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

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

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.

A few questions with catamaran sailor, Wayne Smith

Wayne Smith is one of Durban’s most enthusiastic and accomplished Hobie sailors. He sails with his girlfriend, Kate Bains and the duo will be competing in the Hobie Nationals over the Easter weekend sailing offshore of Durban. He has competed in the Hobie 16 World championships in Port Elizabeth and the Hobie Tiger World Champs in Langebaan. He also sailed his Hobie 16 in the World Masters games in Sydney in 2009. He picked up his interest in sailing from his father who was a competitive sailor in the 60's and 70's.

I attended Athlone Primary School and Maritzburg College High School in Pietermaritzburg and went on to study a BSc in Building Science at the University of KZN-Durban. I have travelled and worked in the builders industry in several places around the world but always gravitate back to good ol' Durbs. Currently in a relationship with a fantastic lady, Kate Bain, who manages the care of orphans in Northern KZN and I try dedicate some of my time supporting her in her endeavour. I am currently involved in developing some residential units in Westville and spend much of my free time involved in sailing through Point Yacht Club. Either trying to promote it or participating in events.

  

What do you love about your town and province?

Mainly...it’s home. And what makes it home is the friends and family here. Of course the climate, landscape and sea just add the finishing touches. Durban is very multi-cultural which adds to the flavour, enchantment and excitement of the city.

What is your favourite destination in the province if you want to take some time out?

The Drakensburg. The backdrop of majestic mountains against the silent starry sky is soul-stuff. The tranquillity contrasts to the hustle and bustle of Durban city life.

Sports & Hobbies?

All through school and varsity I did gymnastics and carried on to do diving, mountain biking, white water kayaking, climbing, water skiing ... but now days anything with a sail is my preference. I began windsurfing at high school and still enjoy the sport although now days I sail Hobie catamarans and micro multi hulls more often. I even have a remote controlled yacht just to show my age!!!

Favourite food and drinks; any place(s) you want to recommend to people?

Almost everything my girlfriend cooks, not only cos she has cooked it GF but she is a damn good cook. I love a medium steak with lots of garlic, my favourite place for the best meat meal in the world is Joops' Place....mmmmmm. I am not impartial to tequila when the party's on but beer especially the growing number of craft beers available make for good after action socialising. Red wine has its place but I am not too up myself enough to think life can’t go on without a good (expensive) red.

Favourite vacation place outside KZN?

Langebaan in summer. A taste of Mediterranean Europe in Africa....lots of foreigners and of course the wind blows.

Any gems you found in the province?

Yes, the bum slide in the gorge near Wonder Cave in the Central Berg and Karlkloof canopy tours, it’s exciting and the location is beautiful.

How do you manage work and home life?

Awfully by all accounts but that depends on who you asking, currently its more squewed to 'life' than 'work'....

What is the best part of your job?

Self Employed so having work is always a good thing but also meeting a variety of people that the industry offers is exciting and challenging...also the boss is very reasonable at times and allows time off for good work / life balance.

What is the worst part of your job? 

Not having work and the boss can be difficult sometimes...

What is the one thing about your to town/province that you think everybody should know?

Its location for outdoor activities is one of the best in the world. Local government needs to understand this and support and develop this potential.

"If I had all the money in the world I would ...

Overthrow the government, ensure my girlfriend’s foundation, Izulu Orphan Projects, became financially secure and self-sustaining (as they get absolutely no Government assistance)....oh yes and of course buy a 60ft catamaran and cruise the Mediterranean."

Point Yacht Club Dinghy Class Champs and Royal Natal Yacht Club North South Race

Point Yacht Club / Royal Natal Yacht Club

Dinghy Class Champs Day Six

North South Race

Harbour: Saturday 28 February

Offshore: Sunday 1 March

Yachts big and small came out to participate in light winds for two events over the weekend.

The conclusion to the Point Yacht Club’s Dinghy Class Champs day six had a fleet of 25 yachts working hard to find the winds in the harbour on Saturday.

