Wrap up for day one of Bay and Offshore Dingy Series

Point Yacht Club

Bay and Offshore Dinghy Series

Offshore: Saturday 28 March

Ahead of all the major regattas happening around the country, the Point Yacht Club opted to give their sailors some training offshore for the Bay and Offshore Dinghy Series on Saturday.

12 small crafts met Race Officer Kevin Bingham off Addington Beach in magnificent sailing South-Westerly conditions with long rolling swells and flat seas welcoming the three classes.

As the team set up the race track, the small fleet of dinghies relished the 10knot winds carving through the swells in anticipation of a good afternoon of sailing. The number two pennant was flown, indicating a triangle sausage course first up and promptly at 2.00pm racing got under way. First to go were the two Laser Radials and two Flying Fifteens followed by eight Hobies five minutes later in their own start sequence.

Young Sam Lombaard kept his nose in the front ahead of more experienced Rob Goulden in the Laser fleet, with Lombaard claiming two firsts. Despite their late arrival, Patrick Harris and Jeremy Kriek charged to the front ahead of Myles White and David Curtiss in the Flying Fifteen class. White and Curtiss often caught up to Harris and Kriek on the beat but lost momentum on the run flying their spinnaker.

In the Hobie 14 class, Peter Hall notched up two first places ahead of Greg de Beyer and Richard Gorlei. Gorlei retired from the racing after his impressive second place and de Beyer scored a third and second place in his two races.

In the larger Hobies, the Hobie 16 of Andrew Heathcote and Sean Hurter took the honours competing in all the races.  Their scorecard had a fourth and two firsts on it, while Clint du Toit partnering with young Dylan Albert got two second places along with a Did Not Start for the final race of the day. Justin Butler racing with Laser sailor, Anthony Arbuthnot took the line honours in the first race but had a disappointing second race retiring mid-race and heading back to the beach.

In the final race, Bingham adjusted the course to a windward leeward course. The majority of the fleet retired leaving only four boats to race. Lombaard on his Radial took comfort on the bridge boat due to damage to his main sheet, tying his boat off at the back of the bridge. While the rest of the fleet made their way back to the beach site.

During the course of the afternoon, the wind kept switching and dropping off. At one stage, the South-Westerly changed by 60degrees keeping Bingham and his team busy adjusting the race track as ominous rainy squalls continued to roll across the horizon.

The continuing tussle between Harris and White went down to the wire, fifteen seconds separated the two Flying Fifteens with Harris and Kriek getting a lift as they charged to the finish. The two remaining Hobie 16s got in some good training with Heathcote and Hurter claiming first and CJ Miln accompanied by Braeden Royal crossing the line 90seconds after them.

April is a busy month for the dinghies offshore of Durban, first up is the colourful Hobie Nationals taking place this weekend with around 40 Hobies taking part, then the return of the SA Laser Nationals taking place at the end of the month with an expected fleet of 80 boats.

For more info visit www.pyc.co.za or like their Facebook page.

Results

Offshore and Bay Dinghy Series

Offshore: Saturday 28 March

B Fleet

1 Sam Lombaard (Laser Radial) 2pts, 2 Rob Goulden (Laser Radial) 4pts

C Fleet

1 Patrick Harris / Jeremy Kriek (Flying Fifteen) 2pts, 2 Myles White / David Curtiss (Flying Fifteen)

D Class

1 Peter Hall (Hobie 14) 2pts, 2= Andrew Heathcote / Sean Huter (Hobie 16) 5pts, 2= Greg de Beyer (Hobie 14) 5pts, 4 Garth Louden (Hobie 14) 7pts, 5 CJ Miln / Braeden Royal (Hobie 16) 8pts, 6= Richard Gorlei (Hobie 14) 11pts, 6= Clint du Toit / Dylan Albert (Hobie 16) 14pts

Interview with fledgling sailor, Sam Lombaard

SA Laser Nationals

Interview with Sam Lombaard

Back to defend his title, young Sam Lombaard has been putting in the hours out on the water with the intention of taking top honours again at the SA Laser Nationals taking place offshore of Durban starting on 30 April.

Having won the Laser Radial 4.7 division last year, Lombaard has been escaping at every opportunity from boarding school at Michaelhouse to get in training ahead of the prestigious event. “I recently competed in Japan, finishing 21^st in the silver fleet, not as well as I had wanted but it was an experience that I hope to build on. I competed in the KZN Inter-Schools last weekend at Richard’s Bay, I won overall and Michaelhouse won in the senior school level.”

