Wrap Up Point Yacht Club's Sangoma Cruise

Offshore: 26 - 30 December

A small fleet of adventurous yachties ventured offshore for the Sangoma Cruise hosted by Point Yacht Club.

The 80 nautical mile cruise had five keelboats entered to participate, with three of the yacht taking the first weather window on Boxing Day, the remaining two checked out to leave on 28 December to catch the South Westerly winds.

First to depart, Ocean Spirit helmed by Neville Bransby set the pace in the dying South Wester on Boxing Day. The enthusiastic team took 12 hours from Durban to Richards Bay. Hot on their heels, the spirited crew sailing on Therapy. And following them was the experienced skipper, Jon Marshall (Rear Commodore of Keelers for Point Yacht Club), on his yacht Majimoto. His crew was small catamaran sailor, Bart Fokkens who had never ventured beyond uMhlanga, clocking up his first overnight passage with the duo taking 18 hours to get into Richards Bay.

The second batch of boats kept an eye on the weather window, opting to wait for the 20 knots South Wester two days later. Round the World Clipper skipper, Craig Millar and his crew on Argo FY departed Durban at 9am. Keen sailor, Robin Hulley was due to sail with Millar on his yacht Mafuta, but as he was heading out the door at his home, his geyser burst, dampening his spirits and not allowing him to compete.

Argo FY had a gentle sail up to Richards Bay, having blown their kite shortly after getting out of the Harbour channel.

"We specifically chose the south Wester to sail up in as the whole team were keen to get offshore and fly the kite. A minute after we hoisted the spinnaker, it gently floated back down to the deck. We fished it back in, and after a debate onboard if our light weather kite would handle the conditions, we opted for the safer option of putting the gib out on the pole and goose winging it." Skipper, Millar said on his return.

From breakwater to breakwater, it took the Argo FY team 10.5 hours to get to Richards Bay, with only one gybe to enter the Harbour mouth as the sun was setting.

Both Therapy and Ocean Spirit had a quick turn around in Richards Bay, catching up on a bit of kip and then catching the North Easter back home before it switched to the South Wester that brought Argo FY up. Ocean Spirit sailed impressively with 11 hours on the clock back home, top speed reaching 17.4knots. The sleek Therapy notched up a top speed of 18knots.

Majimoto missed the window, waiting for Argo FY who were transporting their main sail, Marshall and Fokkens sadly damaged their main on the ride up. Both Argo FY and Majimoto had a day in Richards Bay to carry out a few running repairs before they took to the water on the second last day of the year.

At 6.30am, the two boats made their way offshore in a gentleman's race back to Durban. Argo FY surfed the entire way home, with Millar recording 21knots, pumping the tiller as he caught a swell and surfed his way to the impressive speed. The team made up of Millar, Ed de Lange, and Hannah and Rudi Fokkens made it back in 8 hours and 5 minutes.

"It was a great sail, the team are young, experienced and fantastic onboard. But what really was wonderful about this experience is all the chatter back on land that has been created. The more experienced guys have got the record books out, and have been reminiscing when they used to sail this route regularly. Loads of the guys have said that they are keen to participate in the next one. It is exhilarating to be offshore, and actually sailing somewhere, giving us an opportunity to stretch our legs." Millar stated.

The record set in October 1990 by Sun Tonic, a Royal Cape One Design was skippered by Peter Atkinson.

"And for the next cruise, we will most certainly fly our kite! And who knows, maybe we can get close to Atkinson's record?" Millar said.

Majimoto, with only the two sailors onboard came in sailing most of the way with only their jib up, but still managing to hit a few numbers over 15knots on the speedo. They got back into Durban a couple of hours after Argo FY just after 7:00pm, having been pummelled by the sea state in the howling North Easter.

The next big events this month at Point Yacht Club for the Keelers is the Sigma Series and then Bar Anniversary Pursuit Race for the dinghies.

For more info visit www.pyc.co.za or like the club's Facebook page.

Wrap Up for Point Yacht Club Flying Fifteen Nationals and Hobie 16 Regionals

Offshore Durban: 16 - 18 December

Three days of adverse conditions tested two small, competitive fleets of sailors competing in the Flying Fifteen Nationals and Hobie 16 Provincials hosted by Point Yacht Club.

In the Flying Fifteen Nationals - No strangers to being at the front of the pack in the magnificent Flying Fifteen class, Patrick Harris and Jeremy Kriek led throughout the regatta, impressively taking top honours in seven out of the nine races, finding it heavy going in the light winds on the final day and finishing second behind Anthony McMillan and Danish sailor, Lauritz Walsøe. Pushing Harris and Kriek throughout the regatta, Campbell Alexander sailing with visiting crew, Dr Stephanie Brown from the UK who scored six seconds, a third and a fourth notching up a second behind Harris and Kriek.

In the Hobie 16 Provincials, the father and son team of Peter and Matthew Hall dominated on the water. The Hall team won all but two races in their eight race regatta. They were chased by inland sailors, brothers Kyle and Justin Lambie.

The Flying Fifteens had the biggest fleet on the water in recent memory, with 11 boats on the water. For the regatta to constitute as a South African Sailing event, they needed 10 boats to start and finish two races. The class was agonisingly close, but it wasn’t meant to be. On day one newcomers to the fleet, Father and son team of Dominic and Marco Collett thought they had enough clearance but hit the sand bank. On the second day offshore, the heavy weather took its toll with Campbell Alexander taking a bite out of Greg Hurters boat, and Hurter and his crew, Michael Surgeson had to limp home. Collett squared took to the ocean for the first time, bravely flying their spinnaker but as luck would have it, a rogue Hobie 16 pitch-poled directly in-front of them, with the mast crashing down onto them, knocking Dominic on the head and into the water, earning him five stitches and sadly destroying their chances of completing a race.

Brown, who sails for Rutland Sailing Club in the British Midlands said, “The sailing was great fun and we were lucky to have lots of wind Saturday and Sunday. Campbell was a fantastic helm to crew for and the fleet was a high level of competition but very welcoming. It was lovely to see such strong support for the newer sailors. The warm waters and big waves were a wonderful change. Thanks to you all for a great trip!”

“Sailing was amazing, a tough race since I had close to no prior experience with FF15 and symmetrical spinnakers. Since I usually sail Lasers the whole event was one big learning curve. The fleet is strong but we had some good races!” enthused Danish sailor, Lauritz Walsøe.

The first day of racing was held in the bay, with conditions being hazardous offshore, with a short, sharp swell and high winds deterring Race Officer extraordinaire, Kevin Bingham. Four races were run in a blustery North Easter course. The second day, racing went offshore with the winds consistently around 15knots and over adding into the mix a bit of a running swell. Bingham got in another four races on Sunday. The entire fleet of Flying Fifteens however, disappeared early from the race track, leaving only the Hobies to sail in the final race on Sunday. On Monday, keeping an eye on the inclement weather enroute, the Hobies didn’t venture onto the water with a depleted fleet of Flying Fifteens gathering ahead of the spectacular midday storm. A strict Bingham gave both fleets a wounding results for not being on the start line, but fortunately with discards, the top sailors results didn’t take a huge knock.

