Catching up with top Durban Sailor,
Jeremy Kriek who is a member of the Royal Natal Yacht Club’s Orion B2G2 L26 Lipton team. Kriek
and his team are busy preparing for the biggest sailing event in South Africa,
the Ola Lipton Challenge Cup that is being held offshore of Durban from the 7 –
12 July.
1 I am a sailor because…..?
I
love the challenge of outperforming other sailors by being more skilled,
have a better prepared boat, have good understanding of the sailing rules , the
technology of the boats rig and being able to constantly adjust to the ever
challenging wind and water conditions. Sailing is not only a physical challenge
but also an intellectual challenge. One has to constantly plan ahead and anticipate
the next manoeuvre to stay ahead.
2 First time you went out sailing… (tell us how it went)
I
was probably about 13 years old, it was on Sterkfontein Dam, it was in the winter
and it was very cold. I enjoyed it all the same, and sailing is the reason I
find myself living in Durban.
3 If I could have a drink with anyone, it would be with…
Old
slow hand, Eric Clapton
4 Role model / who do you admire
Ellen
Mac Arthur
5 A moment that stands out for you while sailing?
While
participating in the flying fifteen world championships in 2011 at Hayling
island in the UK we were reaching to the leeward mark fighting off the then
current world champions for 3rd out of 129, previous world champions were just
ahead of us and the new world champions were leading the pack, we were good
enough to fight it out with the best.
6 If you were invisible for a day, what would you get up to?
I
would enjoy driving around in an blue light convoy with the minister of
transport and some other high profile government officials and observe their
reactions to the calamities they cause and maybe pull some tokalosh tricks.
7 If you were on a speed date, and had a minute to convince
someone to take up sailing, what would you say?
Sailing
makes you feel alive, even if there is only a light breeze blowing and only one
other boat, there will still be a race, and all ones intentions are focused on
winning.
8 Funniest or clumsiest moment sailing?
During
a race in Spain Patrick and I collided with the president of our world body,
seriously damaging his boat.
9 Lipton Challenge Cup, why is the event such a big deal?
The
Lipton cup regatta is probably the most prestigious sailing event in South
Africa and it draws the best local sailors to compete for the honour of winning
the title of Lipton champions.
10 When you wake up in the morning on a weekend, what is
your first thought?
I
seemed to have earned a reputation of being the boat fixer, so often I lie in
bed thinking of solutions to rigging problems or dreaming up new designs to
improve our performance on the water. Sailing on the weekend is a way of life
fore and does not require a second thought.
11 Durban has the best sailing conditions because….
The
warm Mozambique current that flows down our coast keeps Durban warm all year
round, the prevailing winds hardly ever relent and the sailing buddies are all
great to hang out with.
12 Dinghy or yacht?
Yachts
and dinghy but only real boats, not cats.
13 Dam or Ocean?
Ocean
of course otherwise I would be living in joburg!
14 Rock or pop?
Rock
15 Bar-One Ice Cream or Rocky Road Ice Cream?
Rocky
road
16 Swell or flat waters?
Swells
with wind, there's nothing better than surfing down huge swells on a sailing
boat.
