Monday, May 11, 2015

Rudy McNeill is crowned SA Laser National Champion


Point Yacht Club
SA Laser Nationals
Offshore Durban: 30 May – 3 April

Local lad, Rudy McNeill was in a class of his own when he was crowned the SA Laser Nationals champion on Sunday.

McNeill won seven out of the eight races that counted offshore of Durban, following up from dominating the KZN Open Provincials in Richards Bay the weekend before. McNeill is hard at work hoping to qualify for the Rio 2016 Olympics

After the regatta, a chuffed McNeill said, “I had good fun on the water. The conditions suited me perfectly. “



Continuing, he said, “From the moment I launched my boat off the beach on the first day, everything felt good. I got into my groove quickly and fortunately didn’t make too many mistakes over the four days and I am happy that everything fell perfectly into place. My fitness helped quiet a lot, but also with the local knowledge, with a typical south wester blowing most of the time, I could read the weather easier than a lot of the guys who were on the Durban water for the first time.”



“I went into the first race on the final day needing to keep other Rudy, Rudolph Holm from Pretoria behind me. The winds started off really light from the North East, but both Rudy and I prefer the big winds, so it was quite difficult. At one stage I was lying in eleventh. I can’t remember the last time I worked so hard, but I did it. I finished fifth but most importantly, ahead of Rudy. Once I had that nailed I knew I had won the title. I really was stoked!”


Vause Road sailor, Anthony Arbuthnot managed a 23rd place in the four day regatta, competing against some of the best sailors in the world, including Colin Dibb who has a string of World Championship titles to his name. Arbuthnot top scored a fifteenth place in the ten races, he was racing in a highly competitive fleet including Australian Colin Dibb who has a fleet of World Champion titles to his name, Rudy McNeil who is hoping to compete in the Olympics and Thomas Baumgarti from Brazil.



Durban’s autumn served up a bit of everything for the Laser sailors, with a few races with winds exceeding 15knots, a bit of chop when the North Easter filled in, some light winds for the leaner sailors and perfect sunshine over the four days. Race officer, Tony Cockrell got in ten triangle sausage triangle races, with two races being discarded. On the third day the smaller 4.7 Lasers were sent home early as the breeze started to build nearing the 20knots, a bit too dangerous for the younger sailors.



Seasoned sailor and event organiser, Campbell Alexander who finished ninth in the main class said, “I think we can be very happy with the event. We had a variety of winds, the sailing was superb, and the setting was five stars. Everyone, from the highly competitive Olympic hopefuls to the more social sailors had a fantastic time on the water. Durban sailing is alive and well, and with all of the compliments we have been receiving from the Laser guys, our city is one of the best sailing venues in the world.”

In the Radial class, up-and-coming Dylan Long charged to the front. The impressive young sailor worked hard on the water, with each race the effort was evident as he pushed himself and his boat to the maximum. In the eight races sailed, he managed four firsts, two seconds, a third and a fourth.

14 year old Kai Leslie also dominated his class, the smaller 4.7 Lasers. The eager Cape Town tallied up an impressive log of six firsts and two seconds.



Results
Standard
1 Rudy McNeill (PYC), 2 Rudolph Holm (AYC), 3 Alistair Keytel (ZVYC), 4 Colin Dibb (FSC – Australia), 5 Thomas Baumgarti (YCI –Brazil), 6 Marcello Marcia (VLC), 7 Alan Keen (ZVYC), 8 Trent Bingham (PYC), 9 Campbell Alexander (PYC), 10 Michael McNeill (PYC), 11 Rowen Clark (PYC), 12 Lance Burger (ZVYC), 13 Anthony McMillan (PYC), 14 De-Wet Nel (DYC), 15 Byron Watt (PYC), 16 Ralph Thomas (ZVYC), 17 Andre Bestha (DYC), 18 Thomas Sutherland (ZIC), 19 Deon van der Walt (LDYC), 20 Clive Whitburn (VLC), 21 Myles White (PYC), 22 Nicholas Matter (HMYC), 23 Anthony Arbuthnot (PYC), 24 Andrew Russell (ZYC), 25 Rob Goulden (PYC), 26 David Curtiss (PYC) 27= Henri Frencken (PYC), 27= Brett Clark (VLC)
Radial
1 Dylan Long (TSC), 2 Calvin Gibbs (IYC), 3 Georgou Divaris (KYC), 4 Sam Lombaard (PYC), 5 Ruben Heard (ZYC), 6 James Hellstrom (GLYC), 7 Iliana Boura (VLC), 8 Dominic van der Walt (LDYC), 9 Jethro Brophy Tintinger (PYC), 10 Damian Muller (DAC), 11 Tyron-Lee De Jager (ZYC), 12 Andrew Walford (PYC), 13 Ken Holliday (ZVYC), 14 Megan Eccleston (WYC), 15 Peter Clayton (BSC), 16 Nicholas Forshaw (HMYC), 17 Emma Clark (VLC), 18 Mugammad Peters (DYC), 19 Ross Gaughran (PYC), 20 Tommy Madoda (DYC), 21 Alison Bradfield (ZLC), 22 Megan van der Walt (LDYC), 23 Nicola Burger (ZVYC), 24 Matthew Russell (ZYC), 25 Brendan Geraghty (BSC)
4.7
1 Kai Leslie (ZVYC), 2 Sarah-Jane Deary (ZVYC), 3 Elsje Dijkstra (ZVYC), 4 Megan Robertson (GLYC), 5 Frances Van Breda (PYC), 6 Hannah Fokkens (ISC), 7 Hannah Tiedt (PYC), 8 Kirsten Clark (VLC), 9 Gen Matter (HMYC)


ENDS

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