Point Yacht Club
Jonsson Cup Pursuit Race
A zig-zag course in the bay had a fleet of 53 dinghies
travelling to all corners of the harbour on Saturday with Jon Marshall from
Westville claiming the honours in Point
Yacht Club’s Jonsson Cup Pursuit Race.
Marshall, the Rear Commodore for Keelers at Point Yacht
Club traded in his larger, more familiar chariot for a much smaller Laser. The
race that got underway just beyond the Durban Marina saw the large mixed fleet
head off in light conditions towards the harbour mouth.
“It was a bit of an obstacle course dodging the busy
afternoon shipping movements. On our first beat up we encountered our first challenge,
a massive container ship arriving with a bevy of tugs around her. We had a few
more large vessels we had to quickly get out the way of.” Marshall said when
back on land.
“It was a fantastic race, long and hard work but great to
be out there with all the guys. I am delighted with the win and just managed to
take Gregg (Dobson) as we made our way down to the finish.” an elated Marshall
said.
Gregg Dobson who has recently returned to Durban couldn’t
wait to participate. The experienced yachite led for most of the race on his
Laser, with Marshall just off his shoulder as they tackled the winding course
designed to last two hours. As the duo neared the finish, Dobson opted for the
more sheltered inland approach as Marshall didn’t go so near to land.
The finish line was set off in the shadow of the Bluff
which gave the fleet their final challenge as the light winds dropped and then
filled in making the final push to the line somewhat agonising for most. Marshall
managed to crawl across the line as his nearest competitor, Dobson stalled with
the wind taking ages to give him a lift, and in those vital moments, the duo racing
on a Flying Fifteen, Paul Changion and Tim Duiguid slipped across the line
having taken the open water approach to the line catching the ocean breeze
before it got to the stranded Dobson.
Marshall was in one of the larger fleets with 11 full rig
Lasers on the water and a couple of smaller Lasers getting in some water time as
well. The Flying Fifteens were the next best represented class with eight
crafts taking up the challenge. There were a few larger ‘dinghies’ as well with
a few youngsters getting in some training on the L26 Container World and two
other keel boats participating.
The first junior to cross the line was Alex Thorpe helming
a classic little Gypsey with his Dad, Ralph. The easy to sail Gypsey is a South
African designed two person boat that is ideal for learning to sail in. The Thorpes
finished 21st overall.
The long hard slog for the 53 small boats ended with Jon
Marshall crossing the line in just under two hours in Point Yacht Club’s Jonsson Cup Pursuit Race on Saturday.
Results
1 Jon Marshal (Laser), 2 Paul Changuion / Tim Duguid (FF15),
3 Gregg Dobson (Laser), 4 Martin Zimmerman / Carl Zimmerman (FF15), 5 Rudy
McNeill (Laser), 6 Andrew Walford (Laser), 7 Campbell Alexander / Chris Clark
(FF15), 8 Anthony MacMillan (Laser), 9 Patrick Harris / Jeremy Kriek (FF15), 10
Gregg Hurter / Nic Albert (FF15), 11 Myles White (FF15), 12 Henri Frencken
(Laser), 13 Rob Goulden (Laser), 14 Trent Bingham (Laser), 15 Heidi Kavanagh,
Michael Kavanagh (FF15), 16 Bill Evans (Dragonfly), 17 Ricky Robinson (Sprog),
18 Anthony Arbuthnot (Laser), 19 Alec Lanham-Love / Greg de Beyer (49er), 20
Rob Tarboton / Michael Dickinson (29er), 21 Alex Thorpe / Ralph Thorpe
(Gypsey), 22 Denmar Nel (Laser), 23 Dylan Albert (Dabchick), 24 David Curtis
(Rebel), 25 Tony Alison / Pam Zarnack (Rebel), 26 Jacky Barnard / Clynton de
Finn (Mistral), 27 Jethro Brophy – Tintinger / Eli Brophy – Tintinger (420), 28
CJ Miln (Laser), 29 Peter Hall (Hobie 14), 30 Bart Fokkens / Hannah Fokkens
(Halcat), 31 Paul Ridsdale (Hobie 16), 32 John Banfield / John Banfield Jnr
(FF15), 33 Simon Musgrave (Laser), 34 Liam Fennessy / Tristan Hancock (Hobie
16), 35 Justin Butler / Murray May (Hobie 16), 36 Sean Hurter / Benji Daniels
(29er), 37 Wayne Smith (Hobie 14), 38 Richard Potgieter (Halcat), 39 Nic
Koekemoer (Halcat), 40 Bruce Edward (Paper Tiger), 41 Hannah Tiedt (Laser 4.7),
42 Colin Fleming (Hobie 14 Turbo), 43 Brendan Humphries (L26), 44 Cameron Parle
(RS Tera Sport), 45 Sven Paton (RS Tera Pro) 46 Matthew Hall / Chad Stevenson
(Hobie Dragon), DNF James Butler (RS Tera Pro), DNF Braeden Royal / Yashir Seetal
(RS Feva), DNF Trevor Gibb / Jessica Fennesy (Mirror), DNF Straun Campbell /
Janet Campbell (Argie 15), DNF Richard Bates (Laser), DNF Andrew Butler
(Extra), DNS Ayanda Idube (Tera)
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