The following report on the 2003 Algoa Bay Week regatta was submitted by Derek Bouwer:
"Algoa Bay Week 2003 would not have been possible without the support of Engen (Phil Rademan) and Fuchs (Eugene Fincham) and all the day sponsors for coming to the business end of the regatta with your sponsorships.
Opening Ceremony
The evening of the 25th saw the opening ceremony of the 27th Algoa Bay Week 2003. With 150 competitors and guest from 32 boats.
Day 1, Race 1
With 32 boats in the fleet Class I (11) Class II (18) Class III (Cruising)(3) it was decided to give separate starts to all classes. In a moderate off shore a South Westerly Classes I, II & III got away to clean starts. Phil Gutsches "Warrior", a Simonis 68 with Rick Nankin at the helm "Fascination of Power" a Fast 42 and the Navy entry with John Martin on the helm and "Chinook", a Farr 38 with Bill Lee helming set the tone for things to come as they slugged it out on the first beat. Further down the fleet the L26 "Sponsor Wanter" with Andrew Ward doing business on the stick and "Le Chevalier", with Richard Rath helming, started their shadow boxing this contest would continue throughout the regatta no quarter asked none given! In Class II it was business as usual as messes "Tikalox II" Rob Smith on the business end and Paul Nathanson pointing "Wanderlust" in the right direction, resumed the rivalry between these two Muiras. In Class III Take Six (Holiday 34) Mike Silbebauer at the helm, showed the rest of the fleet Proteus (L 42) with newcomer Mike Bradly and Whisper (Spirit 28) with Tim Lipstru at the back, the way round the course.
Day 2, Races 2 and 3
Race 2
The wind had gone into the South and then moved to the Southeast but was still very light. The bridge gave us breakfast in the form of windward-leeward sausages and it was business as usual in the fleet with the rivalry from the day before resuming. Once again Algoa bay was fill with multicolored Spinnakers as boats surged and jostled to get every ounce of speed in the light breeze, this did my sailing heart good! The light breeze was by now filling in and picking up.
Race 3 or " the Loooooooong Race"
This will become the most talked about race of the regatta and will be embellished in it's re-telling suffice to say from the deck of the only J22 in the fleet we watched in dismay was the mark laying boat carrying the windward mark disappeared over the horizon. "Well you know the first beat is long when you get to the windward mark and it's covered in Chinese graffiti". The race started with the big boys in the front chomping at the bit to get at this monster!!! Moonshadow a J22 with Ronny Baer on the stick plugged away! Knowing that the reach back to the wing mark was going to be delicious, we where not disappointed. With the sun sinking in the west we where convinced the race was going to be shortened to a triangle and a sausage. Dismay turned to anger as Warrior rounded the bottom mark and headed back on the last triangle. Anger turned to resolve that we were going to complete this race!!! We only found the windward mark because the mark laying boat waiting to pick it up had her light on! Then there was the headlong reach for the wing mark but where was it??? With full kite and 8 and a half knots we reach into the night no lights but quick!! We reached until the Committee Boat was astern then gybed. We could not find the mark but from how deep we had gone we must have rounded it so we blasted down to the leeward mark??? This we only found because it popped up on a wave like a three story building!!! Around and a beat to the finish. Official finish time 18:57: 42 in the dark!!!!! Ok? So we had a torch on the sails! We may be little but you still gotta' count us.
Day 3, Race 4 & 5
The south Easterly gave way to a switchy north easterly the race started in a stiff breeze but died to leave the whole fleet drifting on various parts of the course rumor has it that even Warrior went backwards at one stage. Race abandoned!!!.
Race 4 Re-Sail
The wind filled in again but there was a hole at the start! This caught almost the entire fleet but they got away. Later the wind died to almost nothing but the bridge stuck it out and the wind filled in!! The race completed but the conditions had scrambled the fleet. The west then came through but by then the fleet was back in the harbour and the guys drinking the brown frothy stuff and swapping tales of THE LONG RACE and the drifter.
Day 4, Races 5 and 6
After 2 lay days as most of the competitors earned their daily bread. Thursday dawned with the promise of big winds and 12-15 knot for the morning race.
Race 5
It was business as usual at the front of the fleet, unfortunately Warrior did not contest the last two days racing, this allowed Fascination of Power and Chinook to battle it out while further down the fleet the dual between La Chevalier and Sponsor wanted resumes unabated. In class two it was the two top heavy-weights still slugging away as Wanderlust and Tikalox II mugged one-another on the runs and beats. Not far behind a Flamenca by the name Aquabrat was going about her business and making the top two very worried. Then again the dark horse Zeyheri, Steve Burnell's Muira, was working her way through the fleet.
Race 6
Here the west really showed what she was made of as 12-15 knots gave way to 25's gusting a lot!!!! This was not the small boats weather and the results of the day reflected this. Afterwards 32 boats headed for home with 6 races in the bag and the braai fire going. Chops, sosaties and borewors sizzled as stories where swapped, lubricated and washed down with cold beers.
Day 5, Race 7
With Spinnakers drying in the windless morning condition giving way to 10-12 knot of Southerly! An afternoon race planned the race officer laid a short windward-leeward course everyone reveled in the light airs! Once again the shadow boxing resumed with tight racing as old rivals in all the fleet took up the challenge once more. With the winds dying the fleet headed home the perfect end to a good regatta. Prize giving once again the Marquee hummed with 250 competitors and guests.
The results of the regatta were as follows:
Flamenca
1st Aquabrat V Woods
2nd Storm Wind R Pothier
3rd Duette G Webber
Sadler
1st Beyond The Reef M Glynn
2nd Amajuba E Fincham
3rd Talisker I Bancroft
Muira
1st Wanderlust" P Nathanson
2nd Tikalox II R Smith
3rd Zeyheri S Burnell
Class III
1st Take Six M Silberbauer
2nd Proteus M Bradley
3rd Whisper T Lipstrue
Class II
1st Wanderlust P Nathanson
2nd Tikalox II R Smith
3rd Zeyheri" S Burnell
Class I
1st Sponsor Wanted R Achibald
2nd Fascination of Power J Martin
3rd Chinook W Lee
Line Honours Trophy
Warrior R Nankin
