Smooth Sailing
Sailing
News By A Sailor For Sailors!
In
Association with:
Friday’s edition of Smooth Sailing carried a letter querying SAS’s new
boat registration policy. This is something that is going to affect all sailors
and talking to people around the place it seems to me that there is very little
awareness amongst the sailors of what is going to change and why. Neither do
many seem aware of how this is going to affect them personally, and it is going
to affect them! Now the first thing that you should all bear in mind is that
this change is something that is going to affect everyone who sails a boat longer
than 3 meters. It applies to dinghies, keelers, cats and powerboats and will
have a direct impact both on the sailors and sailing clubs. Also, this is not
some new set of rules that SAS has summarily decided to put in place, it
originates from government so there is no getting away from it. I know that
most sailors wont have paid much attention to this issue to date, I know that I
didn’t until the letters started coming in, but given that it is going to
affect us all its probably about time that we started paying attention. The
implications are pretty severe if you think about it. Not having a certificate
of fitness for your boat or a certificate of competency for yourself could well
mean that you suddenly become ineligible to sail regattas! I have posted SAS
Bullitens # 1 to 8 on the Smooth Sailing web site. They tell you pretty much
everything that you need to know about these changes. Its probably in
everyone’s best interest to make sure that you download and read these in the
next while. They are all posted on the web site at word documents so you can
download and save them for reading at a later stage.
RNYC
Windhoek Regatta 145th Anniversary Race
ISAF Sailing
World Championships
As predicted Saturday was seriously cold wet and windy. As a result
there weren’t many takers for the second round of the UNYC Winter Series. Only the hardiest sailors were brave enough to take
to the water when sailing time came with a good few choosing the warmth of the
pub, probably the sensible option! Those who did brace the elements had a good
sail in a fresh westerly wind that they tell me was worth the discomfort of
sailing in the rain. I am not that convinced! We will update the results of
this series on the Smooth Sailing Racing Reports page later today.
By all accounts it’s a good thing that the Sharks
game against the Eagles wasn’t actually televised on Saturday afternoon. They
won but not by the greatest of margins and judging by the newspaper reports it
was by no means the most convincing of performance. Nonetheless a win is a win
and the Sharks remain top of the log. This weekends impressive performance by
Western Province, who soundly thrashed the Bulls, will be concerning for Sharks
players and supporters alike. They look dangerous and our game is certainly
going to have to be lifted a few notches if we are going to beat them again
this season and in what is looking like an ever more likely Currie Cup final.
The Sailing KZN Colours Awards Dinner took place at the Point Yacht Club on
Friday evening. This was the first time in around 5 years that Sailing KZN have
made colours awards but it wont be that long until it happens again as the
Sailing KZN executive intend making this an annual affair. The Sailing KZN web
site will also shortly be updated with the current points standings for every
sailor who has scored points so you will be able to go online and check how
close you are to getting your colours. Also awarded on Friday evening was the
Sailing KZN Blue Water Trophy. This was won by the Simonis 35 Ciao Bell, owned
by Mark Hammik and skippered by Harry Ellens. They won the series with good
results in the Inhaca Island Easter Race, the Sangoma Race and the Orion Vasco
Da Gama Race. It is also the first time in a good few years that this trophy
has been contested properly. It is a worthwhile series to win and I am sure
that we will see even more yachts fighting for it next season. The list of
colours recipients is as follows:
Sailing KZN Awards
|
Andrew
Butler |
Struan
Campbell |
Tony
Cockerill |
|
Callum
Cockerill |
Harry
Ellens |
Des
Fairbank |
|
Chris
Frost |
Trevor
Gibb |
Guy
Gove |
|
Andrew
Heathcote |
Jonathan
Heathcote |
Jerome
McLoughlin |
|
Mark
Stockhausen |
Peter Simons |
Andrew
Tarbotton |
|
Richard
Weddell |
|
|
Nationals Awards
|
Rob Barker |
George Duffin |
Wog
Hawkesworth |
|
Aaron Larkens |
Rudi McNeil |
Bruce
Phillips |
|
Kim Phillips |
|
|
This coming Sunday, the 21st of September, is the Durban Opening Cruise. This year it is the turn of PYC to host the event, which will see the
Commodores of both PYC and RNYC taking the salute on the water and officially
opening the season. The event is open to all boats, in fact all boats are
encouraged to come along and take part so whether you have a dinghy, cat,
keeler, powerboat or canoe bring it along. The sail past will take place at
11:00 just off T-jetty and will be followed by a bay race on the Wednesday
evening course. The opening cruise and race will be followed by a sociable
afternoon on the deck outside Charlie’s Bar. For more details contact Pat at
PYC on 031-301 4787.