Hobie hero, Garth Loudon only sailed the one race, with his brand-new crew member, his daughter Kristin. A delighted dad said, “Kristin finally showed interest in sailing, so we had a quick lesson on Sunday morning and entered one of the races. It was great to be back on the water again! We managed a second place in good winds. Peter and Matthew were sailing very well, was good to see!”

The next event for the enthusiastic fleet is the upcoming Bar Anniversary Pursuit Race that will be sailed in the harbour at the end of the month.

Results

Flying Fifteen Nationals

1 Patrick Harris / Jeremy Kriek 9pts, 2 Campbell Alexander / Steph Brown 19pts, 3 Anthony McMillan / Lauritz Walsøe 32pts. 4 Craig Campbell / Nhlanhla Phakathi 36pts, 5 Myles White / Estelle Buys 38pts, 6 Thomas Funke / Peter Funke 51pts, 7 Hannah Fokkens / Rudi Fokkens 64pts, 8 Greg Hurter / Mike Surgeson 65pts, 9 Iain Bowman / Jan Larkens 80pts, 10 Chris Coxen / Michael Boorman 82pts, 11 Dominic Collett / Marco Collett 96pts

Hobie 16 Provincials

1 Peter Hall / Matthew Hall 8pts, 2 Kyle Lambie / Justin Lambie 26pts, 3 Andrew Heathcote / Blake Davidson 26pts, 4 Mike Goodyer / Jennifer Goodyer 36pts, 5 Jethro Brophy Tintinger / Stephanie Goodyer 36pts, 6 Dylan Albert / Chad Stevenson 49pts, 7 Justin Butler / James Butler 49pts, 8 Wayne Smith / Kate Bain 59pts, 9 Dylan Lambie / Cameron Booth 64pts, 10 Garth Loudon / Kristin Loudon 68pts, 11Ruddi Rogge / Sven Paton 81pts

Lipton Cup 2018

Point Yacht Club

Offshore Durban

Sailing in Durban received the generous news from the Royal Cape Yacht Club, the victorious 2017 Lipton Cup winners, with the offer to host the prestigious event in warmer waters.

In a letter presented to the Commodore of Point Yacht Club, Greg de Beyer, Commodore of the Royal Cape Yacht Club, Vitor Medina graciously offered the opportunity to host the respected event offshore of Durban mid-year in 2018.

In Medina’s letter, he referred to the 2013 event sailed offshore of Durban, where Point Yacht Club finished second to a boat that was subsequently found to have been illegally modified.

Medina stated, “While Point Yacht Club was earlier this year, formally declared the winner of the Lipton Cup in 2013, your club had of course been denied the opportunity of defending the Cup in 2014 on your home waters. This unfortunate situation can’t be fully rectified at this stage.

“Royal Cape Yacht Club, in recognition of this unfairness of your loss to a non-conforming boat in 2013, is prepared to forfeit our right to defend the Cup in Table Bay next year and offer the 2018 event to your Club to host during the week following the MSC Week.”

In response, a delighted Greg de Beyer, Commodore of Point Yacht Club enthusiastically accepted the offer. “This offer has been discussed by our General Committee as well as our Sailing Committees and I can confirm that the offer has been eagerly and unanimously accepted.

“Point Yacht Club is firmly committed to promoting our sport in conjunction with other sailing clubs and organisations throughout South Africa. Whilst we never doubted the goodwill and common goal of the Royal Cape Yacht Club, we welcome this gesture and will do our utmost to ensure that 2018 event is a success and is undertaken in the spirit in which the gift was given to our sport.”

The helmsman for the Point Yacht Club’s Lipton entry, Richard Weddell, has had a somewhat dramatic Lipton campaign. Finishing a respectable fourth in his first attempt down in Simons Town in 2012, Weddell and his team then sailed magnificently offshore of Durban in 2013, finishing tie on points with False Bay Yacht Club, but due to a count back, they ended their regatta with the position of runner up.

“It is a bit of a bitter-sweet feeling, hearing this news. The guys and I worked so incredibly hard, leading up to the 2013 challenge, and the week of the challenge. We were honestly devastated at the result. It marred our enthusiasm in getting back on the water. The generosity shown by the Royal Cape guys is tremendously kind. This gentlemanly act certainly will inject a great deal of interest back into sailing, and specifically this historic event, and hopefully motivate many for the future.”

With this announcement, the Rear Commodore of Keelers is hard at work scheduling in trials to select the best suited team to challenge for the Royal Cape Yacht Club’s title.

Durban’s sailing community is abuzz with the gracious declaration from Royal Cape Yacht Club, offering the Point Yacht Club to host the 65^th Lipton Cup.

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

Flying Fifteen Nationals and Hobie 16 Regionals 2017

Point Yacht Club

Offshore Durban: 16 - 18 December

Mid - December, two classes will be heading offshore to compete in the Flying Fifteen Nationals and Hobie 16 Regionals hosted by Point Yacht Club from the 16 – 18 December.

Defending champs in the modern fleet of Flying Fifteens are Patrick Harris and Jeremy Kriek who keep raking in the awards, they will be back on the water in the hopes of being crowned yet again. In the hunt to topple them off the top spot on the podium are international specialist 505 sailors, brothers Thomas and Peter Funke. Other names to look out for will be Myles White and his regular crew member, Estelle Buys, they will be keen to perform as they start to focus on the Flying Fifteen World Champs in Ireland.

Campbell Alexander, who competed in the Laser World Masters in Split, Croatia recently, will be pairing up with Dr Stephanie Brown from England. The Brit sailor who is out here for a week long holiday, will be relishing the warmer weather out at sea and making a trip up to the berg. Brown was awarded a special seamanship award at the Charles Stanley Direct Cowes Classic Week this July. She was crewing on a Flying Fifteen Fram Freyr, holding second position when she witnessed a nearby collision. Giving up her second place, she assisted the concussed sailor injured in the collision. The injured crew member later received 24 stitches in his head at hospital.

Joining them on the water will be respected and highly competitive Greg Hurter, Hurter was victorious four years ago. Well known for his stealth mode, he is keeping his crew name under wraps in the build up to the event. Anthony McMillan will be hoping for a repeat performance in the first running of the Jonsson Cup, where he pipped Olympic sailor Dave Hibberd on the line. Both him and Hibberd didn’t sail the correct course, but it was a fabulous tight finish and McMillan will be concentrating on the race course card this regatta. Similarly, to Hurter, McMillan is not revealing who is crew member is. Nhlanhla Phakathi and Craig Campbell, who featured on the Bashboard for the Bart’s Bash and are keen to feature on the steps of the podium.