At fourteen years old, the fledgling sailor has notched up an impressive CV in his sailing career, “In 2013 I travelled to England to compete in the RS Tera Pro World Champs where I finished second. In the same year I competed in the Topper Worlds in France where I came 24^th in the gold fleet.  I have also had the opportunity to compete in regattas in Belgium two years ago, in Italy in 2012 and Denmark in 2011. The experience taught me so much!”

Hundreds of talented sailors from many countries travel to participate in these major regattas, his coming second in the world in the UK is an awesome achievement.  

“I am extremely lucky to have also travelled extensively to events around South Africa and done extremely well. Last year I won the Laser 4.7 National Champs down in False Bay. In the Dabchick class I came sixth at the 2013 Nationals, but I recently sold my dabbie.”

At the start of his career, “I would say that coming second at the RS Tera Worlds and winning last year at the Laser Nationals would be my highlights. I consider myself really lucky to have been introduced to sailing at a young age with a whole world of opportunities awaiting me.”

“My Dad’s uncle is a former Rear-Commodore of the Point Yacht Club; he taught my Dad how to sail. I only started sailing after I was diagnosed with Osteogenesis Imperfecta which means I have a brittle bones disorder. Dad was researching a sport that I would be able to participate in and came across a Sail Africa sailing programme and thought it would be perfect for me. I advanced through the courses and loved it. The result was a RS Tera as a Christmas present in 2009. You could say from there I was hooked.”

The worldly-wise teenager explains, “To me, Lasers are one of the most physical boats you can sail. And are one of the most tactical boats to sail, there are so many different ways to get speed out of the boat, and they demand ultimate concentration to keep it upright in big breeze.”

Not escaping too far away from the water, Lombaard informs us what his hobbies are, “I really enjoy canoeing, it is different and I like that. I also like to fish. My intentions are to do Dusi next year and the Fish River Canoe Marathon at the end of this year. I do really well in waterpolo and made the KZN team in 2013.”

The focused sailor has a five year plan, “I would really like to return to Tokyo to compete in the 2020 Summer Olympics. But ideally I would love to follow in Australia’s Tom Slingsby’s steps and compete and do well in the Laser class internationally.”

The Olympic hopeful isn’t afraid to jump on big boats as well, “I was extremely fortunate to represent PYC at the biggest keelboat event in our country, the Lipton Challenge in 2012 in Cape Town. I learnt so much from this event.”

Sitting on terrafirma chatting to Lombaard, I enquire if he has any land-based heroes; he proudly says that his folks are his role models in life.

Concluding, he shares, “I really enjoy cooking since my Dad is a chef.”

Let’s hope over the May Day weekend, this bright sailing prospect will be cooking on the water.

Chatting to Up-and-Coming Field Hockey Umpire, Jason Naidoo

SPAR KZN Regional Hockey Tournament

Interview with Jason Naidoo

Asked how he would describe himself in one word, Jason Naidoo claims, curious!

Naidoo, a former pupil from Kingsway High School was recently elected as the Most Promising Umpire in the Durban South Regional at the SPAR KZN Regional Hockey Tournament where he was representing his Alma Mater.

“That was my third SPAR tournament that I was a part of! Our girls did well finishing in the top four and we all enjoyed ourselves.”

“The first time I picked up a whistle, I was in Matric.” the confident young man shares, “There was a shortage of umpires, so I was asked by my first team coach to help out by umpiring a junior girls’ match. We were taking on Hillcrest at Hillcrest.”

“It was rather nerve wrecking. Not wanting to mess up or show any bias, I tried my hardest to see everything I could through the bunched group of girls around one ball but I actually enjoyed it.” continued the cheerful gent.

That was five years ago and he is still going strong, both with a whistle or hockey stick in hand. “In my eyes, the fast paced nature of hockey stands out the most to me. This mixed with the physicality and technical skill required makes hockey my favourite sport! There's just something magical about being out on a just-watered astro on a hot day.”

The gorgeous young sporting star spends his working days being a Striker for Red Bull, which is an international term for members of their off-premise sales team; he is responsible for how the brand is communicated within retail and convenience stores.  