Overall winners were Dylan Alberts in the Hobie Fleet; Myles White and Charlotte Marshall in the Flying Fifteens; Trevor Gibb sailing on his Mirror in the Open Class; Richard Bates in the Laser class; Rob Samways and Jared Quinn in the Dart division and young Sven Paton racing on his RS Tera Pro.

It was contradicting weather for the racing of day six, two weeks ago racing was abandoned on the day due to heavy winds. The postponed racing got underway with a slight breeze but as the afternoon drew on, the winds completely disappeared at times.

Shifty winds made it relatively tough for the race officer and sailors. During the three races, Kevin Bingham adjusted the course three times to accommodate the change in wind direction.

On Sunday 9 big keelers made their way offshore to compete in the Royal Natal Yacht Club’s North South Race with Gregg Hurter helming Bellatrix took the line and handicap honours.

Race Officer, Rob Samways got the boats underway directly off of Addington Beach, the small fleet had a short beat up to a buoy set off the north breakwater of the harbour. The boats had a port rounding before heading out to the fairway marker on the horizon. Here the yachts had a starboard rounding and made their way to another buoy set off the old Whaling Station on the Bluff before returning back to the finish line.

Bellatrix finished the 11 Nautical Mile race in just under two hours, finishing ten minutes ahead of second placed Majimoto skippered by Jon Marshall. Having rounded first, Bellatrix turned on the gas and opened the gap between themselves and Majimoto as they made their way out to the Fairway Mark. Majimoto made the mistake of not flying their spinnaker directly but waited till they were clear of the wind shadow caused by the Bluff. Hurter and his crew continued to build on their lead all the way to the finish.

In third place, Gavin Wadsworth on Therapy managed to stay in front of Brad Rayson on Flyer the entire race. The tail end of the fleet had a momentous tussle between the only two L26s racing. Brendan Humphries on the stick of Container World managed to edge out Denmar Nel helming PYC Challenger. One second separated the two as Container World surged forward on a swell pipping Nel at the post.

Results

Point Yacht Club

Dinghy Class Champs Day Six

Harbour: Saturday 28 February

Hobie Class

1 Dylan Alberts (Hobie 14), 2 Justin Butler (Hobie 14), 3 Wayne Smith / Kate Bains (Hobie 16), 4 Peter Hall (Hobie 14) 5 Michael Dickinson (Hobie 16), 6 Justin Butler (Hobie 16), 7 Murray May (Hobie 16), 8 CJ Miln (Hobie 16), 9 Chad Stevenson (Hobie 16), 10 Nathan Constant (Hobie 14), 11 Sean Fennessy (Hobie 14), 12 Matthew Hall (Hobie Dragoon), 13 David van Niekerk (Hobie 14)

Flying Fifteens

1 Myles White / Charlotte Marshall, 2 Patrick Harris / Jeremy Kriek, 3 Campbell Alexander / Chris Clark, 4 Gregg Hurter / Nik Albert, 5 Paul Changuion / Tim Duguid, 6 Simon Musgrove, 7 Craig Campbell / Ian Hogg, 8 Rick Parker, 9 Florence Marshall / Edrich de Lange, 10 Vincent Tiedt, 11 Heidi Kavanagh / Michael Kavanagh, 12 Carl Zimmerman / Simone Yelland

Open Class

1 Trevor Gibb (Mirror), 2 Benji Daniels / Euan Hurter (29er), 3 Denmar Nel (L26 PYC Challenger), 4 Rob Tarboton / Michael Dickinson (29er), 5 My Way (Clynton de Fyn), 6 Sean Hurter (Dabchick), 7 Euan Hurter (Dabchick), 8 Chad Stevenson (Dabchick), 9 Rudi Fokkens (RS Feva), 10 Thokozani Latha (L26 Lindiwe), 11 Jethro Brophy Tintinger / Eli Brophy Tintinger (420), 12 David Curtis (Rebel)

Laser

1 Richard Bates, 2 Frances van Breda, 3 Henri Frencken, 4 Anthony Arbuthnot, 5 Denny Moffatt, 6 Andrew Walford, 7 Rob Goulden, 8 Gregg Dobson, 9 Anthony MacMillan, 10 Campbell Alexander, 11 Rowen Clark, 12 Trent Bingham, 13 Murray May, 14 Jethro Brophy Tintinger (Radial), 15 Chad Stevenson (Radial), 16 Simon Musgrove

