Smooth Sailing
Sailing
News By A Sailor For Sailors!
In association with Royal Natal Yacht Club, Henley Midmar Yacht Club
, South African
Hunter Class Association and Sailing
KZN.
www.smoothsailing.co.za
The Smooth
Sailing web site had a record month in
November with more people visiting the site and downloading a greater volume of
information than ever before. It is quite gratifying to see the web pages being
used as much as they are. Thanks to those of you who take the time to surf by
our web site and please keep it up. If you have any comments on the content of
the site please feel free to drop me an e-mail or leave a note on the Message Board.
RNYC Keel
Boat Safety Inspections
Sailing In Durban This Weekend
RNYC
Victualling & Yacht Catering Service
Yachtsman
Dies In Atlantic Rally For Cruisers
South
African Sailing Open Championship
The Weekend Weather is going to be
as follows:
Durban & Richards Bay: Saturday will be
sunny and hot at 30 degrees with clear blue skies. The wind will be a fresh
northeaster making it a near perfect summers day. Sunday will be even warmer at
32 degrees but will cloud over later with some thunderstorms and rain. The wind
will be a moderate northeaster.
Midmar: Saturday will be a beautiful day, clear
skies, 27 degrees and a moderate northwester blowing. Sunday will be another
fine day at 30 degrees. The moderate northwester will continue to blow although
later in the day the some thunderstorms will develop.
Vaal Dam: Saturday will be warm at 28 degrees. The
sky will be partly cloudy and there is a good chance of afternoon
thunderstorms. The wind will be a moderate northerly to north westerly. On
Sunday it will be even warmer at 31 degrees. After early morning fog patches
have cleared the sky will be partly cloudy and the wind a moderate north
westerly to westerly. There is a good chance of afternoon thundershowers again.
Cape Town: Saturday will start off with early morning
fog on the coast. Once this has cleared it will be partly cloudy with a
moderate westerly blowing and a temperature of 26 degrees. Sunday will be
cooler at 22 degrees with partly cloudy skies and a fresh southwesterly
blowing.
The annual SASSU Intervarsity
Regatta took place at Theewaterskloof Dam in the Western Cape this week
and in fact ends today with the traditional match between the students team and
an invitation side. The regatta is sailed on a team-racing format in Sprogs and
Lasers, with each team consisting of three boats. The bigger varsities are able
to field two teams with each team consisting of three Sprog crews and three
Laser crews. The rivalry between the varsity teams is fierce and some good
racing takes place although the partying is equally hard. On the water the University
of Cape Town (UCT) and University of Natal (UND) teams dominated in both the
Sprog and Laser classes and look to have been fairly evenly matched. They met
in the finals in both Sprogs and Lasers with the UCT teams coming out on top in
both instances. In the Sprogs this was a turnaround from their earlier meeting
when UND had triumphed in lighter wind conditions. One of the highlights of the
week are the boat races, these take place off the water, in the bar in fact,
and involve teams of five students, one of which has to be a female if I
remember correctly. Sitting in a line it is a drinking relay in which each
member needs to down a beer as fast as possible before their team mate can
start. First team finished wins, simple! UND and UCT met in the final and the
UND team of Mike Pammenter, Travis Robson, Blake Edwards, Jof Heathcote and
Paula Ellens won in fine style! At SASSU winning the boat races is almost more
important that winning on the water, but since sailing is what it’s all about
the results are as follows:
Sprog Laser
1st UCT A 1st
UCT A
2nd UND 2nd
UND
3rd UCT B (All Girl Team) 3rd UCT B
Laser: Robyn Keen, Jamie Waters, Craig Sterling & Dave
Waiting
Sprogs: Jof Heathcote & Maya Minkova, Roger Hudson &
Lindsey Samuels, Alex Runciman & Dale Hudson, Deon Gove & Lucy Norton.
