded with his miserable sail flapping in the breeze forcing him to retire and limp back home.

Another dramatic turn of events occurred right on the start line as the young team of Mongezi Mfeka and Michael Boorman boisterously overshot the start and had to turn around to start legally. The team racing the Flying Fifteen Fe-Fi-Fo-Fum cut back through the fleet only to T-bone an approaching Flying Fifteen that was coming through the start line a bit late but at a rapid pace. The victims of the meaty blow were John Bandfield sailing with his grandson, John Bandfield Junior. The Bandfields were sailing the club’s Flying Fifteen in her maiden voyage after having been on land for years and slowly been lovingly restored over months and months of work by John Bandfield.  The Bandfields had to retreat cautiously back to land with a massive gaping hole in her beautifully restored bow.

The Rear Commodore, Rob Samways, racing on his J22 celebrated his birthday on the water with his crew and relished the conditions. Being the only J in the competition, the trio racing Running with Scissors took the time out on the water to perfect their gybes that needed a bit of work.

On Sunday, perfect summer weather greeted sailors as they took to the waters. The Flying Fifteens competed in the final day of the Flying Fifteen Regional Class Championship and the larger yachts headed offshore to race in the Umdhloti Mayor’s Race.

The Flying Fifteen team of Steve Hegerstrom and Siya Vato ended the fourth day of racing victoriously claiming victory from the duo of Patrick Harris and Jeremy Kriek who have dominated the class over the last decade. Finishing third were Myles White and Estelle Buys with Martin Zimmerman sailing with Neil Yelland driving their classic FF hard to finish fourth in a competitive fleet.

Thirteen races were sailed in total over the four days of the Flying Fifteen Regional Class Championships with an impressive 12 yachts competing.

A fleet of over fifteen boats competed in the offshore event with a gorgeous east-north easterly delighting sailors with flat seas and marvellous sailing conditions. The keelboats made their way up to the turning mark at the southern end of Umhloti, 600m off the river mouth. Gregg Hurter’s Bellatrix helmed on the day by Richard Parker was the first boat  to reach the buoy and to turn around the mark, followed by Sean Jones on Bandit, Sticky Fingers skippered by the Rear Commodore Rob Samways and hot on his tail, the Commodore, Graham Rose sailing his L34 Zap. 

After turning the yachts enjoyed a long spinnaker run back to Durban providing those on the shore with a wonderful spectacle of colourful spinnakers flying as the yachts made their way home . “The asymmetrical spinnaker worked a charm for the guys. We made the mistake of flying our symmetrical spinnaker on the run and lost to Flyer by five seconds on handicap. But it was a splendid day out on the water. We all thoroughly enjoyed the racing.” Commodore Graham Rose said after the race.

Peter Goble on Jennabee sailed a brilliant race coming second to Richard Parker who won the Bill Piddington trophy for the skipper over 60 years of age.  

This weekend the Dinghy Bay Series continues in the bay with the keelers preparing for the Memorial Regatta at the end of February.

For more info visit www.rnyc.org.za or contact Keiran at the club on 031 301 5425.

Royal Natal Yacht Club

Results

Umdhloti Mayor’s Race

Division A

1 Bellatrix (Richard Parker), 2 Sticky Fingers (Rob Samways), 3 Flyer (Brad Rayson), 4 Zap (Graham Rose), 5 Therapy (Gavin Wadsworth), 6 Bellissima (Vernon Goss), 7 Counter Point, 8 So Basic (Hemraj Gokal), 9 Container World (Denmar Nel), 10 Majimoto (Jon Marshall)

Division B

1 Jennabee (Peter Goble), 2 Candi (Theuns Nel), 3 Caversham Caprice (Richard Crockett), 4 Jedi (Willy Vandeverre)

Multihulls

1 Bandit (Sean Jones)

Bill Piddington Trophy (Over 60 skipper)

1 Bellatrix (Richard Parker), 2 Jennabee (Peter Goble), 3 Flyer (Brad Rayson), 4 Bellissima (Vernon Goss), 5 So Basic (Stuart Ritchie), 6 Jedi (Willy Vandeverre)

