Commodore's Cup

Royal Natal Yacht Club

Vasco da Gama Tune Up Race

Saturday 5 April

A small fleet braved the blustery conditions on Saturday afternoon in 40knot winds as they competed in the Commodore’s Cup.

The long distance race started on Saturday afternoon as a tune up race ahead of the Vasco da Gama International Yacht Race hosted by the Royal Natal Yacht Club.

Starting with the wind at their tails, the sailors had a pleasant run up to Ballito where they turned around a virtual mark that was set off Zimbali Coastal Estate. Two of the yachts even braved flying their spinnakers in the heavy weather as they went through the start, with the yacht Flyer spending 10minutes battling a near broach as the wind overpowered their yacht. Once they had their sail under control, they powered up the coast heading north.

After turning offshore of Ballito, the yachts then sailed into the weather heading back home, with waves pounding on their bows. The wind died down a couple of hours after the sun had set but the sea conditions were still lumpy with white horses evident everywhere.

The purpose of the race was to get some valuable night hours under their belt ahead of the Vasco da Gama. The tune up race was a 15nautical mile there-and-back race that finished between the two breakwaters at the entrance to the harbour.

The Rear Commodore, Rob Samways stated, “Hectic! What a race! Only one weather forecasting site was predicting the wind that we had. Most weather predictions were of 10 – 16 knots, but the site that got it right forecasted 25 gusting 30 knots”

Continuing, Samways said, “The sea state was lumpy and with waves of around 4m. Therapy and Flyer hoisted spinnakers out of the start with Flyer almost immediately experiencing a spectacular broach. Therapy raced away with her spinnaker up, but at just over a nautical mile out of the start also broached in the confused seas lifting the stern out and throwing her around. Zap chose not to risk flying the kite and decided to broad reach out to sea. Therapy and Flyer gave up risking spinnakers with Therapy poling out her blade downwind. Surf speeds of 13- 15 knots were achieved on the way to Tongaat. All the competitors rounded the mark off Tongaat at between 18:00 and 18:25 with a long and wet beat back home of around 4 hours ahead.”

“Half way up the beat home, Therapy increased her lead, then decided to go ‘farming’ in current and big seas offshore and ended up on the wrong side of the 45degree wind shift to the SW that brought Zap and Flyer beating up the shore right back into contention. Therapy took line honours followed by Zap 30 seconds later.”

At the midnight prize giving, the Commodore, Graham Rose racing on Zap was awarded honours on corrected time with his magnificent closing-the-deal finish. The next overnight race will take place on Saturday 3 May.

Hosted by the Royal Natal Yacht Club, the Vasco da Gama that starts in Maputo on 19 June and finishes in Durban is a gruelling 300 NM race. It originated in 1967 running from Maputo to Durban and then from Durban to East London during the Mozambique Civil War and then again early in the millennium, returned to Mozambique.

The race is open to both racing yachts and cruisers with the record being held by former Commodore of the Royal Natal Yacht Club, Chris Frost. Frost will be lining up to compete in his tenth Vasco this year; the accomplished skipper set the course record in 2006.

For more info visit the Royal Natal Yacht Club’s website www.rnyc.org.za or like the Facebook page Vasco da Gama 2014