The biggest fleet
of the season turned out for Wednesday Evening Fun Racing, this week
sponsored by McCarthy Toyota. The weather was absolutely perfect, a calm
summers evening with a light southerly wind and clear skies. The wind was
almost too light and resulted in the race being shortened to only one lap. On
the bright side the light conditions meant that nothing too hectic went on and
that the sailing was nice and relaxed, which is really what Wednesday evenings
are meant to be all about. What was rather perplexing though was the small
turnout of people at the party afterwards. Who knows what they were all doing,
perhaps it is that the roadblock season has really got into full swing or maybe
they all just stayed and enjoyed the evening on their boats, either way it was
remarkably quiet. Nine racing and fifteen cruising boats made it onto the
water, something that I hope we will see repeated and improved on in the coming
weeks. The results of the evenings race is as follows:
Racing Class
1st Moya Hunter Andrew Heathcote
2nd Dockleveller Supplies L26 Nigel
Milln
3rd SLFC Cheetah L26 Trevor
Donald
Cruising Class
1st Raine Holiday
23 Brian Millar
2nd Kindred Spirit L34 Nick
Arnold
3rd Chatur Theta Greg Challis
Tomorrow, Saturday, is an important day if you
are an RNYC Keel Boat owner, since it is the final day of the RNYC’s Keel Boat
Safety Inspections taking place. The inspections are set to take place from
09:00 until 12:00. Sixteen of the boats on the club’s register were inspected
this past weekend which leaves a huge number still to be done and indicates
that perhaps this coming Saturday could be busier than the past one. Owners are
reminded that while this coming Saturday is not their last opportunity to have
boats inspected the after Saturday the cost of having the inspections done will
increase to R200-00 per boat with the funds raised going to the NSRI.
As far as Sailing In Durban goes this
weekend there is plenty on the go. The Sangoma Race 1 to Richard’s Bay is set to start this
evening. Earlier in the week no entries had been received which was a bit
worrying but hopefully by the time the start gun fires tonight there will be a
good turnout of boats on the water. This is a good feeder race for the second
Sangoma race later in the month, which returns the fleet to Durban. On Saturday
afternoon the PYC are running Dinghy Racing in the bay for all classes. Racing is
scheduled to start at the regular time of 14:00 and will, I think, be on the
harbour mark course. Then in Sunday PYC are running a There and Back
Race for Keelers. This is another good opportunity for the racing and cruising
classes to mix in a race that is both an easy sail and a good race. There will
be a briefing for this event at PYC at 09:00.
It is not often that a good idea gets
carried through as well as it should be, but today I am pleased to be able to
tell you about one that has. The Royal Natal Yacht Club have introduced and
innovative new service to yachtsmen, a Victualing and Catering Service. Getting your
galley kitted out for a long trip can often be a tiring and arduous task,
especially when one is on a limited time frame. This is not only the case for
long trips but can even be a problem when it comes to making sure that there is
lunch on board for the crew for a Sunday race. Now you can save yourself the
time and hassle. Simply give the RNYC’s Jo Stead a call and she will sort it
all out for you. The range of what can be done is endless; everything from Tupperware,
pots and pans, knives and forks, tinned food to pre-cooked meals can be
arranged for you. Not only that but it will be delivered to the boat saving you
several difficult trips down the walk-on mooring. Crew lunches and even hot
snacks and drinks can also be delivered to your boat for that special Wednesday
evening or an on board function. For more information on this service or to get
your galley stocked contact Jo Stead on 083 653 5453.
Early this week the Death of a Yachtsman in the Atlantic Rally for
Cruisers (ARC) filled yachting headlines around the world. The incident
took place last Saturday morning when the crewman, one of only two people, both
brothers, on board the yacht, was washed overboard. It appears that he may have
been struck on the head by the boom and was unconscious when he went into the
water. Despite being attached to the yacht by a harness the second crew member
was unable to get his brother back on board and it sounds like it took some
time before he could get the yacht hove to and under control. The sea
conditions at the time were rough and the wind strong, which didn’t help. By
the time the ma was able to pull his brother alongside the yacht it was clear
that he was dead and after radio communication with the family and race
management his body was released into the sea to avoid the difficulty of
getting it on board. This is a sad and very traumatic experience which once
again highlights not only the limitations of shorthanded sailing but also just
how dangerous and environment the ocean is. Just another reminder why we should
be so careful when going to sea.