Open Class Cats

1 Rob Samways (Dart), 2 Bill Ellens (Paper Tiger), 3 Coert Grobbelaar (Halcat), 4 Clynton de Fyn / Jackie Barnard (Halcat), 5 Jethro Brophy Tintinger / Eli Brophy Tintinger (Halcat), 6 Neil Wadsworth (Halcat), 7 Richard Potgieter (Halcat), 8 Andile Zulu (Halcat)

RS Tera

1 Sven Paton (Pro), 2 Cameron Paarle (Sport), 3 James Butler (Pro), 4 Liam Fennessy (Sport), 5 Chad Stevenson (Pro)

Royal Natal Yacht Club

North South Race

Offshore: Sunday 1 March

1 Bellatrix (Gregg Hurter), 2 Majimoto (Jon Marshall), 3 Therapy (Gavin Wadsworth), 4 Flyer (Brad Rayson), 5 Container World (Brendan Humphries), 6 PYC Challenger (Denmar Nel), 7 Bellissima (Vernon Goss), 8 Candi (Theuns Nel), RTD Thermopylae (Frank Edwards)

Royal Natal Yacht Club Christmas Regatta

Royal Natal Yacht Club

Christmas Regatta incorporating Flying Fifteen Nationals and 505 Championships

Offshore: Saturday 13 – Tuesday 16 December

A small competitive fleet participated in the Christmas Regatta hosted by Royal Natal Yacht Club over the long weekend in Durban leading up to the festive season.

Race officer Rob Samways managed to get in nine races over the three days of competition with eight races counting and one race being a discard. Newcomers to the fleet Paul Changuion and crew member Tim Duguid were crowned champions in the Flying Fifteen fleet.

Changuion and Duguid have recently made a move from racing in the Hunter class to the Flying Fifteens. The sailors who have had the honour of competing in events such as the Lipton Challenge Cup and other big National and International events worked hard in preparation for the National Regatta. Their determined hard work paid off toppling defending champions Patrick Harris and Jeremy Kriek. They earned three first places, three second places, a third and fourth to end the regatta with 16points. Their discard was a race that they didn’t compete in, the final race on day two.

In the 505 class there was a tie on points at the conclusion for the overall leaderboard. Brothers Thomas and Peter Funke were in a demanding position claiming the top spot in the first four races. On the second day the brothers opted not to compete but rather to get in some training ahead of the 505 World Championships, the conditions offshore were testing with winds in the low 20knots and the 4m swell rising in quick concession. The talented duo spent five hours offshore flying across the water and as racing concluded disappointedly damaged a fixture on their rudder and were unable to race on the final day. Sharing the points with the Funke brothers were Ulrich and Marius Fourie who, like the Funke brothers only got on the water for two days. They both ended on a respectable 16 points.

Samways stated, “It is a treat for the Flying Fifteens to race offshore and the conditions were somewhat trying. The first day was perfect racing with a small running swell and winds just over 10knots. Nine boats joined us that day. The numbers dropped drastically for day two but the conditions were extremely challenging for everyone out on the water. Myles was telling me that he clocked a boat speed of 14knots with only his mainsail powering them. Massive swells with winds consistently in the high teens and early twenties. Day three was overcast and drizzly but seven boats joined us which was fantastic.”

Continuing he said, “Only two 505s participated which was disappointing as the World Championship is around the corner but well done to the guys that did come out. They got some really good training with the variety of conditions.”