Letters are limited to
300 words each, except in exceptional circumstances! Where edited down the full
letter will be posted on the Smooth Sailing Letters to the Editor web page.
Send your letters to andrew@smoothsailing.co.za.
COMMENT on Letter to the Editor :
From: Doug Harrowsmith: SAS Marketing & Communications
Standing Committee
RE: Buletin # 8 Clarification to Clubs on New Small
Vessel Safety Regulations
I noticed the letter n your recent edition in which Stephen
raised concerns regarding the new regulations, and commented on SAS's
communication style. We always welcome input from members in that it both
confirms that we are being read, and secondly that the message we are trying to
put across is being received. In some instances the meaning is not fully
understood, and SAS has had to deal with the inevitable FAQ's. It has not been
policy to give individual names as the document comes officially from SAS as an
administrative body.
That said, the Bulletin # 8 referred to in Stephen's letter
was sent to Affiliate Clubs under cover of a SAS e-mail cover sheet. Its
contents were by way of clarification of the earlier Bulletins on the subject
of the new regulations, promulgated on April 26th this year.
For those who read Stephen's letter and perhaps did not
have the benefit of seeing the set of Bulletins, I would suggest that, if
they want to see all that has been published to date, they would be
advised to get a copy of both Bulletin # 4 and # 8.
Comments on Stephen's specific points are set in the
context of his letter, in black typeface, below.
“From:
Stephen Flesch
Re: New SAS Boat Registration Format
I was recently sent a copy of "SAS Bulletin
No.8/ 2003" by Zeekoei Vlei Yacht Club of which I am a member. This was a
six-page document, which appeared to be issued by the SAS office. This was a
very good example of how NOT to communicate. There was no author stated - not
even the name of the sub-committee that was responsible. I also feel that every
communication from any organisation should give the address of that body: ie
street, postal, email, tel. and fax, so that if appropriate a response is
facilitated.
COMMENT: The bulletin carried the SAS burgee;
this identified the document as being officially issued by SAS. It was
sent out electronically to affiliated Clubs under cover of a circular from
SAS bearing the sender's address details. Clearly Stephen did not get the
cover page. However, the document was competently identified.
The
circular states that boats must be registered before they can be inspected for
"a Certificate of Fitness".
COMMENT: The Certificate of Fitness reports, annually, on the
condition of the vessel, in particular its safety. I have no doubt that Stephen
will look after his Laser and not venture out if he thinks it is in any way
suspect, but then that does not necessarily hold true for all sailors
throughout the country. The Certificate of Fitness is about continuing safety,
and should not be confused with registration.
In March I bought a Laser and duly sent in the
measurement certificate to SAS to have the registration changed into my name
and paid the transfer fee and the Laser class membership fee. On April 24 I
received a letter from Jayne Downing of SAS confirming my registration as the
owner of Laser 80724 in the "National Register".
