24 May 2006

Port Elizabeth, well known as the windy city, was anything but for the duration of Isuzu Week 2006, which took place from the 23rd to the 28th of April and was hosted by the Algoa Bay Yacht Club.

Well, in fairness, the above isn't entirely true; the opening day of the regatta was blown out by the tail end of a frontal system passing over the country. With wind speeds in excess of 20 knots for most of the day the race committee declined to send the fleet to sea on day 1 of the regatta leaving competitors to prepare themselves for the evening's opening function and what turned out for some to be a very long evening in the pub.

Entries for Isuzu Week were down this year with only 1 boat, the SA Navy's Fast 42, MTU Fascination of Power, making the trip up from Cape Town to take part. In part this can be ascribed to the Bahai Race earlier in the year but with the Cape Town to Mossel Bay Race having taken place only a short while before Isuzu Week one might have anticipated that some would use this as a feeder race for this event. That didn't happen though and in fact numbers for that race were also down this year. Still it remains in the calendar and one would like to think that the organisers of both events could work together to each other's mutual benefit in future.

Given that it takes place midway between Durban and Cape Town there is a strong argument that this should in fact be the biggest of the coastal regattas, attracting entrants from both Cape Town and Durban.

What this event, and ABYC, does do well though is get a large percentage of the local fleet out on the water. From serious racers to the most laid back of cruisers local support for this regatta is fantastic, and without analysing the numbers, I suspect that percentage wise this is the event best supported by the local fleet at any club in the country.

Sailing under the local PHRF handicap three classes contested this event, with classes 1 and 2 the spinnaker classes while class 3 was for the serious cruisers sailing without spinnakers.

The regatta format was for 5 days of compulsory round the cans race with the option of a round the cans or medium distance race on the 5th day of the regatta. The option of the medium distance race, which was also open to boats not taking part in the whole regatta, allowed for class 1 and 2 competitors to score average points for any round the cans races that took place that day. This was certainly quite a unique option; not one that I have seen anywhere before, and I suspect that I never will again. As it turned out the medium distance race was well supported by the class 2 and 3 fleets as well as several competitors not taking part in the full event. Despite the class 1 fleet in its entirety choosing to stick with round the cans racing, there was the possibility that some competitors could have used the average points on offer to their advantage. Fortunately none chose to manipulate the system in this manner although it was seriously considered in some quarters.

After the blow-out on Sunday, the race officer, Richard Stephenson, made his intentions for the week clear by heading out to sea in time for the scheduled 10:00 start time on Monday morning. With the morning breeze still blowing the fleet had no choice but to go along with him. Sadly it didn't last though as the early morning breeze faded quickly leaving a lumpy sea. After the night before there were several queasy looking crewmembers throughout the fleet!

When the breeze did eventually come up the race committee wasted no time in setting a course and getting the fleet away, catching some off guard and just a bit too far from the start line.

In class 1 it was the 2 J27s, Rob Onvlee's J27-Isuzu and Tony Bailes' J-Sea that were caught furthest from the line, with J-Sea the worse off of the two. The late start proved fortuitous for J27-Isuzu though, which arrived at the pin end on port tack a minute or two after the start, sailed across behind the fleet, found a favourable shift on the right hand side and rounded the first weather mark with a massive lead over the fleet. The wind shift stayed and on the now somewhat processional course so did the positions on the water. J-27 Isuzu scored a comfortable line honours and handicap win, setting the tone for what was to come for the rest of the week.

In class 2 it was ABYC Commodore Derek Bouwer's J22 Moonshadow, with young sailor Andrew Collier at the helm, that won the day on corrected time.

With the forecast predicting little to no wind for the Tuesday the bridge crew were again out early with the race fleet close behind. Despite the forecast there was a little breeze, very little though and not very constant in direction or strength. Not deterred though the race committee pressed ahead and got in 3 and it is fair to say that these were probably the best of the week and the fleet enjoyed a good day on the water. By the end of it, it was a tired bunch that returned to the ABYC bar for a few quiet beers!

In class 1 J27-Isuzu had it all her own way again while in class 2 Moonshadow stayed near the front but found herself challenged by Rob Smith's Muira, Tikalox II.