Flying Fifteen Nationals

1 Paul Changuion / Tim Duguid 16pts, 2 Campbell Alexander / Chris Clark 18pts, 3 Mike Wright / Jon Marshall 32pts, 4 = Patrick Harris / Jeremy Kriek 40pts, 4 = Gregg Hurter / Jeff Rose 40pts, 6 Myles White / David Curtis 50pts, 7 Craig Campbell / Ian Hogg 55pts, 8 Edrich de Lange / Charlotte Marshall 68pts, 9 Nqoba Mswazi / Thokozani Latha 78pts, 10 Neil Yelland / Michael Surgeson 88pts

505 Provincials

1 = Peter Funke / Thomas Funke 16pts, 1 = Ulrich Fourie / Marius Fourie 16pts

South African Sailing Youth Nationals Championships

Point Yacht Club / Royal Natal Yacht Club

SAS Youth Nationals

Aeolians Yacht Club Vaal Dam – 13 – 19 December

The start to school holidays will be exciting as 13 of Durban’s promising youth sailors head to Gauteng to compete in the South African Sailing Youth Nationals from 13 – 19 December.

 The event hosted at Aeolians Yacht Club on the Vaal Dam promises to be highly competitive with a number of classes being sailed over the six days. The 031 representatives will be participating in five classes, Point Yacht Club has 11 sailors flying their burgee, and two will be representing Royal Natal Yacht Club.

Brothers in ‘class’, Jethro and Eli Brophy Tintinger (Glenwood High School) will be taking to the water in the 420 class while Euan and Sean Hurter (Clifton College) will be competing on their hardy Dabchicks.

The Fennessy siblings Liam and Jessica (Chelsea Prep) will be racing in the Optimist class. Another young lady to be taking on the boys is highly decorated upcountry sailor Michaela Robinson representing Royal Natal Yacht Club. Coming from a highly successful sailing family, Robinson has taken part in two Cape to Rios and a number of international events. She will be sailing with Benji Daniel (Thomas More College) in the 420 class.

Another family with a keen interest in sailing is the Gaughrans. The eldest brother Matthew (Kearsney College) is taking on the fleet on his full rig Laser while his younger brother Ross (Kearsney College) will be sailing on a Laser 4.7. Youngest Gaughran, Calum (Highbury) will be competing in the Oppie Class. 

The only sailor to be racing in an RSTera Sport is Cameron Parle (Durban Preparatory High School). Sven Paton (Durban Preparatory High School) and Royal Natal Yacht Club’s Chad Stevenson (Umhlanga College) will both be racing in the sturdy RSTera Pros.

Thalia Naidoo (Eden College) will be back on the water having been concentrating on horse riding, she will be participating on her Tera Pro after having done extremely well in the Tera Worlds. She finished fourth overall and was the second lady in the recent World Championships. 

Dylan Albert (Umhlanga College) who has been getting loads of water time on his preferred Hobie 14 will be racing in the Dabchick class along with the Hurter brothers.

One disappointment is that Sam Lombard (Michael House) who was due to race in the Dabchick class will be unable to make the trip due to breaking his shoulder blade. Lombard has had the honour of being a part of the Lipton Challenge Cup for Point Yacht Club.

The Rear Commodore for Youth at the Point Yacht Club, Nik Albert stated, “We have a strong contingent of youth coming through our ranks and it is great to see that they are heading to major competitions. Every Saturday the guys have been getting training in, taking on the more experienced sailors and their hard work is showing.”

Soon-to-be-top-notch sailors, Durban’s up-and-coming water rats will be taking on the crème de la crème at the South African Sailing Youth Nationals up at the Vaal Dam this holiday.

For more info visit www.pyc.co.za or www.rnyc.org.za or like their Facebook pages.

RNYC Dinghy Bay Series and PYC Sigma Series

Royal Natal Yacht Club and Point Yacht Club

Durban Harbour: Dinghy Bay Series

Offshore: Sigma Series

November got off to an uneventful start for Durban’s sailors with two events taking place this weekend.

The first on Saturday afternoon was day one of the Royal Natal Yacht Club Dinghy Spring Series held in the bay. Overcast and drizzly conditions greeted the braver sailors that ventured out into the unpleasant conditions. A tiny fleet of five dinghies participated in a windward leeward short sprint in the bay.

Race officer, Derek Wilkes managed to get in three races before having to call it a day due to shipping movements right where the short course was laid. The intermittent rain together with winds of around 3-5knots made conditions slow going for the small boats.

The second event had 11 boats participate in the first race of the Sigma Series hosted by the Point Yacht Club.