Flying Fifteen Regional Class Championship

1 Focus Pocus (Stever Hegerstrom and Siya Vato), 2 Ffothermucker (Myles White and Estelle Buys), 3 Ffrigate (Martin Zimmerman and Karl Zimmerman), 4 Ffoxxoff (Patrick Harris and Jeremy Kriek), 5 Fe-Fi-Fo-Fum (Mongezi Mfeka and Michael Boorman), 6 Gisella (Clinton Hendrie and Mike Prior), 7 Financial Fling (Simon Mosgrave and Craig Howie), 8 Freya (Gregg Hurter and Jeff Rose), 9 Firefly (Craig Campbell and Ian Hogg), 10 Fflight (Jeremy Beckett and Andile Zulu), 11 Ffullerene (Campbell Alexander and Jon Marshall)

Dinghy Bay Series

Flying Fifteens

1 Ffothermucker (Myles White and Estelle Buys), 2 Ffrigate (Martin Zimmerman and Karl Zimmerman), 3 Ffoxxoff (Patrick Harris and Jeremy Kriek), 4 Focus Pocus (Steve Hegerstrom and Siya Vato), 5 Financial Fling (Simon Mosgrave and Craig Howie), 6 Fe-Fi-Fo-Fum (Mongezi Mfeka and Michael Boorman), 7 Gisella (Clinton Hendrie and Mike Prior), 8 Freya (Gregg Hurter and Jeff Rose), 9 Fflight (Jeremy Beckett and Andile Zulu), 10 RNYC FF (John Bandfield and John JNR Bandfield)

J22

1 Running With Scissors (Rob Samways, Jared Quinn, DJ Latha)

Laser

1 Denmar Nel, 2 Campbell Alexander, 3 Andrew Walford, 4 Trent Bingham

Laser Radial

1 Anna Tiet, 2 Eli Brophy – Tintinger

Laser 4.7

1 Matthew Gaughran

RS Terra Sport

1 Dylan Alberts, 2 Chad Stevenson, 3 James Butler

RS Terra

1 Sven Paton, 2 TJ Timothy, 3 Jethro Brophy – Tintinger

Oppies

1 Liam Fennesy, 2 Calum Gaughran

Mirror

1 Trevor Gibb

29er

1 Rob Tarboton and Micahel Dickinson, 2 Euan Hurter and Sean Hurter

505

1 Thomas Funke and Clayton Beviss

RNYC Dinghy Bay Series

Royal Natal Yacht Club

Dinghy Bay Series

Durban Harbour: Saturday 11 January

A fleet of 25 yachts of all shapes and sizes ventured out to participate in Saturdays Royal Natal Yacht Club Dinghy Bay Series.

Race Officer, Lucy De Freitas managed to get in four races during the course of the afternoon with the faster dinghies sailing a triangle, sausage, triangle course in a gentle but very twitchy 8knot Southerly breeze and the smaller dinghies sailing a single lap around the triangular course.

De Freitas, a very professional and efficient Race Officer, kept the fleet busy with the afternoon’s racing starting promptly at 14h00 and each new race being started no sooner than the last boat finished so there was little time between races for the sailors to relax and catch their breath. The races were hotly contested with the Race Officer having to fly the X Flag in the first race to signal an individual recall due to some overzealous starters. There were 2 separate start sequences for each race with the bigger boats being followed by the smaller dinghies at a 5 minute interval. By the end of each race an despite sailing different courses both fleets converged on the finish line on mass making for some frenetic activity on the Committee Boat as recorders Kaylee Gregory and Melissa De Freitas diligently recorded the finishing positions and times for each boat while Patricia Kilburn sounded the air-horn as each boat crossed the finish line with only a few seconds separating each boat.  

For the final race of the day, the “no nonsense” De Freitas hoisted all the class flags simultaneously signalling a mass start for the entire fleet and to make sure there were no premature starters De Freitas pulled out the “Black Flag” signalling to the fleet that any premature starters over the start line before the starting signal would be disqualified. 