A strong family contingent will be gracing the course sailing on the magnificent classics. Newcomers to the fleet, brother and sister team of Rudi and Hannah Fokkens. Also, fairly newcomers, Father and son team of Dominic and Marco Collett venture offshore for the first time, having gleaned their experience sailing in the bay. Another father and son team, that of Rob and Iain Bowman will be back on the water after their superb craft got t-boned and had to get a bit of reconstructive surgery.

The Hobie 16 fleet is expected to have a number of hot shot sailors in town hoping to take to the water. Their challenge will be navigating the beachfront development currently taking place.

“The launching of the Hobies will be a bit of a challenge, but we are confident we will get the numbers on the water, and look forward to a colourful, fun-filled, competitive event.” Commodore for the Point Yacht Club, Greg de Beyer stated.

A number of big names will be taking to the water having competed internationally recently. Hoping to jet-propel his way to the front, Jethro Brophy-Tintinger has had a remarkable year, having competed in the Netherlands, topped the local log in the biggest sailing event in the world, Bart’s Bash and just touched down from being a part of the Volvo Round the World send-off down in Cape Town.

Joining him will be Garth Loudon with a young, new crew member. In the Durban offseason, Loudon represented SA in the prestigious Hobie World Cat in Germany. Loudon, together with Peter Hall took on the best of the best at the Hobie Multiworlds and Europeans 2017 held in the Netherlands. Hall will be sailing with his champ son, Matthew who has been turning heads in the Hobie 14 class.

For more info visit www.pyc.co.za or like the club’s Facebook page.

Durban's Sailing Prodigy Off To The Youth Worlds

Point Yacht Club

Youth World Championships

Sanya, China: 10 – 15 December

Durban’s sailing prodigy, Benji Daniel is about to hit Chinese waters as he takes on 19 other nations at the Youth World Championships.

The 47^th edition takes place at Sanya Beach on Hainan Island, in the south of China with race days scheduled from the 10 – 15 December. With an expected 400 sailors from 70 countries, the crème-de-la-crème of the next generation of international sailors, under the age of 19 will go up against each other in nine classes. Only one team from each nation is selected to participate in each class.

Daniel, who was crowned the 29er World Champion in Alamitos Bay, Long Beach in August, will be changing it up. He trades in his familiar 29er to compete in the 420 class and will be sailing with the promising talent, Rivaldo Arendse from Cape Town.

Point Yacht Club’s star sailor will be heading to his third youth world champs, having raced in the 29er fleet with Durban’s Chad Stevenson in Langkawi, Malaysia in 2015 and then in Auckland, New Zealand last December, finishing both times towards the back of the fleet. His raw talent was revealed when, in an impromptu pairing with Cape Town’s Alex Burger, ignited them onto the international stage, and ultimately the top spot on the 29er podium.

The hard-working, modest sailor stated, “We are heading to China with realistic expectations. For Rivaldo and me, this is very much a getting to know you phase. We have never sailed competitively together before, and aren’t hugely familiar with the 420s so we aren’t going to put any unnecessary pressure on ourselves!

“Rivaldo is a really nice guy, he is 14 and I have just recently turned 17. Youths is going to be his biggest event yet. We are both really excited, and justifiably nervous as well. The other teams have a few of years on us, and have the advantage of sailing competitively together in massive regattas. It will be a major learning curve for us but so long as we stick to the basics, we will be alright.”

With his last exam scheduled for the 1^st of December, the Grade 11 pupil at Thomas More College will be putting his pen down, handing in his paper, and then dashing to the airport to fly down to Cape Town for some last-minute training with coach, former Olympic sailor Roger Hudson.

“It has been an unexpectedly exciting year. School and exams have been my main focus, so I can start the process of applying for uni. Between the chaos of school, I have been doing loads of quick trips down to Cape Town for training, firstly with Alex leading up to the 29er Worlds and now for the Youth Worlds. Having jetted off to Long Island beach in July and now to be representing South Africa lining up against some awesome sailors in China, it all seems quite surreal.”

Sailing under the shadow of one of the tallest statues in the world, the Guang Yin will see 70 Nations competing in the 47^th Youth World Championship taking place on the island of Hainan.

For more info visit www.pyc.co.za or like the club’s Facebook page.

Prague - The Land of Stories

Billed as the land of stories, the capital of the Czech Republic surely features in a variety of tales, and now it stars in a few of mine.

Prague is pretty, delightfully so and it certainly is a tourist hotspot. At times, I felt a tad bit like a salmon swimming upstream. Old Town is steeped in history, the buildings magnificent – of course, set in Europe.

I snuck in for the 2017 FIBA European Women Basketball Championships; my days were filled with exploring the delights of Old Town and surrounds, and my evenings filled with cheering for Les Bleus in the early stages of the tournament.

Home for the duration was a wonderful, comfortable, friendly spot; Parkhotel was a fab tram ride away from all the main touristy action but a short stroll to the arena. In my hood, attractions included the Planetarium, the home of ice hockey team HC Sparta Praha, the Výstaviště exhibition grounds, Křižíkova amphitheatre which boasts a dancing water fountain and the giant glass pyramid of the Goja Music Hall.

My first morning I got wondrously lost. Discovering, that my map reading skills had a slight flaw when weary from all the travel. In my aimless wanderings, I stumbled upon the 2017 ICF Canoe Slalom World Cup, on display a multitude of talents surfing rapids alongside the Vltava River. Having only ever seen this on the box during the Olympics, I watched with sheer admiration as these paddlers challenged the torrent of water, zigzaggedly navigating their way around a hanging course.

I strolled beyond the impressive Troja Castle, snuggly set away from the road. Passing the massive expanse of the Prague Zoo, all the way to a dead-end: a dock entitled Podhoří. Deciding that perhaps now was either a good time to turn around, or ask for directions, as there wasn’t anyone to question I did a U-turn and made my way back to the Zoo entrance. Here, I hopped on the first public bus, not knowing which direction it was going but sure I would get somewhere more central, and I wasn’t wrong.

Apart from basketball, I had one reservation on my itinerary that I was eager not to miss at a craft brewery, Výtopna. I discovered this place through social media and was keen to try it due to its quirkiness. Set on the top floor in a massive upmarket shopping centre called the Palladium, I went and had lunch there, not once but twice. The menu offered traditional, hearty, affordable, simple food with a small but interesting choice of beers on-tap.

What sets Výtopna apart is the fact that my ‘waiters’ Erik, Marcel and Nela dropping off my liquid refreshments, were in actual fact gorgeous model trains. The ‘waitrons’ travel over 10kms of tracks every day, having served, astonishingly, over 6 million patrons in the three Výtopna restaurants in the Czech Republic since 2009. The Palladium Výtopna has over 400m of tracks cleverly laid around booths, where the trains can chug into your section, allow you to grab your drinks and then expertly reverse out.

As with most first world cities, getting around Prague to see the sights, everything imaginable is on offer. If you fancied a horse-drawn carriage; running tours; guided electric bikes; the Hop On – Hop Off bus; river cruises, or even handsome vintage cars, you could comfortably get around. Chatting to Durban’s Chef, Andrew Draper on his return from Prague, he mentioned a fabulous outing around deserted buildings and communist areas on a Segway. He said the abandoned, ruined stadium, especially stood out for him!