The weather forecasters at the SA Weather Service again offered little hope of any decent breeze for Wednesday but again the fleet followed the bridge crew to sea in time for a 10:00 start. Undeterred by the forecast the bridge crew set about laying a course in what wind they had and proceeded to get the fleet racing as soon as they could. What followed were 4 races, some good, some not, mostly not. It seemed at times as if the wind was determined to 'dummy' the race officer. Every time a course was laid and a race started the wind would die or switch direction radically.

There were times when the wind died completely, and times where it switched through 180 degrees while a race was running. At one point the fleet bobbed, mid-race, with not a breath of wind for around 30 minutes before it filled back in from a different direction and got the boats moving again. It wasn't good and certainly not what most sailors want when we go yacht racing! The day was also marred by a controversial start in race 6, where the wrong boats were recorded as having been OCS. In a later protest the race officer admitted the error and while those who had been called over were reinstated, there were several unhappy sailors around!

Spirits were buoyed somewhat by the entertainment in the sponsors tent on ABYC's front lawn, where the drinking Olympics took place. Not having had the most successful time on the water the MTU Fascination of Power team ruled supreme, putting the opposition to the sword and winning with ease!

Thursday was a public holiday and the day of the optional medium distance race. Again the forecasts weren't promising but there was a good turn out for the 10:00 start of the medium distance race with all of class 3, most of class 2 and several additional entrants starting the long course to the island of St Croix and back.

Fortunately there was some breeze and most made it there and back with Phil Gutsche's Warrior leading the way. For the smaller boats it was a long day on the water but a pleasant enough sail on a flat sea with most making it back shortly before dark.

After early starts on the preceding days the bridge boat stayed in port until shortly after lunch when the wind looked to fill in from the south. Things happened fairly quickly thereafter with the fleet heading to sea for what was arguably the best race of the regatta. The breeze didn't quite hold out to the end, dying on each of the 4 laps of the windward-leeward course until it was lucky that the last lap came when it did. Again J27-Isuzu came out at the front on corrected time in class 1 with Moonshadow doing the same in the depleted class 2.

After another hot day on the water, a long one for those on the medium distance race, it was again time to retire to the bar for a clod beer, this time for a sponsored Mitchells Draught!

With a strong cold front on the way the forecast for Friday, the final day of the regatta, was for a moderate northerly wind. A hot dry wind that blows off the land this is also a notoriously fickle breeze and although it was blowing early, didn't hang around long. By the time it died though the fleet was up and racing on a triangle course. By the time the class 1 fleet was on the second leg of the course the wind had all but died completely, and the race turned into a drifting lottery. With the race officer having shown a distinct aversion for abandoning races during this regatta it was a small mercy that the shortened course flag eventually went up as the fleet drifted at near non-existent speeds down the back reach. MTU eventually made the finish with J27-Isuzu following around 20 minutes later. This as the wind came back from the north and started to build to the strongest seen all week. Sadly the fleet enjoyed the best conditions of the regatta on the beat back to the harbour where everyone was left to pack up in sweltering hot conditions.

MTU had finally come good in the final race taking corrected time honours in a race that saw the results turned upside down, the only one that J27-Isuzu didn't take on corrected time.

Overall, class 1 honours went to J27-Isuzu, followed in second by Rob Archibald on the L26 Isuzu Challenger with Gavin Stephen's Cooking in third.

In class 2 Moonshadow walked off with the silverware with Tikalox II in second place.

The prize giving took place that evening in the sponsors tent and was well attended and to the point. The speeches were short; the silverware quickly handed out, the snacks hot and the beer cold. The party went on long into the night and ending shortly before the westerly came through, to stay for the next 3 days!

All told it was a good regatta, well supported by an excellent sponsor in General Motors, and with the local fleet turning out in numbers to support their home club's major regatta. The event is well put together and those who do all the hard work on the organising committee have a good formula. What it needs it perhaps some more aggressive marketing outside of the Eastern Cape, better on the water race management with an emphasis on quality rather than quantity of races, and better weather conditions. Most of those are easily sorted out, as for the weather, well, there's not much anyone can do about that but maybe it will be better next time around!