The larger boats consisted of a J22 helmed by the club’s Rear Commodore Rob Samways and a competitive field of eight Flying Fifteens. Samways with his ace crew of Jarred Quinn and DJ Latha stuck to the front of the field as they paced their way eagerly around the Olympic course.

The top end of the Flying Fifteens jostled for positions with Patrick Harris and Jeremy Kriek assuming victory with three firsts and a second. The father and son combo of Martin and Carl Zimmerman scraped in at second place, two points ahead of Myles White and Estelle Buys. Team Zimmerman claiming victory in the final race gave them the edge and placed them second overall. The father and son combo punched the air and cheered as they drove their classic design Flying Fifteen to a marginal win over the National champions of Harris and Kriek.

The fast flying 505 was joined by two lightening quick 29ers. Thomas Funke continued his great form after the last offshore regatta, sailing with Clayton Beviss the two enjoyed working their way through the Flying Fifteen fleet. Having just returned from Germany, Michael Dickinson enjoyed the warmer conditions as he sailed with Rob Tarboton from Pietermaritzburg on their 29er. After a wobbly start, Tarboton and Dickinson showed their prowess in the class with three wins ahead of the brother team of Euan and Sean Hurter.

In the laser fleet, three designs were represented. After missing the first race, Campbell Alexander stormed to victory on his standard rig laser with Denmar Nel from Pinetown taking second overall. Durban North’s Trent Bingham showed his class taking the win in the Radial fleet, ahead of Queensburgh’s Anna Tiet and Eli Brophy-Tintinger placing third. The young Matthew Gaughran took the honours on the smaller 4.7 laser.

Chad Stevenson, having sailed recently in the UK took the honours in the RS Terra class and Liam Fennessy won the Oppies class.

 Sailors had to contend with variable wind direction as the breeze swirled around the big ships in the harbour, causing a few spots were the boats stalled in their progress. All in all a good day’s racing was enjoyed by all.

The next issue of the Royal Natal Yacht Club Dinghy Series takes place this Saturday in the harbour.

For more info go to www.rnyc.org.za or contact the club on 031 301 5425.

For the full gallery of Saturday's racing - go to https://plus.google.com/photos/107043250900195445911/albums/5939749307263917089

Results

J22

1 Running with Scissors (Rob Samways)

Flying Fifteens

1 Foxxoff (P Harris and J Kriek), 2 Ffrigate (Martin and Carl Zimmerman), 3 Ffothermucker (Myles White and Estelle Buys), 4 Freya (Gregg Hurter and Jeff Rose), 5 Gisella (Clinton Henrie and Mike Prior), 6 Finanical Fling (Simon Musgrave and Craig Howie), 7 Fflight (Jeremy Beckett), 8 Fe-Fi-Fo-Fum (Michael Boorman and Keli Bell)

505

1 Thomas Funke and Clayton Beviss

29er

1Rob Tarboton and Michael Dickinson, 2 Euan and Sean Hurter

Laser

1 Campbell Alexander, 2 Denmar Nel

Laser Radial

1 Trent Bingham, 2 Anna Tiet, 3 Eli Bropy-Tintinger

Laser 4.7

1 Matthew Gaughran

Oppi

1 Liam Fennesy

RS Terra

1 Chad Stevenson, 2 Dylan Alberts, 3 Jethro Brophy-Tintinger, 4 James Butler

Mirror

1 Trevor Gibb

Sailing from Mauritius to Durban - Part Two Reunion

It was love at first sight, Reunion is an island that was completely surprising, diverse and utterly breath-taking.

36 hours after a gorgeous sail from Mauritius we set foot on Saint-Pierre. The first passage sailing on Topaz was gratefully uneventful, only passing a handful of large ships, light winds and calm seas carried us closer to land with only a couple of hours motor-sailing. We arrived just off Saint-Pierre at 02:00am; the entrance to the small harbour was tricky as we heard the pounding surf smashing onto the rocks.

For five hours we heaved-to a stone throw away from the lush green voluptuous island. As the morning rays brought light all around us, we dropped our sails and prepared for the challenge of surfing the massive swells. Viatrix, a sturdy ketch that we had been sailing in convoy with allowed us to tackle the entrance first, holding back and observing with interest.