Prague, mostly, is flat so I opted for trams to get central and then ND 10 toes to get around. The trams were easy to navigate, sprouting off in all directions.

Years ago, after a trip to Paris, I posted a pic of a bridge in Paris, Annie - a Finnish mate of mine commented that she liked my shot of Charles Bridge. Admittedly this was the first time I had ever heard of Charles Bridge. Since then I have seen numerous gorgeous shots: a famous capture has mist swirling around, or a haunting sunrise shot. In these dreamy, inviting images there is hardly a soul around. In real life, in summer – this was far from the case.

Connecting Old Town and the Lesser Quarter, the pedestrian crossing known as Charles Bridge is gorgeously ancient. Lined with traders peddling souvenirs, the 500m of historic bridge is a throng of weaving people. An alley of 30 guardian angels look down on you as you stroll across the Vltava River, these mostly baroque statues are all replicas with the priceless originals being housed in the National Museum.

Climbing up to the largest ancient castle in the world, Prague Castle sits proudly overlooking the Lesser Quarter and beyond, I discovered a gem of a tourist trap hidden down a short passage. Tucked away, a cave-like shop stocked with beautiful handmade delicate wooden wares. Christmas shopping for the family was easily done, including collecting some gorgeous wooden postcards.

Something that fascinates me in Europe is how each country cleverly introduces modern architecture around century old structures. In Prague, The Dancing House is a statement of how the city is embracing and entwining old and new.  This quirky, shiny building rose out of a vacant riverfront plot a couple of decades ago, it rejoices in its surroundings.

A ritual in each new location is to spend quiet time in religious spaces. Before I flew north, Gloria Hoff from the KZNSA Gallery urged me to visit the Jewish Quarter, saying how vibrant, and historic the area was. I strolled around admiring the compact area, housing six synagogues and a 15^th century cemetery. Admittedly, everything was closed at the time I visited and peering through the iron gates of the cemetery, it looked sadly run down! Headstones crumbling or knocked over and long over grown grass added to the sorry state.

Hanging out in the square around Town Hall, I admired the Astronomical Clock. A mate of mine, Vishal Ramphal posted an image of the third oldest medieval clock in all its glory. When I was there majority of it was under wraps getting a well-deserved make over. Gratefully, the intricate clock face was on show, while the rest of the building was gently being restored.

I stopped in at the exquisite St Nicholas Church trailing along with fellow passionate French supporter Melanie Gallais. The frescoes donning the high domed ceilings were of Michelangelo quality, the halo of subtle lights equal to those from the Blue Mosque and I loved the door knocker type handles on the massive, bold red doors. I sampled a chimney cake or a Trdelníks, a Czech cinnamon-flavoured pastry, while watching excited tourists jump into buggies with bored looking horses ready to take them on a sightseeing loop. The home-made ice cream was dreamy, the sugar-coated doughnut cone, not so much!

A poignant moment in the heatwave that Prague was experiencing, a chef from a popular pavement café stood with his hosepipe with a refreshing mist being sprayed on passing tourists.

The whole city is incredible, Prague has a lot to offer. There is a lot to do off the tourist track. Little hidden treasures like the Hanging Man – remember to look up, or the modern-day, public art splattered around the city, listening to funky buskers at the foot of Charles Bridge. Or dining out in one of the best spots around, sitting on a public bench overlooking the Vltava, enjoying Turkish take out, watching yoga while concert goers dressed up in ballgowns head into the Rudolfinum Concert Hall as the sun sets on yet another magnificent day in the Czech Republic.

PS - Wear comfortable shoes – nobody told me this and I learnt it the hard way!

Inter-Varsity Match Racing Champs

Point Yacht Club

Inter-Varsity Match Racing Champs

Harbour: 1 – 3 July

Sailing into July, the Point Yacht Club will be hosting the inaugural Inter-Varsity Cup taking place in the harbour of Durban from 1 – 3 July.

Nine varsities will be taking to the water this weekend, with six of the teams entered shedding off their winter woollies and travelling from Western Province and Gauteng to compete in warm Durban waters.

Participating varsities are Rhodes University, University of Cape Town, Stellenbosch University, two teams from the University of Witwatersrand, Tuks with a combined team from the University of Johannesburg and University of Pretoria. The local teams comprise of University of Kwa-Zulu Natal Howard Campus and Durban University of Technology.

Match racing in sailing is when two teams go head-to-head against each other. The programme for events has been drawn with seven rounds of competition happening for the eight teams. Each round consists of four races. A famous example of match racing is the America’s Cup.

Competing on the same class of boat, each team consists of six sailors racing on an L26.  The course set by Race Officer, Kevin Bingham will be an upwind, downwind course with the possibility of either one or two laps. The start finish line will be set below the bottom turning mark, extending the first beat and final run to the line.

Team captains are Peter Marsh from UCT, Jonas Vijerberg from Rhodes, Alexander Ham from Stellenbosch, Kyle Boman for the combined team of UJ and Tuks, DUT will be led by Thokozani ‘DeaJay’ Latha, UKZN by Florence Marshall and Alison Bradfield and Ryan Robinson for the two Wits teams.

Officiating will be South African sailors, Ricky Robinson and Trent Bingham.

The Inter-Varsity Match Racing Champs is the precursor to the annual MSC Week, hosted by the Point Yacht Club, that takes place from 4 – 8 July offshore of Durban.

For more info visit www.pyc.co.za or contact the club on 031 301 4787.

For the love of the game - Passionate umpire teaches kindness and camaraderie through hockey.

Catching up with Wanri Venter ahead of the SPAR KZN School Girls Hockey Challenge

Words by Lachlan Nicholson

South Africa is a nation of sports lovers, where athletes who achieve success on the field are revered as heroes and legends. However, such glory would be impossible without the hard work and dedication of referees and umpires, who act as custodians of the games they love.

One such individual is Thomas More College sports coordinator, Wanri Venter. Now in her tenth year of service to the school, Venter has nurtured a love of hockey since her childhood in Stellenbosch, which grew as she became a student at the University of Stellenbosch. “I started umpiring during my first year at Maties (2000) because learning to do so was compulsory, but only really attended tournaments in 2004,” she explained.

As well as being an umpire and coach, Venter is still an active participant, “I enjoy hockey’s speed, fitness and physicality but most of all, the tactical aspect. The older you get, the more you rely on your experience.”

Officiating matches presents unique challenges because they are played at an ever-increasing pace. This makes the sport exciting for spectators, but requires umpires to be on top form at all times. “You strive to move constantly, so that you’re in the best possible position to make the right decision. When you umpire at a higher level, you need to trust your instincts because if you are unsure, you will miss the moment to step in.

“Often you’re like an actor on a stage; you need to sell your decisions using the tools at your disposal such as whistle tone, cards and body language. You need to earn the players’ trust by being calm, open to questions and confident.”   