“My hobbies include playing sport and keeping active. I also really enjoy exploring new and interesting coffee shops and dinner spots. On the sporting front I participate in both soccer and cricket too. Recently I've taken up golf which is a whole new challenge but I'm enjoying it! I play in the defence as a left or right back; the thrill of defending your goal as someone descends is exhilarating.”

Talking about a moment that stands out for him on the pitch, he reminisces, “I have played a lot of hockey but one of my favourite moments has to be at the Stellenbosch festival in 2008. We made it, unbeaten, to the finals only to meet a local rival in Thomas Moore College. The number of supporters and the atmosphere throughout that match was special. It was the most closely-fought match I have ever been involved in. We unfortunately lost the final in penalties but it will be a match I will never forget.”

His motto in life reveals how determined he is, stating he says, “Set your standards high and never settle for less than you deserve!”

On his bucket list, the adventurous soul said, “At the moment sky diving is a big one on my bucket list! With a whistle, it would have to be blowing a Germany vs Australia game at the Riverbank Arena, where the 2012 London Olympic Games were held.”

Still residing in the town that he grew up in, Naidoo affirms, “We have the best people here in Amanzimtoti and in Durban! When you couple our beautiful, laid back people with our stunning, all-year-round, weather you realise we're living in the best city in the world!”

The highly motivated individual reveals, “I'm passionate about the community and kids specifically! I run a junior youth programme every Friday that involves lots of sport, fun and most importantly life skills.”

The Sports Manage at Kingsway High School, Kerry Warne included, “I have known Jason for 10 years. He’s always been a really good friend, always helpful and reliable. As a coach, he is very passionate. He loves his sport and is very loyal to Kingsway High. Even though he now has a full time job, he still finds the time to help us out on the weekends with coaching and reffing.”

Naidoo, together with nine other umpires will take to the pitch to oversee the Grand Finals of the SPAR KZN Regional Hockey Tournament in July. 

Chatting to up-and-coming field hockey umpire Ziyaana Booley

SPAR KZN Regional Hockey Tournament

Interview with Ziyaana Booley

Described as ambitious, determined, energetic and focused, Ziyaana Booley is making a name for herself in the hockey world.

Having recently been nominated as the Most Promising Umpire in the Durban North Regional at the SPAR KZN Regional Hockey Tournament, representing Northlands Girls’ High School, Booley together with nine other umpires from around KwaZulu Natal, will head to the Grand Finals to gain more experience.

“The SPAR tournament was my first time I umpired properly; I usually just stick to playing. So umpiring was definitely something new. Initially it was really scary but I think I soon adapted to it.” the beautiful young lady states.

Having played in three of the SPAR tournaments in the colours of Northlands Girls High, the budding umpire states, “I am very proud of myself that I have that experience now, being at the other end of the game. If I were to pursue an umpiring career, I would love to officiate in a game between South Africa and Argentina. Being in the thick of the passionate Argentinians and surrounded by players I admire would be utterly invigorating.”

When not umpiring or studying, the recent matriculant enjoys softball, cross country, swimming and life-saving. “I definitely enjoy coaching the little kids at Chelsea Prep and probably just cycling along the promenade for fun!”

“I am a defender when I play. I started playing when I was really young and it’s all thanks to my mom for taking me to mini-hockey from a young age. I love the fact that you never really know what is going to happen on the pitch or how you are going to play, it’s all just in the moment.”

Asked about a moment that stands out for her, she states, “Probably playing my last school game for Northlands with all my friends, everybody just had so much positive energy.”

“I enjoy playing hockey because of the competitiveness of it, and the fun and excitement you get playing the game.”

Sports Co-Ordinator for Northlands Girls’ High School, Cynthia Field enthused about her former pupil, “I have known Zee since Grade 8 and she is a very talented girl who does not like to brag about what she has achieved. She is very disciplined and trains and plays hard. She captained our hockey and softball sides, she is an accomplished swimmer and was house captain and sets very high standards for herself.  She is extremely fit and still holds the record in the school for the Beep Test got to over 100 shuttles!”

The fledgling sporting star who dreams of travelling to as many different countries as possible, claims her favourite quote is from the AMC series’ Mad Men star Don Draper, Make it simple. But significant! Her bright future promises to be just that, significant.

Durban Sailing Communities donate money to National Sea Rescue Institute Rescue 5

Point Yacht Club

NSRI Fundraiser

Donations from the Barrel Race 2014 were presented to the National Sea Rescue Institute Durban Station with the Durban sailing community raising a whopping R109,075 to the volunteer organisation.