Our 51ft Australian built Adams monohull motored forwards, aiming her bow for the first set of leads, nautical markers set on land that assisted yachts entering harbours. Our yacht surged over large surf as Rob Ferenczi, my skipper, guided his vessel between two large treacherous looking rocky outcrops. After the adrenaline pumping entry, we successfully avoided shipwrecking Topaz and nestled in the small craft harbour that was overlooked by colossal volcanic mountains.

Customs officials came quickly and cleared us in. We were officially in ‘France’ and free to roam.

The village of Saint-Pierre is set in the south-west of Reunion and being the third largest populated on the island, bustled with vibrancy. Pristine coral beaches lined the delightful French village, the beach adjacent to the harbour was protected by a man-made reef with tourists and locals alike making full use of the ocean.

The main street running along the coastline was filled with an array of cafes that spilled out onto the pavement and all offering endless views and wi-fi, much to our relief. Our Canadian friends discovered a patisserie a block away from the entrance to the harbour and they frequented the bakery each morning, wandering back to the boats with an armful of deliciously baked French loaves. I admittedly strolled past acquiring a croissant each morning as I headed out to explore the island.

It was an interesting contrast, visiting a near neighbour but with the constant feeling of being in first world Europe.  English was hardly spoken so we again resorted to a lot of animated hand-signals. Robi and I refreshed our petit French vocab, reminding ourselves of the essentials- how to count to ten, ordering a coffee or beer.

On the weekend, we had the honour of being part of the festivities, the Dipavali or Festival of Lights. The entire strip was transformed for the occasion. Two stages had been set up during the week and the police had left notes on every lamp pole informing us that the road would be closed. On Friday on both stages it was scheduled to have music and dancing and on Saturday there was to be a parade and then fireworks to close off Dipavali.

Dancers of all shapes and sizes took to the stage, entertaining the masses. Little people clad in traditional attire joined more experienced dancers. The faces of the tiny tots were too precious as the pure concentration of the steps and hand movements were etched all over their features. Sari after sari, beautiful bright colours, invaded our vision as more dance troops took to the stages to perform. The evening ended early with the promise of more delightful entertainment to follow the next day.

As the sun began to set on Saturday, the road was again closed and people filtered out and crowded the streets. In my wanderings that day, nervous people had urged tourists not to wander around the harbour as luminous workers went about setting up the massive firework display. Further along I had come across a number of carriages that were being dressed for the occasion. That evening, the decorated carriages began the precession, followed by musicians, dancers and dignitaries. Wheel barrows laden with fire broke up each dressed wagon, with another dance group going to great lengths to create their identity at the parade. Tinsel, statues, gorgeous models adorned the slow moving coach. After a few hours of watching the parade, carriages pulled by bulls rounded up the formalities and the crowd dispersed towards the beach.

As I moved to the beach, I bumped into Rob and we wandered to the grassy banks to get a good view of the fireworks. Punctually, the first explosion ignited the sky. For what seemed like an eternity, the sky was highlighted with exploding fairy lights, red, green, brilliant white lit up the sky accompanied by thunderous bombs. The finale was fantastic, the smell of gunpowder wafted around for a while and the crowd surrounding us visibly was buzzing from the display.

With the help of fellow crew member, Jen’s marvellous French vocab, we managed to navigate hiring a car on Monday for two of the days which gave us the opportunity to really explore the island. The Topaz trio ventured out to Cilaos on our first outing. Cilaos, to the north west of Saint-Pierre was up in the mountains, at the foot of the Piton des Neiges to be exact. The Isle da le Reunion had two main roads, the one that etched the coastline and the second bisecting the island with smaller roads branching off each.

Signage was easy to understand and it didn’t take a rocket scientist to steer towards the high peaks that dominated the horizon. Tour De France slopes greeted us as we got out of Saint-Pierre, exquisite green hills surrounded us with the quaintest of wooden houses interrupting the greenness. Our tiny little Nissan’s tyres glued themselves around the thousands of corners; the only rule seemed that if you hoot first on arriving to a hairpin bend, you get to go first. We edged our way up the winding road, constantly racing towards the misty clouds that hovered just above us, avoiding the locals as they expertly ‘Schumachered’ their way along the road.