Since earning her international badge in 2014, Venter has umpired 22 international matches, most of them locally between South Africa and Belgium, Scotland, Australia and India. She has twice travelled to Kenya; first to officiate for the Africa Cup of Nations then the World League Round One, she also was chosen to oversee several international indoor matches during December 2015 between South Africa, Australia, USA and Namibia.  

Venter believes that the lessons she’s learned from hockey have carried over into her personal life. “I have learned to never give up; the game is certainly not over until the final whistle. Friendships and other people's feelings are more important than winning the game.” 

Her next major event is the Junior World Cup in Santiago, Chile which takes place from the 23rd of November to the 4th of December. She will also be helping co-ordinate the upcoming SPAR KZN School Girls Hockey Challenge that takes place at St Mary’s next month.

For those interested in becoming umpires, Venter has these words of wisdom, “The best place to start umpiring is with the little ones, as they play for pure enjoyment. As you gain confidence, you can umpire older age groups.” 

The 2016 edition of the MSC Week

Point Yacht Club

MSC Week

Offshore Durban: 4 – 8 July

South Africa’s premier winter regatta, the week-long annual MSC Regatta now in its 40^th year hosted by Point Yacht Club kicks off offshore of Durban on Monday 4 July.

On the back of the highly successful Hobie 16 and Flying Fifteen Provincials, the much-anticipated sailing event incorporates the L26, IRC and Hunter Provincials along with the Micro-Multihull Challenge, and the MSC Racing Class.

Race Officer, Dave Rushton will have a busy time offshore organising the various classes. A maximum of 12 races will be held for the IRC and Multihull fleets and a maximum of 15 races will be held for the L26, Hunter and Club racing classes and only five races for the MSC Racing fleet. A minimum of four races for all but the MSC Racing Fleet will need to take place to constitute a regatta.

Confirmed entries are Container World in the L26 class. Tony Cockerill from Henley-Midmar and Dave Martinson from Witbank will be competing in the Hunter class. In the IRC Class, the lightning quick Southern Storm will be dusting herself off to participate under her new owner, Warren Clark. In the sports boats class we have the Fluid 180, PhattAss entered, together with Cabriole, a Beneteau First Class 8 and a Pacer 27 with youngster, Michaela Robinson driving.

In the micro multihulls old rivals, Bandit skippered by Sean Jones and Ladybird skippered by Andrew Dolloway are entered. Representing the Bluff Yacht Club, Andrew Murray sailing on Liquid Blue will be taking to the water in the MSC Racing Fleet.

Regatta Convenor Ron Pet stated, “The regatta is always a hit, both on and off the water. Teams travel from around the country to participate. A number of the teams use this as a tune up race ahead of the prestigious Lipton Challenge Cup that will be taking place in Cape Town later this month.”

“Loads of sailors have indicated their intent to compete, so we are eagerly awaiting their entries. Just in the IRC alone, we have Gregg Hurter racing Vasco finisher, Bellatrix and also the brand newcomer to the Durban fleet, the majestic CFM owned by Stuart Ritchie promises to be on the water. Wayne Smith, helming the multihull Crazy Diamond has had her out of the water and been modifying her bows, so it will be good to see her go up against Bandit and Ladybird.”

Durban truly is the place to be this winter, with three back-to-back sailing events of national proportion, the MSC Week concludes ten days of winter-bliss on local waters.

For more info visit www.pyc.co.za or contact the club on 031 301 4787.

Captivating Nantes

Situated along the picturesque west coast, on the mighty river Loire, Nantes is a captivating, vibrant city! Having visited the metropolis twice now, I love the energy of it.

Nantes appears to have got the balance of restoring the old, with the new blending in majestically, and quite strikingly. The biggest city of the Brittany region has attempted to build an identity as a creative capital of dream and fantasy. This is evident in the architecture and quirky artwork, including Banksy-style street art splattered around the region.

I think the ‘New York City viewing laws’ apply when walking around, remember to look up. One of my favourite finds was around the theme-park area, a building that at eye level was a dull concrete block jazzed up with a bit of colourful art, looking up there was an actual bus with wheels ‘parking off’ a few levels up, followed by a funky, intricate, metal casing reaching to the sky.

An absolute must is a ride on the Nantes elephant! Yes, an elephant! In France! One of the main attractions is the creation of the Les Machines de L’ile, this 40ft wooden structure goes walkabout for half an hour around the Jardin des Voyages precinct, embarking from its metal cathedral with 50 passengers on board. Unsuspecting tourists get doused with squirts from its trunk, with gleeful patrons cheering from above. They have a variety of other mechanised treasures that young and old can play on, but for me, a true African – the elephant stole my heart.

Being an unashamed nautical junky, mixed in with a love for history, and architecture I delight in stumbling upon historical ships, tall ships specifically! Not far from the funfair, theme-park side of the world, moored on the Loire is the magnificent historic three mast tall ship, the Belem. An old beauty that now is a training boat but for decades was a true work horse.

Nantes is a photographer’s dream, with objects around every corner begging to be captured. The old architecture of the cathedral, or the Castle of the Dukes of Brittany or the Graslin District, Square and Opera, to a variety of modern statues or artwork like the massive spikey Resolution des Forces or the rings set along the promenade, or even just boats moored on the river, there is something beautiful to snap.

According to the Nantes tourism website, there are 28 artworks dotted around 22 sites along the 120km Loire estuary between Nantes and Saint-Nazaire.

Nantes is not a car friendly city, with parking establishments being costly and street parking being almost impossible to find. But everything and more is just an amble, a cycle or a tramride away. Public transport is efficient and affordable. On both visits, I had a hire car, having driven from Bourges via Saint Michel to Nantes on my first visit or being mobile to head out to the suburb of Reze for the recent Olympic Qualifications for the Les Blues Basketball Women successful campaign to get to Rio.

Having access to a vehicle, I indulged and opted to take a few day trips from Nantes. The most memorable was out to Saint-Nazaire and the beaches of Saint Brevin Les Pins, I happened upon the incredible, perhaps creepy, artwork of the Serpent D’Ocean. Unveiled in 2012, the aluminium skeleton that is 120m long brings Chinese mythology to a French shore.  The sea serpent looks like it has just beached itself, and with the different tides and sea-state, the mood around the serpent constantly changes. Quite intriguing!

So, if you planning a trip to the famed wine region of Bordeaux, I would strongly recommend you make a detour to Nantes and surrounds for a couple of days, you won’t regret it!

Beautiful Bourges

The second part to this whirlwind trip was in the heart of the Berry Province, a city called Bourges. The city dates back to about 50BC, with the main architectural attraction, the gothic cathedral of Saint Etienne, built in the twelfth century. Ranked as a World Heritage Site, it is considered as the earliest example of the high gothic style of the thirteenth century. Simply put, if I were to wed, this certainly would be the venue for the ceremony. It is utterly magnificent, the stained glass windows are heavenly and the intricate carved detail on the exterior façade is mesmerizingly beautiful.  The inside is just as glorious, the light coming through the windows, the massive airy space, you can climb up to the tower and get an angel’s eye view of the city or go down into the crypt.