The annual Barrel Race is an event hosted by Point Yacht Club and organised jointly with the Bluff Yacht Club, Island Sailing Club and Royal Natal Yacht Club.

Fundraising activities included a beach party at PYC’s Beach Site, a fine dining event at PYC, a party at Royal Natal Yacht Club and the main Barrel Day during which all clubs contributed and took part.

The fun-filled Barrel Day included a fun race in the harbour, where a number of the NSRI volunteers joined the sailors on their romp around the bay. After all the water based activities, the fun returned to the shore for the land-based festivities.

In addition to the events, the money raised was through various donations, including the generous contributions from Seaport Supply, Offshore Sailing Academy, Dockleveller Supplies, Decorland and Alexander, Cox Attorneys.

The Durban sailing community handed over a cheque to the value of R80,000 to the NSRI in 2013, growing their support by nearly R30,000. The money raised will go towards helping with their maintenance that is a constant drain on their finances as well as adding to their savings towards a new 12meter rescue boat that they are hoping to launch in Durban in 2015.

“Local support for Sea Rescue is critical. It is extremely expensive to run a NSRI station and having the support of local business, clubs and individuals helps us to afford to keep our equipment in tip top condition, make sure that we always have fuel, excellent Personal Protective equipment like wetsuits and lifejackets as well as carrying out general preventative maintenance.” affirmed Clifford Ireland, the Station Five Station Commander.

Ireland joined the NSRI in 1992 and soon became a Class 1 Coxswain, and then the Durban Station Commander in 2010. “Last year the NSRI nationally had 662 rescue responses, spent 3,992 hours on operations and 7,903 hours on training across all 35 stations. We rescued 1,131 people.” Ireland proudly explained.

The hard working Durban establishment is one of four in the KZN province and their team is constantly training for any instance that could happen in our coastal waters, “Training depends on the station, but a norm would be a crew meeting each week, often on Wednesdays and then training on one day of the weekend. Again this changes station to station. The smaller stations will have one crew who will be training each weekend and the bigger stations four crews who train one day a month on their weekend on duty.”

Looking ahead at the 2015 Barrel Race, Ireland commented, “Thank you to all who took part and to all who put so much time and effort into making the 2014 Barrel Race unforgettable. Monies raised in this year’s event will be used to replace wetsuits and life-jackets. And of course towards the big one, our new rescue boat that will cost in the region of R13 million!

This year the Barrel Race hosted by all of the Durban yacht clubs will be held on Sunday 28 June

For more info visit the yacht clubs websites.

A few questions with catamaran sailor, Wayne Smith

Wayne Smith is one of Durban’s most enthusiastic and accomplished Hobie sailors. He sails with his girlfriend, Kate Bains and the duo will be competing in the Hobie Nationals over the Easter weekend sailing offshore of Durban. He has competed in the Hobie 16 World championships in Port Elizabeth and the Hobie Tiger World Champs in Langebaan. He also sailed his Hobie 16 in the World Masters games in Sydney in 2009. He picked up his interest in sailing from his father who was a competitive sailor in the 60's and 70's.

I attended Athlone Primary School and Maritzburg College High School in Pietermaritzburg and went on to study a BSc in Building Science at the University of KZN-Durban. I have travelled and worked in the builders industry in several places around the world but always gravitate back to good ol' Durbs. Currently in a relationship with a fantastic lady, Kate Bain, who manages the care of orphans in Northern KZN and I try dedicate some of my time supporting her in her endeavour. I am currently involved in developing some residential units in Westville and spend much of my free time involved in sailing through Point Yacht Club. Either trying to promote it or participating in events.

  

What do you love about your town and province?

Mainly...it’s home. And what makes it home is the friends and family here. Of course the climate, landscape and sea just add the finishing touches. Durban is very multi-cultural which adds to the flavour, enchantment and excitement of the city.

What is your favourite destination in the province if you want to take some time out?

The Drakensburg. The backdrop of majestic mountains against the silent starry sky is soul-stuff. The tranquillity contrasts to the hustle and bustle of Durban city life.

Sports & Hobbies?