Cilaos instantly transported me to the Camino. Bodies of all shapes and sizes walked around the small village, armed with walking sticks and backpacks. Paths disappeared off the road transporting their walkers onto yet another trail taking them deeper into the pulsating forests. The tiny colourful village swarmed with people, meandering around I had to stop myself from uttering Buen Camino.

Pausing for a coffee at the Le Tsilaosa, a hotel located in the heart of Cilaos, we sat on the veranda of this beautiful building mesmerised by the rich wooden exterior that was complimented with overflowing window boxes. After a short stroll, lunch was enjoyed taking in the immense hills encompassing us.

As the temperature started to drop and time marched on, we jumped in the car continuing through the forests, stopping briefly at a picnic site. The mist tumbled down the hills, obscuring the tops of the trees and hiding the mountains and the air was crisp but inviting.

Our final adventure that day was driving on the coastal freeway. We got a feel for the other side of the island but in the darkness didn’t see as much as we had hoped. Saint-Denis, the main town was a maze of roads with office blocks and brightly lit shop fronts giving them identity. The harbour in Saint-Denis was huge compared to our small craft harbour, with tall cranes evident from the road.

The next day we set off early, our intention was to bravely explore the volcanoes of Reunion. According to our basic research the island experienced an eruption every four years and was due for an explosion quite soon! Armed with this knowledge, we still set off up the windy roads to wander on the edge of a crater.

Our first stop was at a lush ledge that overlooked a forested valley hundreds of meters below. Sheer rock faces camouflaged by super-hero trees clinging to the outcrops. Circumnavigating the valley, we stopped several times; each time the landscape altered slightly from the previous spot, the soil redder, the rocks bigger and the trees more hardy.

Having driven the entire shards of rock, the road dropped off to a fascinating landscape. A mixture of a red and brown desert waited below. As cars and buses made their way through the section that looked very similar to what I imagine Mars to look like, clouds of dust billowed behind the vehicles. Cumulus clouds began to dominate the horizon at the edge that dropped off to another valley. Imaginations running wild, the rising clouds could have been compared to gases rising from a near-bursting volcano.

Venturing down to Mars, we stopped at a layby getting out of the car. The entire ground was covered by bits of volcanic rock. Picking them up, the light aerated rocks of varying colours and textures must have been a geologist’s heaven. A few persistent tufts of grass sprouted their heads through the dire surrounds, the only visible sign of life. A mate of mine, Adrian, suggested that the Curiosity Rover actually landed on this section of earth and roamed around Reunion, not Mars. I would have to say if I were a conspiracist, then I would agree.

After spending time marching around, kicking dirt, tossing bits of volcano and building cairns we moved on to Piton De La Fournaise. It was nearing lunch time and by the amount of cars and buses in the parking lot, it suggested that this was a popular destination. Leaving the car, we headed to the edge. Observing the massive crater below, there were hundreds of ants that were hiking around the volcano. Clambering up the lava dome and peering down into the unknown, bold tourists wandered around following paths that took them across a sleeping beast that could awaken at any time. Like lizards, we found a rock that had soaked up the rays, sheltered from the breeze and energetic tourists, the Topaz trio sat and gazed across this mystical landscape.

From the barren volcanic parts, our trusty small Nissan whizzed us up to Salazie. The small town high up on yet another mountain was encased by brilliant green trees with waterfalls cascading down, breaking up the canvas and adding yet another element of wow to the island. We drove towards Hell-bourg and parked the car. Descending down vertical paths, twenty minutes of scaling down rough rocky pathways, we found ourselves submerged in a crisp river that was just reward for the rock climbing. Tumbling water was the only interruption to the peace and quiet. As the light began to fade, we trekked up to the car and then meandered back to the boat.