The intended course was going to be the more challenging bunny ear course where the boats had to head along the coastline from Vetches Pier towards the Blue Waters Hotel and back to the start where they had to turn around and head offshore towards the fairway mark and then head back to the finish line.

The predicted light easterly breeze greeted sailors but the tranquil conditions deteriorated for sailing leaving the hefty boats with hardly any power in their sails.

Race Officer, Ron Pet announced to the fleet after as the time neared an hour that racing would be abandoned as most of the sails just fluffed around, not driving the boat anywhere.

Pet made a general announcement to all yachts racing that the race was abandoned, the leader of the race, Glenwood’s Sean Jones sailing on his fast flying multihull Bandit responded, “Correction Race Officer, the announcement should have stated ‘All yachts bobbing, racing is abandoned.’”

Round two of both events take place this coming weekend. For more info on both events visit www.rnyc.org.za for the Dinghy Spring Series, or visit www.pyc.co.za for the Sigma Series.

Results

Royal Natal Yacht Club

Dinghy Spring Series

Saturday 1 November

Day One

1 Trevor Gibb / Ian Bowman (Mirror) 4pts, 2 David Curtiss (Rebel) 7pts, 3 Cameron Parle (RS Tera) 10pts, 4 Chad Stevenson (Extra) 13pts, 5 Dylan Alberts (Hobie 14) 13pts

Point Yacht Club

Sigma Series

Sunday 2 November

Day One

Racing Abandoned

Bandit (Sean Jones), Bellatrix (Gregg Hurter), Bellissima (Vernon Goss), Caversham Caprice (Richard Crockett), Crazy Diamond (Wayne Smith), Container World (Eli Brophy-Tintinger), Flyer (Brad Rayson), Majimoto (Jon Marshall), Ray of Light (Heidi Kavanagh), Zap (Graham Rose), Zing (Gavin Smith)

Chatting to Pro Golfer, Welsh lady Sahra Hassan

Cell C SA Women’s Open

Sahra Hassan

The upbeat Welsh golfer, Sahra Hassan from Newport was back in the country to tee-off for the Cell C SA Women’s Open.

“This is my third time taking part in the SA Women’s Open,” the cheerful individual stated. “I love it but San Lameer is going to be testing! This is my first time I am playing here and it looks like a good challenge.”

“I managed to hit a few balls at the range but got drenched in the downpour; my clubs and bag are off drying at the mo. I did a bit of putting earlier as well so I am feeling good ahead of the tournament tomorrow (Thursday).”

During the build-up to the London Olympics, Hassan was awarded the 2012 United Kingdom Sportswoman of the Year by the Muslim Women’s Sports Foundation at Wembley Stadium, “It was perhaps the proudest moment of my career. I didn’t even know that I had been nominated to be honest.”

“I was up against a pro soccer player and a basketball player. I really hadn’t expected to be recognised with the award. I hadn’t even prepared a speech!” she says with a grin.

The 26year old golfer will be playing with in-form South African Nicole Garcia and French player Ariane Provot. “I was in the South of France in Biarittz two weeks ago playing in the Lacoste Ladies Open de France. I almost got a hole-in-one! It was so close, it teasingly hit the pin and frustratingly bounced out!” an animated Hassan claims.

Continuing, the relaxed player states, “I don’t have any real favourite moments that stand out for me, I have a terrible memory but had I landed that hole-in-one in France, that moment would have stood out for me!”

“I love the game because it is relaxing and yet so frustrating, it’s difficult to describe. I was a fairly decent tennis player back in the day. I got to warm-up with Serena and Venus Williams; that was really cool! When I was 13years old my tennis coach recommended I take a month off which I did. My dad was a keen golfer, so I started playing with him and have never looked back. I still play a bit of tennis with my mates when I get the time.”

Chatting about any difficulties she has had to overcome, she gently responds, “The first time I was ever challenged, I was too young to really understand what was going on. I was playing girls almost double my age. When I was about ten, I was taking on 18year olds - and I was beating them. In one instance, my opponent did take the defeat to well and resorted to a few racial remarks.”

“I didn’t retaliate, didn’t know how but those words had an impact on me!”