The Monarch Assurance
Governors Cup Race continues to be a downwind blast with strong tail winds
pushing the fleet towards the island of St Helena at record pace. The leading
boat, Monarch Assurance Beluga, looks set to reach the island sometime on
Sunday. Beluga currently holds the race record, which she set in last years
race at eight days, but looks set to shave a considerable margin off it this
time round. In the handicap standings the Muira, Pintado, sailed by an SA Navy
crew, is currently well on top. She recorded a 24 hour runs of some 190 miles
which is quite something for a small boat like that. Visit the event web site at www.thegovernorscup.com. In the meantime
the top three places in the IRC Handicap division are as follows:
1st Pintado Muira
30 Richard Moseley
2nd Our Diane – Monarch
Assurance Simonis 35 Rian Leisegang
3rd Jika Epson Printers Judel Vrolik 35 Joe Van Der Westhuiszen
Despite the apparently inclement weather
19 sailors turned out at the pond for the RC Laser Summer Series regatta yesterday evening. It sounds like a difficult and
frustrating evening of sailing but loads of fun as usual with a good party
afterwards. You can find the full report on the RC Laser web site at www.angelfire.com/hi5/rclaser_world but in the
meantime the top three positions after five races were as follows:
1st Des
Fairbank 10 Points
2nd Harry
Ellens 12
3rd Bjorn
Hansen 13
On Sunday the RC Laser Christmas Regatta is taking place down at the pond. It
sounds like there will be a huge turnout of sailors with the regatta being
followed by the RCL Xmas Lunch. This is a must book for event and for more
details you should contact Terry Flynn on 0823329648. The racing is set to start at 10:30 and
the lunch will take place once the sailing is good and finished.
On Saturday at HMYC the Dam Bottle Sprints are taking place. These will be sailed on a short windward leeward
course with as many races sailed as the weather allows. There will be a
briefing on the verandah in front of the club at 12:30 with the racing set to
start at or shortly after 13:00. Apparently the HMYC Hunter fleet will be out
in force as they get in some practice for the KZN Champs, which are now only a
week away!
On the subject of Hunters and
with the KZN Champs looking to be a hotly contested regatta
the racing should be close and good to watch. A spectator boat will be heading
out onto the race course on each day of the event and places are available for
those of you who want to go and watch the racing. For more information on this
contact Sandy Ostendorf on 083 389
6567, or email her at hmyc@mweb.co.za. Booking is essential for so make sure
you get your spot reserved early. For more information on the Hunter KZN Champs
and the latest comments from the class secretary as he revs everyone up before
the regatta visit the Smooth Sailing Hunter page at www.smoothsailing.co.za/hunterclass.html.
The second round
of the NNYU Interclub Challenge took place at Spioenkop Dam last weekend.
Alan Barr submitted the following report on the regatta:
Eleven entries, 2 Hobie 16's, 1 Halcat, a Hobie 14 turbo and the rest Dart.
A total of two races sailed in very light conditions. Race one started off in about five knots which quickly faded to nothing in the first five minutes. Slowly the fleet made their way to the first mark, a bit of a breeze picked up and some of us were caught unawares or on the wrong side of the course. At one stage we were close to been lapped when the wind decided to come through in the right direction and leaving the leaders in the doldrums. Comments such as "I didn't realize that the horse latitutes started at Spionkop' were heard.
Race two was sailed as soon as the wind picked up to over five knots, as per normal five minutes into the race the wind died for about ten minutes before coming through at about 3-4 knots. The lead boats were extremely worried as the rest of the fleet sailed towards and over them. The two leading Darts managed to keep there places however the third drowned his sorrows in the pub that night having lost two places.
The final results as follows,
1st - Andrew Clipson Hobie 14 turbo 4 points
2nd - Gordon Marshall Dart 5 points
3rd - Hugh Barr Dart, Derek Mullet Dart, Richard Barr Dart 9 points”
The Royal Natal Yacht Club are looking at organising a
Race Officers Course during the early part of 2003. Those interested in doing this course should
contact either John Lupton-Smith on 0833014775 or Nikki on 031-3015425. A
course of this nature is a good way not only to improve your own skills and
knowledge but also add to the pool of experienced and suitable trained people
to run racing.
South African Sailing released the following
open letter to classes announcing the SAS Open
Championships, which will be sailed late next year.
SAS and SAS-Western Cape will be hosting the
inaugural version of what is being provisionally termed the SAS Open
Championships at Simonstown Naval Base, Simonstown over the period 28 Dec 2003
to 3 January 2004.
There are a number of aims behind the
establishment of this event, the most significant of which are:
·
To help South Africa's Olympic and ISAF fleets become more
competitive
·
To attract quality International competition and skills to SA
events.
·
To build the event such that it ultimately gains ISAF Regional
status - Grade 1 or 2
·
To operate the event on a profitable and professional basis.
·
To utilise whatever income is made at the event for the use of our
sailors in achieving international excellence and generally in accordance with
the high-performance program.