All through school and varsity I did gymnastics and carried on to do diving, mountain biking, white water kayaking, climbing, water skiing ... but now days anything with a sail is my preference. I began windsurfing at high school and still enjoy the sport although now days I sail Hobie catamarans and micro multi hulls more often. I even have a remote controlled yacht just to show my age!!!

Favourite food and drinks; any place(s) you want to recommend to people?

Almost everything my girlfriend cooks, not only cos she has cooked it GF but she is a damn good cook. I love a medium steak with lots of garlic, my favourite place for the best meat meal in the world is Joops' Place....mmmmmm. I am not impartial to tequila when the party's on but beer especially the growing number of craft beers available make for good after action socialising. Red wine has its place but I am not too up myself enough to think life can’t go on without a good (expensive) red.

Favourite vacation place outside KZN?

Langebaan in summer. A taste of Mediterranean Europe in Africa....lots of foreigners and of course the wind blows.

Any gems you found in the province?

Yes, the bum slide in the gorge near Wonder Cave in the Central Berg and Karlkloof canopy tours, it’s exciting and the location is beautiful.

How do you manage work and home life?

Awfully by all accounts but that depends on who you asking, currently its more squewed to 'life' than 'work'....

What is the best part of your job?

Self Employed so having work is always a good thing but also meeting a variety of people that the industry offers is exciting and challenging...also the boss is very reasonable at times and allows time off for good work / life balance.

What is the worst part of your job? 

Not having work and the boss can be difficult sometimes...

What is the one thing about your to town/province that you think everybody should know?

Its location for outdoor activities is one of the best in the world. Local government needs to understand this and support and develop this potential.

"If I had all the money in the world I would ...

Overthrow the government, ensure my girlfriend’s foundation, Izulu Orphan Projects, became financially secure and self-sustaining (as they get absolutely no Government assistance)....oh yes and of course buy a 60ft catamaran and cruise the Mediterranean."

Families frantic as Leopard Catamaran remains missing

2 March 2015

Statement on behalf of:

Jeremy Savage; Philippa Savage; Lisa Green; Trevor Payne; Storme Robertson;

Jared Robertson

On December 14th, the catamaran, Sunsail RC044-978 set out from Cape Town harbour on a delivery trip to Phuket, Thailand. The delivery was on behalf of Tui Marine, a leader in the world maritime leisure business based in Florida, USA, with representatives in Cape Town.

On board is Anthony Murray (58), the brother of Jeremy and Philippa Savage and the skipper of the yacht. Anthony has over 25 years experience at sea, including multiple catamaran/yacht deliveries to destinations including Abu Dhabi, China, Austria, the Caribbean, the USA and more.

Also on board is Reginald Robertson (59), a member of the Royal Natal Yacht Club and another experienced yachtsman, as well as Jaryd Payne (20).

Communication from the yacht via an Iridium satellite phone was regular from the date of departure. This included regular texts from Jaryd to his mother in Cape Town and his father, as well as regular texts from Reginald to his girlfriend in Durban and children Storme and Jared who both now live in the UK. Intermittent texts were sent by Anthony to Philippa in Durban, Jeremy in Johannesburg and a friend in Cape Town. The last communication from the yacht on the satellite phone to family and friends was on January 18th.

Anthony also reported in regularly to Tui Marine’s representative in Cape Town. These reports were on December 17th, December 29th, January 7th and January 15th. The last reported position on January 15th was 29' 55 S, 080' 47 E with 2010 nm to go. The date of arrival estimated by the Anthony on that date was February 2nd.

On February 12th, the family of Anthony Murray reported his catamaran as overdue to the Maritime Rescue Co-Ordination Centre (MRCC) in Cape Town. The MRCC took the family’s concern seriously and was able to get details of the catamaran from Tui Marine’s representative in Cape Town. On February 12th an “all ships broadcast”, seeking sightings reports, was activated by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA). MRCC Cape Town informed Anthony Murray’s family that the broadcast was also going out in the maritime safety areas of Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia and India.

In the nearly three weeks since then, the families have been in regular communication with each other to work towards establishing the whereabouts and safety of the yacht and her crew.

They have been joined in this by Matthew Thomas, an experienced yachtsman, who was the search and rescue co-ordinator of the civilian search for Moquini, a yacht that went missing during the 2005 Mauritius to Durban yacht race. Matthew is now acting as advisor to the families as well as to Tui Marine, which is also working with the families to locate the yacht. On February 6th, Tui Marine made contact with Iridium Satellite Phone Communications to establish if any outgoing attempts at communication had been made on the phone.