As is tradition over the last decade, I had the privilege of catching one of the final pool games of the Euroleague basketball season for Tango Bourges in their recently unveiled shiny new stadium lovingly called The Prado. Led by the ‘tricolour’s’ captain, Celine Dumerc who was the game hero that evening firing 15 points, the home team playing to a capacity crowd were victorious against Polish visitors, Wisla Karkow with a 63-45 win.

A highlight for me in Bourges was reconnecting with a fabulously keen couple at the pristine stadium. My first time ever watching a live basketball game, an elderly man was the usher at the old Bourges Basketball Arena and quickly surmised that I didn’t speak a word of French and in a grand-fatherly way guided me to my seat. Our next meeting was in Montpellier, the French League game we were both attending was held on France’s Independence Day and locals were celebrating at the game with pancakes and red wine. This dear old man sought me out and proudly presented me with an offering of both.

In my basketball travels, I have met France’s number one supporters in Istanbul, Sopron, Ankara, Paris, and just last year in Timisoara, Romania. I read an article stating that this retired couple spend most of their winters travelling in their campervan to all of the games in Europe where Tango Bourges or France are playing.

After the game, standing at the top of their raked section, I waited for them to clamber up from their courtside seats. Halfway up, he glanced up, stopped and alerted his wife and promptly announced to me, and majority of the nearby crowd – Afrique du Sud waving cheerfully. We greeted each other like long lost friends in French, but conversation beyond a jovial greeting was limited as their English is non-existent, as is my French.  But the mutual love of the game for the identical teams has created a strong connection between the three of us and each time I am at a game, I look forward to meeting them.

No visit would be complete without a wander through the Old Town; here you can amble along cobbled-stoned lanes lined with half-timbered medieval houses that date back to the Middle Ages. It is believed that there are still 440 of these medieval masterpieces still standing to this day. Another must do is indulging in a draft on tap at the ancient Jacques Couer Pub a couple of blocks from the cathedral and palace. Situated in an old half-timber house, the inside of the pub takes you on a complete time warp to centuries before.  Stop in for something decadent at CakT, a petit slice of heaven where you can refuel on a delicious cup of tea and a mouth-watering array of desserts.

Of course visits to the Jacques Couer Palace, the Jardins near the Cathedral and the train station, or if you are in these parts in May, there is a hearty music festival that is well worth a stop. Bourges is magical, but I wouldn’t recommend a stay longer than two days.

Departing the centre of France, I made my way north west to the coastal area of Saint Michel! 

Paris - in the wake of Je Suis Paris

Surrounded by the backdrop of a typical European winter, I escaped the sweltering heat here in Durban to ‘chill out’ in France for a bit.

It was fascinating being in Europe, specifically France shortly after our rand collapse and of course, the terror attacks in Paris. My extravagant itinerary of exploring the northern parts of France and tumbling into Belgium was halved due to our dire exchange rate. Instead, I reacquainted myself with Paris and Bourges and then tumbleweeded my way, via the Chateaux Chambord, up to the breath-taking parts of Le Mont Saint Michel and then down to Nantes before returning back to the capital.

My first quest of this adventure: I have attempted to be one of the lucky ones to purchase tickets for the annual, massive French extravaganza, entitled Les Enfoirés. Tickets for this concert sell out faster than a Mumford and Sons concert in Durban and in the last seven years my attempts have been consistent, that of 100% unsuccessful! Les Enfoirés usually takes place over six nights, with majority of the indoor venues able to seat up to 5,000 fans – you do the maths. The whole of France vie for these tickets, and travel from all corners to be a part of it to catch the likes of Zaz, Zazie or Calogero.

This musical type of vaudeville travels around the country, each year a different city plays host and this year, the venue was the massive, forever-transforming arena in Bercy, Paris. The AccorHotels Arena that looks like it is this grassy hill in the midst of a concrete jungle; below ground is a hub of space that shapeshifts for all different occasions. A couple of years ago I was able catch Bourges Basketball compete in the Coupe de France finals at this setting, then a huge basketball stadium, now morphed into a huge concert hall holding thousands of fortunate fans.

As in previous years, my hunt for a ticket remained fruitless so for my first evening I resorted to plan B, picking up a kebab from my favourite take-away located outside of Gare-Du Nord, and after an uncomplicated metro ride I feasted at my picnic spot, sitting dwarfed by the magnificent gothic cathedral, the Notre Dame.

In the wake of Je Suis Charlie and Je Suis Paris, all of the ‘tourist attractions’ have evidently beefed up their presence of law enforcement. A mixture of excitable tourists attempting to capture the moment, pausing in an array of poses was combined with heavily-armed, slow-wandering, observant soldiers weaving through the statuette visitors. On the perimeters, both police and transit police would keep a distant, watchful, suspecting eye on the crowds.

This trip, I opted to minimise my use of public transport and walk wherever possible. Having no actual commitments or plans, besides the outline of accommodation, a FIBA Euroleague basketball ticket and two SNCF inter-city train tickets, I was free to do as I pleased. Armed with only a metro map and a vague idea of where the main attractions were in Paris, I strolled everywhere.  From the Eifel Tower to the Grand Palace, the Louvre to the Opera House, a mosey along the Seine River and down Avenue des Champs-Elysees heading towards the Arc de Triomphe or huffing and puffing up the hill to the Sacré-Cœur Cathedral with a gorgeous panoramic view of Paris. Mooching along small side streets I discovered some fabulous street art, some wonderful galleries, some quirky book stores and even a few decent street side cafes.

If you were to ask me what my soundtrack to Paris would be, I would sadly confide police sirens. Convoys of police vehicles charged through the city streets constantly, flashing blue lights and blaring sirens breaking up the usual bustling city sounds.  A sad reality of the current state of France. 

Al takes the 2016 Vasco title in record time

Point Yacht Club

Vasco da Gama Ocean Race

Port Elizabeth: 25 April

Al Mount Gay Rum skippered by Rob van Rooyen goes one better this year, taking line honours in record time and claiming the handicap win in the 45^th edition of the Vasco da Gama Ocean Race hosted by Point Yacht Club.

The defending champ on handicap sailed a flawless race in a time of 2 days 6 hours 1min 22 sec, smashing the record by 56mintues and claiming the double when she arrived in Port Elizabeth yesterday (Monday) evening at 06:01pm. The team of eight from Cape Town were delighted with their victory, “We knew going into the race that getting the double was a possibility, we knew it would be a challenge but anything is possible. A double whammy, it really is wonderful.” an elated van Rooyen said as soon as he reached the moorings.