·
To promote and provide a showcase of the sport, to the general
public.
The classes to be utilised for the inaugural
event are :
|
Discipline |
Class |
|
Single
handed - Juniors |
Optimist |
|
Single
Handed |
Laser &
Laser Radial |
|
Double
Handed |
Fireball |
|
Multihull |
Hobie 16 |
|
Board ** |
Formula
Windsurfer |
|
Keelboat * |
J 22 (Women) |
** Boards – to have 2
sail limit and 2 fin limit applied
* Keelboats – J22 upper
crew weight limit as per ISAF World Sailing Games (275 kg)
L26 upper crew weight limit as per Class Rules (420kg)
It is noted that the
inclusion of the L26 keelboat is intended as a temporary measure, until such
stage as there are enough J22's available to allow both the men and women
keelboat disciplines to compete solely in the J22.
The attached document
more fully outlines the principles and establishes criteria to be associated
with future versions of the event.
It is intended that 12
races will be held for each discipline. In order to allow us to finalise the
preliminary logistics associated with the event, each Class is requested to
advise on their preferred course configuration(s) and course duration
(minutes)
For the benefit of all
our sailors, you are kindly requested to afford this event your
class' full support. Whilst the organisers will be actively marketing the event
to the international sailing community, each class is also requested
to actively encourage their own class members, together with their international
counterparts, to attend this inaugural event.
Should you have any
further queries relating to the event please do not hesitate to contact either
of the undersigned persons. We will keep you informed of further progress as we
proceed towards the event itself.
Yours in Sailing
|
For SAS |
For SAS - Western Cape |
Our Notices of Race page on the Smooth Sailing has all the NOR’s available to us. If you
have a regatta coming up and would like to make the NOR available online then
e-mail it to hethcot@iafrica.com and it will be posted and
listed in this newsletter. To get your copy simply click on the name of the
regatta you are interested in below:
Regatta Venue Dates
Western Cape Points Series Various WC Dinghy Clubs September 2002 to
March 2003
KZN Optimist Grand Prix Series Various KZN Venues November to
January
Sailing KZN Blue
Water Challenge Various KZN
Clubs December
2002 to July 2003
Sangoma Race Durban
to Richard’s Bay 6 December
Hunter KZN
Championships Royal
Natal Yacht Club 14 to 16
December
Table Bay International
Race Week Royal Cape Yacht Club 14 to 20 December
Junior Nationals Aeolians Club, Vaal Dam 14 to 21 December
Sprog Nationals Henley
Midmar Yacht Club 27 to 30 December
Stadt 23 Western
Province Champs Theewaters
Sports Club 28 & 29
December & 4 & 5 January
AFYC Fun Regatta 2002/2003 Albert
Falls Yacht Club 31
December & a January
2003 Cape to Rio Race Royal Cape Yacht Club 11 January 2003
NNYU Interclub Challenger –
Leg 4 Glendee Yacht Club 15 & 16
March 2003
IRC KZN Champs
(Announcement) Zululand Yacht
Club 21
to 23 March 2003
Western Province Dinghy
Champs Saldahana Bay 18 to 21
April 2003
The Classifieds has been updated on the Smooth Sailing web site. Take a surf past to see what is for sale or sought after in the wanted column. To place an ad, e-mail the details to hethcot@iafrica.com.
Mistral (22')
Mooring (Midmar Dam).
2 tenders, main sail, genoa, # 1 jib,
storm jib & spinnaker.
2 h.p out-board motor,safety equip
& extras.
Contact: Eddie
Cell: 082-5523-224
E-mail: bemulti@telkomsa.net
Excellent condition R5000.00
Contact: Eddie
Cell: 082-5523-224
E-mail: bemulti@telkomsa.net
In good
condition
Comes with
trailer and life jackets
R3000
Contact:
Kevin Stoffberg
E-mail: kevin@sai.co.za
Sailing
dinghy
Preferably
good condition,
Under R2000 or
swop with
a very good
condition FINN
Contact: Kyle
Cell: 082
9404458
IN REASONABLE CONDITION
CONTACT: ALAN
on 072 119 8040
OR
HUGH on 033-344
2537
For sailing at
Midmar
Preferably with trailer
Contact:
Kevin Stoffberg
E-mail: kevin@sai.co.za
Andrew Heathcote
Mobile: +27 (0) 83 783 8805
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