Following the broadcast sent out on February 12th, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority has been in communication with the South African MRCC. The family understands that from February 20th an urgent (every 12 hours) alert has been going out via Maritime Safety Authorities in Australia (including New Zealand), South Africa, Mauritius, Malaysia, Indonesia, India and Thailand. Tui Marine has also made contact with the US NAVY 7th Fleet (which is currently in the region) to see whether it can assist and is in contact with authorities in Reunion, Sri Lanka and Sumatra.

It should be noted that the EPIRB (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon) has not been deployed as at March 1st 2015. Should the EPIRB be activated, Search and Rescue will begin immediately (although the exact nature of a SAR is dependent on the resources available in the area at the time). The Australian Maritime Safety Authority has informed the families that it responds to circumstances as they present themselves and that officers in its Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC) are not constrained by the setting off of the EPIRB only. It has further stated that the urgent broadcast to shipping will remain until March 31st, when it will be re-evaluated.

The families of Anthony Murray, Reg Robertson and Jaryd Payne believe that, even without the activation of the EPIRB, there is real cause for concern given:

* The last communication with Moorings satellite phone was January 18th. Iridium has confirmed that the details of this call as - Date/Time: 2015-01-18 @ 11:11:03 ; Lat: -26.2999 Long: 80.0014 Area: Mid-Indian Ridge Region: Int’l Waters Approximately 2190mi NNW of Perth, Australia

* The Iridium Satellite Phone Communications company (based in the USA) has confirmed that there has been no outgoing activity on the phone since January 18th.

* The yacht was in the vicinity of Tropical Cyclone Bansi – this was indicated in a message from Reg on January 10th. Although the yacht did move south away from the cyclone, we have no confirmation that the catamaran was not damaged as a result of this.

* The estimated date of arrival of February 2nd is a month ago. In consultation with Matthew Thomas as well as another skipper who made a delivery for Tui Marine on the Cape Town to Thailand trip ahead of Anthony and his crew, this ETA was moved to between February 12th and February 27th.

* The yacht was officially carrying enough supplies for 65 days.

* The yacht has now been at sea for 79 days.

The families now believe that increased awareness of the yachts’ missing status is a necessity. Tui Marine is currently making approaches to a number of companies for a satellite facilitated online search party. The families support this move and would be grateful for any assistance from the public, private companies, government bodies and institutions to establish the safety and whereabouts of Anthony and his crew.

The concern for an overdue boat has now turned into real fear that Anthony Murray, Reg Robertson and Jaryd Payne are in need of rescuing.

For more info contact the Facebook page: Searching for Anthony Reg and Jaryd

Point Yacht Club Dinghy Class Champs and Royal Natal Yacht Club North South Race

Point Yacht Club / Royal Natal Yacht Club

Dinghy Class Champs Day Six

North South Race

Harbour: Saturday 28 February

Offshore: Sunday 1 March

Yachts big and small came out to participate in light winds for two events over the weekend.

The conclusion to the Point Yacht Club’s Dinghy Class Champs day six had a fleet of 25 yachts working hard to find the winds in the harbour on Saturday.

Overall winners were Dylan Alberts in the Hobie Fleet; Myles White and Charlotte Marshall in the Flying Fifteens; Trevor Gibb sailing on his Mirror in the Open Class; Richard Bates in the Laser class; Rob Samways and Jared Quinn in the Dart division and young Sven Paton racing on his RS Tera Pro.

It was contradicting weather for the racing of day six, two weeks ago racing was abandoned on the day due to heavy winds. The postponed racing got underway with a slight breeze but as the afternoon drew on, the winds completely disappeared at times.

Shifty winds made it relatively tough for the race officer and sailors. During the three races, Kevin Bingham adjusted the course three times to accommodate the change in wind direction.

On Sunday 9 big keelers made their way offshore to compete in the Royal Natal Yacht Club’s North South Race with Gregg Hurter helming Bellatrix took the line and handicap honours.

Race Officer, Rob Samways got the boats underway directly off of Addington Beach, the small fleet had a short beat up to a buoy set off the north breakwater of the harbour. The boats had a port rounding before heading out to the fairway marker on the horizon. Here the yachts had a starboard rounding and made their way to another buoy set off the old Whaling Station on the Bluff before returning back to the finish line.