Continuing, he stated, “We were really disappointed when Yes Girl retired! They sailed a phenomenal race straight out of the starting blocks and into the lead. We were happy if they got line honours, we knew we could take them on the handicap, and our game plan was to beat them tactically. But once they retired, our tactics changed and we eyed out our next opposition, Bellatrix who at that stage were lying in third, behind us before Yes Girl made her way to East London.”

“We opted to sail using the currents, but once the sea state deteriorated, we came inshore. My team did fantastically, all things considering. One or two got seasick, but they dug deep and got over it. The more experienced guys handled the rough weather like champs.”

“Our average age, we worked out is 24 years on the boat. I just turned 30 and two of the other guys are 30. The youngest is 17. So, we are young, eager crew. We all have been sailing on and off together since I was about ten, so we know each other’s abilities, strengths and weaknesses.”

With the fleet getting dished all sorts of weather, being battered by lumpy seas, winds from all directions, van Rooyen commented, “Al was great. I think going into the race that is where we were better compared to the other guys. We have been prepping Al for the last six months and were extremely well prepared and managed to keep the boat in one piece throughout the heavy stuff. She was sailing like a dream. So I do believe we started at an advantage to the rest of the guys, no one else spent half a year readying their boat.”

With the upcoming Cape2 Rio race around the corner, van Rooyen highlighted, “We would consider doing a race like Rio but in all honesty, the Vasco is far more challenging. Yes, the race only last two days but the actual getting to Durban, and sailing along the SA coastline. This race is much more difficult that the Rio race, in my opinion. There is far more adrenaline in this short, burst down the coastline.”

The next boat to cross the line was Durban’s very own Bellatrix skippered by Gregg Hurter, who arrived just over three hours behind Al. The two pushed each other the entire race, down the coastline, both opting to stay relatively close to shore. As they neared the end, Al accelerated in the varying winds, expanding the gap between the two.

After 400NM, two boats diced it all the way towards finish line in the hopes of claiming third across the line. Only one nautical mile separated the two that were due in the early hours of this morning (Tuesday). Rocket, skippered by Herbie Karolius from Cape Town put in a fine display of sailing, having had to return back to sheltered waters, soon after their disastrous start. The Simonis 54 snagged the start buoy as they were heading through the line on the start on Saturday. After a battle to free it, they eventually cut the warp free and started their voyage only to realise that they in fact were dragging the start line’s anchor, which was slowing them down.

Hats off to the dark horse, Yes Girl from Cape Town, skippered by Gabriel Fernandes the L35 Mod looked to have the race wrapped up with a red ribbon, but as ocean racing goes, it isn’t over until you cross the line. In the proverbial all things happen in threes, Yes Girl certainly was dished a threesome. First, as they were heading to the start line, they got stuck on the ‘putty’, beaching themselves at low tide on the sandbank at the end of the marina. They then got themselves tangled around the start line when they got offshore, dragging it for some distance. And then the third and fatal blow to their race, their steering system packed up after the boat was pushed to the maximum late on Sunday, when they were forced to retire to East London.

Joining them in East London, the gorgeous Ray of Light also had to retire due to blowing out their head on their main sail in 40knots wind. Helmed by the husband and wife team, Heidi and Michael Kavanagh will be disappointed as they got brand new sails leading up to this race.

The remainder of the exhausted 16 strong fleet arrived in to Port Elizabeth with only one boat not being able to cross the lien in the allocated time, Izimoyo II skippered by Jasper van der Westhuizen just didn’t make the cut, as they battled with the challenging conditions the whole way from Durban to Port Elizabeth.

For more info visit www.pyc.co.za or like the Facebook page or follow it on YB Tacking

Youth Nationals at Wiggleswade Dam, Eastern Cape

Point Yacht Club

Youth Nationals

Wiggleswade Dam: 13 – 18 December

The Festive holidays are about to get off to an enthusiastic start for Point Yacht Club’s youth sailors as they head down to the Eastern Cape to Wiggleswade Dam for the Youth Nationals.

The six day event that starts this Sunday will have a strong contingent from Durban participating. The fleet of youngsters includes 29er sailors, Benji Daniel (Thomas More College) and Chad Stevenson (uMhlanga College) who should be heading to Langkawi at the end of the month for the ISAF World Youth Championships. The 29er team have been pushed to their limits in their training by fellow 29er sailors, Michael Dickenson and Rob Tarboton, who have been instrumental in preparing the team.

Joining them will be the Oppie gang, with four optimist sailors representing the club. Lead by Callum Gaughran (Kearsney College) and Liam Fennessy (Northwood) who competed in Poland recently. The South African sailors will be joined by the two Bowman lads, the experienced and talented Iain and his younger brother, Scott who will be racing in the novice fleet both from Hillcrest Christian Academy.

The two Hannahs will add a bit of flair to the team, with Hannah Fokkens (Danville) taking on the Laser 4.7 sailors and Hannah Tiedt (Kloof High School) racing in the Laser Radial fleet. Joining Tiedt in the Radial class are Ross Gaughran (Kearsney College) and Sam Lombaard (Michaelhouse).

Sean Hurter (Clifton College) will be sailing in his favourite class and taking to the water on his Dabchick. Rounding up the team are Dylan Albert (uMhlanga College) and James Butler (Westville), regular faces in the catamaran fleet. They will be taking down the only multihull from Durban racing on their Hobie 16, armed with a spinnaker.

Rear Commodore for Youth Sailing, Nik Albert stated, “We have an incredible bunch of kids heading down to the Eastern Cape. We have almost every class covered with our team. It is exciting times for our team as this is one of the strongest teams we are sending down. Our youth are doing remarkable things on the water, with a number of them travelling to Poland, Wales, Langkawi to name but a few places that we have been fortunate enough to participate at.”

Continuing, Albert said, “Good luck to the guys and girls, we hope they fly the PYC flag high and sincerely do the best that they can do! We are very fortunate as a club to have a host of fantastic, dynamic sailors who have been willing to pay it forward. I would like to thank Michael Dickenson for his awesome and fun training, and to the McNeill brothers who have kindly imparted their valuable experience from their experience of their Olympic campaign onto our youngsters.”

Concluding, the Rear Commodore mentioned, “Watch out sailing world, here come the Point Yacht Club’s team!”

Working hard behind the scenes, Trevor Gibb, the stalwart of youth sailing is down every Saturday, come rain or shine, to take and mould new youngsters wanting to join the Point Yacht Club junior programme. Gibb’s relentless in his persistence to get these little ones to learn to sail. If you would like to discover more info about this, contact Amanda at the club.

For more info, visit www.pyc.co.za or contact Amanda at the club on 031 301 5425.

So, Whose Line is it anyway?

Point Yacht Club

Whose Line is it Anyway

Harbour: Saturday 5 December

A small group of sailors ventured out in overcast conditions on Saturday to compete in the fun So, Whose Line is it Anyway? hosted by Point Yacht Club that took place in the bay.

