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
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