Bellatrix finished the 11 Nautical Mile race in just under two hours, finishing ten minutes ahead of second placed Majimoto skippered by Jon Marshall. Having rounded first, Bellatrix turned on the gas and opened the gap between themselves and Majimoto as they made their way out to the Fairway Mark. Majimoto made the mistake of not flying their spinnaker directly but waited till they were clear of the wind shadow caused by the Bluff. Hurter and his crew continued to build on their lead all the way to the finish.

In third place, Gavin Wadsworth on Therapy managed to stay in front of Brad Rayson on Flyer the entire race. The tail end of the fleet had a momentous tussle between the only two L26s racing. Brendan Humphries on the stick of Container World managed to edge out Denmar Nel helming PYC Challenger. One second separated the two as Container World surged forward on a swell pipping Nel at the post.

Results

Point Yacht Club

Dinghy Class Champs Day Six

Harbour: Saturday 28 February

Hobie Class

1 Dylan Alberts (Hobie 14), 2 Justin Butler (Hobie 14), 3 Wayne Smith / Kate Bains (Hobie 16), 4 Peter Hall (Hobie 14) 5 Michael Dickinson (Hobie 16), 6 Justin Butler (Hobie 16), 7 Murray May (Hobie 16), 8 CJ Miln (Hobie 16), 9 Chad Stevenson (Hobie 16), 10 Nathan Constant (Hobie 14), 11 Sean Fennessy (Hobie 14), 12 Matthew Hall (Hobie Dragoon), 13 David van Niekerk (Hobie 14)

Flying Fifteens

1 Myles White / Charlotte Marshall, 2 Patrick Harris / Jeremy Kriek, 3 Campbell Alexander / Chris Clark, 4 Gregg Hurter / Nik Albert, 5 Paul Changuion / Tim Duguid, 6 Simon Musgrove, 7 Craig Campbell / Ian Hogg, 8 Rick Parker, 9 Florence Marshall / Edrich de Lange, 10 Vincent Tiedt, 11 Heidi Kavanagh / Michael Kavanagh, 12 Carl Zimmerman / Simone Yelland

Open Class

1 Trevor Gibb (Mirror), 2 Benji Daniels / Euan Hurter (29er), 3 Denmar Nel (L26 PYC Challenger), 4 Rob Tarboton / Michael Dickinson (29er), 5 My Way (Clynton de Fyn), 6 Sean Hurter (Dabchick), 7 Euan Hurter (Dabchick), 8 Chad Stevenson (Dabchick), 9 Rudi Fokkens (RS Feva), 10 Thokozani Latha (L26 Lindiwe), 11 Jethro Brophy Tintinger / Eli Brophy Tintinger (420), 12 David Curtis (Rebel)

Laser

1 Richard Bates, 2 Frances van Breda, 3 Henri Frencken, 4 Anthony Arbuthnot, 5 Denny Moffatt, 6 Andrew Walford, 7 Rob Goulden, 8 Gregg Dobson, 9 Anthony MacMillan, 10 Campbell Alexander, 11 Rowen Clark, 12 Trent Bingham, 13 Murray May, 14 Jethro Brophy Tintinger (Radial), 15 Chad Stevenson (Radial), 16 Simon Musgrove

Open Class Cats

1 Rob Samways (Dart), 2 Bill Ellens (Paper Tiger), 3 Coert Grobbelaar (Halcat), 4 Clynton de Fyn / Jackie Barnard (Halcat), 5 Jethro Brophy Tintinger / Eli Brophy Tintinger (Halcat), 6 Neil Wadsworth (Halcat), 7 Richard Potgieter (Halcat), 8 Andile Zulu (Halcat)

RS Tera

1 Sven Paton (Pro), 2 Cameron Paarle (Sport), 3 James Butler (Pro), 4 Liam Fennessy (Sport), 5 Chad Stevenson (Pro)

Royal Natal Yacht Club

North South Race

Offshore: Sunday 1 March

1 Bellatrix (Gregg Hurter), 2 Majimoto (Jon Marshall), 3 Therapy (Gavin Wadsworth), 4 Flyer (Brad Rayson), 5 Container World (Brendan Humphries), 6 PYC Challenger (Denmar Nel), 7 Bellissima (Vernon Goss), 8 Candi (Theuns Nel), RTD Thermopylae (Frank Edwards)