Getting three races in, race officer Lucy de Freitas set a short windward / leeward course with the start and finish line midway down the sausage course. Four classes participated in the racing, with 6 Lasers and two Finns making up the first fleet, five Flying Fifteens and a 29er that swopped and shared crew made up the second fleet, and two multi-hulls and two Oppies completed the fleets on the water.

Having recently returned from work in Madagascar, Laser sailor Gregg Dobson dominated the Laser fleet, showing his prowess in the class with wins in all three races.  The long-time partners, Patrick Harris and Jeremy Kriek enjoyed topping the log in the Flying Fifteen class, with a tussle between husband and wife team, Michael and Heidi Kavanagh and Myles White and Estelle Buys for second place. One point separated them, with the Kavanaghs settling into second. Sneaking into fourth, only one point off of third place was Howick’s Anthony McMillan sailing with young Cameron Booth.

Getting in training ahead of the youth world champs, 29er sailors Benji Daniel and Chad Stevenson enjoyed themselves on the water, mixing it up with Daniel jumping onto Sam Lombaard’s Laser Radial and sailing single handed for a bit while Stevenson paired up with Lombaard on the 29er. The Michaelhouse school lad took the challenge of driving the fast dinghy and Stevenson taking up his usual role at the sharp end of the boat.

Having just returned from the NKA Hobie Tiger Spinnaker Provincials up at the Vaal Dam, Hillcrest’s Murray May teamed up with adrenaline junkie, Michael Dickenson to power their Hobie Tiger around the course. They snuck ahead of Bill Ellens sailing on his Halcat, having taken the win in the first race, Ellens retired after the second, giving the young Tiger team the edge to get ahead on the scoreboard.

The juniors of the fleets, the Optimists had two sailors heading around the course getting in training ahead of the Youth Nationals that will be taking place this weekend at Wiggleswade Dam. Callum Gaughran showed what he had learnt in Poland, taking the win ahead of versatile sailor, Iain Bowman.

This weekend, competitors can expect a long distance race with Race Officer, Lucy de Freitas sending all the sailors off on one start, with the boats stretching their legs adventuring around a bay. Then next week sailors will be heading offshore to compete in the much anticipated Flying Fifteen Nationals that Point Yacht Club will be jointly hosting with Royal Natal Yacht Club.

For more info visit www.pyc.co.za or join the Facebook group.

Fleet B

1 Gregg Dobson (Laser Standard) 3pts, 2= Richard Bates (Laser Standard) 8pts, 2= Denny Moffatt (Laser Standard) 8pts, 4 Sam Lombaard (Laser Radial) 17pts, 5 Keith Gregory (Finn) 18pts, 6= Denmar Nel (Laser Standard) 19pts, 6= Dave Booth (Finn) 19pts, 8 Benji Daniel (Laser Radial) 21pts

Fleet C

1 Patrick Harris / Jeremy Kriek (Flying Fifteen) 3pts, 2 Heidi Kavanagh / Michael Kavanagh (Flying Fifteen) 8pts, 3 Myles White / Estelle Buys (Flying Fifteen) 9pts, 4 Antony McMillan / Cameron Booth (Flying Fifteen) 10pts, 5 Clinton Hendrie / Patricia Kilburn (Flying Fifteen) 18pts, 6= Benji Daniel / Chad Stevenson (29er) 22pts, 6= Sam Lombaard / Chad Stevenson (29er) 22pts

Fleet D

1 Murray May / Michael Dickenson (Hobie Tiger) 3pts, 2 Bill Ellens (Halcat) 4pts

Fleet E

1 Callum Gaughran (Oppie) 4pts, 2 Iain Bowman (Oppie) 5pts

Flying Fifteen Nationals

Point Yacht Club

Flying Fifteen Nationals

Durban: 16 – 20 December

As the festive season approaches, a fleet of Flying Fifteen sailors will be heading offshore to compete in the Flying Fifteen Nationals hosted jointly by Point Yacht Club and Royal Natal Yacht Club.

Back to defend their title, the industrious team of Paul Changuion from Ballito will be driving hard with team mate, Tim Duguid from Morningside on Ffoxxoff in the hopes of reclaiming the title. But the battle will be on as the kings of the class, Highway’s Patrick Harris and Jeremy Kriek will be keen to dethrone the Changuion / Duguid combo. 

The commanding team of Harris and Kriek launched their brand new boat Ffigjam at last year’s Nationals, after a delayed start to their regatta, the masters in the Flying Fifteen class also had to literally bail from the course during the regatta. Point’s Rear Commodore for Dinghies, Myles White recalls, “As I remember Patrick and Jeremy missed the first race whilst still rigging their new ff, and had to return to port on the heavy-weather day as they hadn’t had a chance to fit any self-bailers, and the boat was carrying a few hundred litres of water in the cockpit, which they had to hand-bail.”

“My prediction, Ffigjam and Ffoxxoff are going to be duking it out for first and second, and should be out in front for most races. My money is on Patrick & Jeremy to win.” White states.

Adding to the mix, brothers Thomas and Peter Funke, who have had a very successful year in the 505 class finishing eighth in the world in the World Championships earlier this year, will be swopping their 505 craft to compete in the more traditional styled yacht. 

Returning after a busy work year, Campbell Alexander teams up with David Curtiss. Alexander commented, “I am hoping for heavy weather because I have a great heavy weather crew in Dave. We both have been off the water a fair bit this year, so I know we both are looking forward to being back. Just in time, I guess as I am turning my focus to the Laser Worlds in Mexico next year, so needing to dust off the cobwebs.”

A maximum of ten races will test the competitors offshore of Durban with Race Officer Rob Bell from Hilton only needing four races needed to constitute a regatta. Bell has the option for racing to commence in the harbour if the weather gets to blustery.

Leading by example, White will be teaming up with sailing partner, Estelle Buys. The two Mikes join forces again, helmsman Mike Wright and Mike Surgeson aka Mango Pip both from Westville are looking forward to pushing the fleet. As will Midlands’s sailor, Anthony McMillan sailing with Lorna Daniel. Another possible podium candidate is Vince Tiedt who will be sailing with Jim Rushton and his daughter, Hannah who are going to be sharing the duties at the sharp end of the boat. Expected to make their first appearance in the class are husband and wife team, Rob and Tracey Bowman, who recently took ownership of their Flying Fifteen.

White reviews, “The bronze medal is a bit open, if the wind is strong all through the regatta, Campbell should have this all to himself. In lighter to moderate winds I believe that those featuring will be the Funkes, Mike Wright & Mango Pip; Anthony McMillan & Lorna, and of course Estelle and myself. If we can earn a fourth overall, I will be ecstatic.”

Joining the magnificent twenty foot dinghies will be a number of catamarans keen to get some racing in ahead of the down time over the holidays. Included in the catamaran fleet is father and son team, Martin and Carl Zimmerman who plan on joining the fleet on their Dart.

A competitive and colourful bunch of boats are anticipated to get a run in at the upcoming Flying Fifteen Nationals that starts on the Reconciliation Day and concludes next weekend.

For more info visit www.pyc.co.za or join the Facebook group.