The final day with the car, we did the necessaries before our second chapter of the voyage, a stop at Carrefour. The Nissan needed to be back at the car hire before 10am so we flew through the shopping. Packing 40 oranges, 40 apples, kiwi fruit, as much fresh food that we could into trolleys, yoghurt, French cheeses, French bread, you name it; we whisked around the massive store and loaded up the trolleys.

Dashing back to the boat, we offloaded leaving Jen with the responsibility of packing the boat and hurrying to the car hire to return the wheels. As the clock struck 10, we drove into the yard and had the vehicle scrutinised and checked. After the agonising inspection we were free. I left Rob and adventured to new bits of Saint-Pierre, falling more in love with this quaint village. A Nordic church, a Chinese temple, a Hindu temple, a Gothic style church, the people, the coastline, the cuisine, the coffee – what wasn’t too love?

The remaining time I absorbed as much of La Reunion as I could, promising myself one day I would return.

We set sail on a Friday, with ladies on board… and bananas. 

Sailing from Mauritius to Durban - Part One Mauritius

Let me begin by saying that I am not a sailor; I have just had the absolute privilege to odyssey across oceans by form of yacht.

My latest adventure began in the picturesque setting of Mauritius with the final destination of my hometown, Durban. The beauty of travelling by yacht is the opportunity to stop off at some truly magnificent hidden gems on our planet.

I met the vessel Topaz in Grand Baie, a popular tourist destination for obvious reasons, the turquoise glistening ocean lapping on to golden sands, exquisite palm trees framing the beaches and the kind locals habituating in the quaint village surrounding the bay.

Topaz had been anchored in Grand Baie for ten days and I joined the crew for another two nights floating in tropical paradise. During the steamy hot days, I walked around Grand Baie, cruising along the shoreline admiring a variety of boats anchored in the bay; a number of beautiful Hindu deities had the eternal setting of Grand Baie, along with a very Nordic-looking church built right on the water’s edge. In contrast to the pristine area, just beyond a jetty in dire disrepair, the remains of a tall ship jutted out of the water adding some mystery to the bay. Returning back to the boat, I meandered past a variety of architecture, along with some quirky tourist arcades.

The perfect setting was interrupted by the roar of fast flying speed boats zipping dare-devilish through the anchorage, carving wakes for their skiers that they were dragging behind them. The evenings however were blissful, with postcard sunsets rewarding our stay as we sipped on exotic colourful cocktails from the resort bars.

We enjoyed a tranquil slow sail from Grand Baie to Port Louis, the capital of Mauritius. Safely tied up in the small marina, Topaz, a 51ft Australian built Adams monohull, was dwarfed by the tail-end of the lavish Oyster fleet that were circumnavigating the globe. Added to the mix of circumnavigators were three yachts, a German couple on their yacht Wigwam. Sailing in convoy were two ketches that had been cruising for three years, an American couple and their two teenage children sailing on Azimuth and a Canadian couple with their three children on Viatrix.

In the capital, I had one day to explore the bustling town, admiring the waterfront that was a smaller, carbon copy of our V@A Waterfront. The main promenade had the funkiest shade, with an array of multi-coloured umbrellas casting shadows below creating a rainbow awning above the busy walkway. The neat, well-kempt town was a joy to wander around. Discovering the local hangouts set on the outskirts of town, the massive horse track, modern day office blocks standing tall next to ancient buildings housing retailers, urban parks adding some greenery to the concrete terrain and a number of places of worship dotted around.

Our departure time was moved forward as our skipper, Rob Ferenczi had been warned that our next port of call had a tricky entrance and with the tides, we needed to get there before 07:00am. Our departure time was now at sunset with the weather looking very favourable for a gentle sail to Saint Pierre, Reunion.

Enroute back to the marina, a number of people were gazing heavenwards, cameras and cellphones all snapping at something in the sky. Curious, looking up I saw a perfect halo circling the sun, I took this sentiment as a blessing for our upcoming passage.

Our last adventure on land was acquiring a bit of fresh food from the charming fruit, veg and traditional medicine market. The traders all enticed us with their wares but only a handful spoke English, so our trading and bartering was done with good old hand signals.

As the sun began to set on Mauritius, we departed in convoy with Viatrix. Next stop the French island of Reunion.