Coming from a very supportive close family, the optimistic sports star encourages, “What advice would I give if I were standing up in front of group of people I would tell them....RUN!” she breaks into a beaming smile and continues,  “No, just kidding. The advice is simple. Take a deep breath and try and relax. And smile!”

“I think if you really wanted to overcome adversity, the first step would be making up your mind to make a change. Like in golf, you have to be mentally strong to overcome life’s challenges. I have the support of my extended family and close friends and I am extremely fortunate to have this. Together with their support and hard work, I am able to live out my dream. How lucky am I?”

Asked what is next for her, after the Cell C SA Women’s Open, she concludes, “I head home for three weeks to rejuvenate before three more big events to end off the year. I am off to play in China in mid-November, then head to New Delhi in India at the beginning of December with my last stop for the year in Dubai.

For more info visit www.sawomensopen.co.za or www.ladieseuropeantour.com

To follow Sahra Hassan, find her on twitter: @sahra_hassan13

All pix by Justin Klusener

Chatting to her after the event, Sahra said a moment that stood out for her was the opening function - a traditional braai or BBQ. "The braai was great fun, loved the traditional food!"
In regards to her score of +4 (72, 76 & 72) she said, "I am happy with where I finished, hit the ball great all week, just couldn't buy a putt! Very frustrating as I could of finished well up there if I'd holed a few, but just didn't happen for me."
And speaking about San Lameer, the wonderful welsh lady said, "The course was great, loved it, considering the bad weather we had it was still in great condition. I just found the greens tricky!"

Golfers in the swing of things

Golfers Go Wild in South Africa

Ladies European Tour golfers Chloe Leurquin and Patricia Sanz Barrio experienced the ultimate rush when they launched themselves off the edge of Oribi Gorge ahead of the Cell C South African Women’s Open.

Both of the Ladies European Tour rookie golfers did the world’s highest gorge swing to claim their bragging rights on the eve of this week’s international golf tournament at San Lameer Country Club on the Hibiscus Coast of KwaZulu-Natal, south of Durban.

Leurquin, 24, from Waterloo Golf Club in Waterloo, Belgium, was fearless as she jumped from the edge of a cliff into a free fall from 165 metres before swinging through the breath taking scenery in the bottom of the gorge. She was followed by Sanz, 24, from RACE Golf Club in Madrid, Spain, who bravely overcame her last-minute apprehension. 

Years of sports psychology could not prepare the golfers for the ‘Wild 5 Adventure.’ Sanz said: “It was amazing. I cried a little bit, a little bit of excitement, but I would do it again. It was a great mental battle. In golf, you get nerves, but not real fear. You might miss a putt, but you’re not going to die or anything.”

Leurquin said: “I’m not very scared of heights and stuff, so I just did it, and the rope is just so heavy it’s pulling you down and when he says ‘1, 2, 3’, you just have to go. It was cool and I wish I could do it again! Doing this and golf… you just cannot compare it.”

After their adrenaline rush, the players enjoyed a sight-seeing visit and lunch at Leopard Rock, a stunning venue with an outside deck enjoying panoramic views over Oribi Gorge and just one and a half hours drive south of Durban.

Leurquin and Sanz are now both targeting their first wins on the Ladies European Tour in the €320,000, or R4.5 million, Cell C South African Women’s Open, which gets under way over four rounds of stroke play from Thursday to Sunday.

Leurquin, a graduate in Business and Mechanical Engineering, earned her first victory as a professional at the Mineks Ladies Classic in Turkey on the Ladies European Tour Access Series (LETAS) last year before finishing fourth on the order of merit to graduate to the main Ladies European Tour, where she has posted a best finish of tied 28^th at the Lacoste Ladies Open de France this season.

Sanz, a graduate in Biomedical Science, won the Grecotel Amirandes Ladies Open in Crete on LETAS last year and posted three second places, before finishing as the runner up on the order of merit. She also progressed to the Ladies European Tour this year, where she has recorded a season-best tie for 12^th at the Allianz Ladies Slovak Open presented by Respect.

Entry is free to the Cell C South African Women’s Open this week, with domestic television coverage on SABC and SuperSport.

Words and pix by Bethan Cutler