COMMENT: The new regulations require that all pleasure vessels, 3m
and more in overall length, be registered anew no matter when you’re registered
on SAS's existing national owners register. Registration in the new database is
a 'once off' affair. The new database will contain more information than
currently on SAS's existing national register. Much of the information
required for class vessels will be drawn from class associations, so owners
will not have a great deal to do. However the new database will replace the
existing national register. Each vessel registered will be given a unique SA
registration number in addition to the boats' class number. The new number,
with an SA prefix, will be displayed on the hull.
Why do I
now have to do this again? As far as I am concerned I am
"registered". My measurement certificate confirms that my boat
conforms to the class rules and I presume that this means that it is
"Fit" for the purpose for which it was intended. After all this is a
piece of equipment that has been deemed suitable for Olympic competition.
COMMENT: To remain in 'Fit' condition the vessel needs maintenance;
the annual safety inspection will ensure that the vessel remains 'in date'.
I am
reasonably sure that given the above circumstances I will not have to
re-register at a fee of R60 but why did the circular not say that? It looks as
if the committee, which drafted the circular, did not do their homework.
COMMENT: Stephen will have to register his Laser again, to pay for
the additional work that SAS has to do to get his Laser onto the new database,
& issue a new number. The bulletin is quite unambiguous in that
it says:
All existing registrations must be renewed with proof of ownership and if these are applied for during the amnesty period the fee for re-registration and the issue of a new registration certificate will be R60.00.
A further requirement that Stephen and other dinghy
skippers/owners will need to be aware of is that they will, if they are
to sail their craft, need to hold a 'Certificate of Competence' to be able
to do so. While this is not currently a requirement for dinghy owners/skippers,
it will become so in the too distant future.
From: Rob Tarboton
RE: 29ers vs 420s
Having read the comments by
Brennan Robinson with interest I must agree that his comments regarding the
Mirror are sound and this is a class that can provide an excellent grounding
for two-handed sailing. From a 29er perspective, it is suggested that after a
Mirror, young sailors can move onto a 29er just as easily as onto a 420.
I wish to correct the possible
perception created by Brennan’s letter that the UK has rejected the 29er as a
youth class. The Royal Yachting Association runs selection processes and
training programmes for 5 youth classes, namely the Laser Radial, Laser
Standard, 420, 29er and Hobie 16. In the double-handed mono-hull classes,
similar selection processes and training programmes are run in parallel for
both the 29er and 420. The same sized youth squads are selected in both these classes
to receive concentrated, special training as part of their youth sailing
programme.
An important point to consider
for the local scene is that there are already 15 competitive 29er’s in South
Africa, and there is also a mould and a builder who has shown that he can
produce boats of a quality at least as good as the overseas builders. Overall,
the 29er is a less costly option to follow for the South African situation.
The Nautical Nomads Regatta takes place on the 25th and 26th of October
at the seldom sailed on Sterkfontein Dam. Last year’s event, the first ever was
very successful with a good entry of over 40 boats taking part. This year looks
like it is going to be just as good if not better. Not only will there be two
days of racing this year but there are going to be some fantastic prizes up for
grabs. Each participant at this years event stands a chance to win a weeks
holiday for up to 6 people sponsored by The Leisure Club, valued at over
R4 000-00 at any one of 150 premier resorts in South Africa! And that’s just
the first of several big prizes to be announced. If you haven’t already got
your copy of the Notice of Race you can get it off the Smooth Sailing Notices of Race web page. More
details of this event and the fantastic prizes to be won will be published here
in Smooth Sailing closer to the time.
Even sooner than
that though is the Royal Natal Yacht Club’s Windhoek Regatta. Now what
better event can there be to sail than one sponsored by a brewery? Also, by
sailing in this event you get the chance to take part in the RNYC’s 145th
Anniversary Race in which there is a heap of prize money up for grabs. The
Windhoek Regatta itself is legendary in Durban yachting circles not just for
its great sailing but the huge parties that are part and parcel of it as well.
If you haven’t yet got yourself and your team entered for this event get your
copy of the NOR of the Smooth Sailing Notices of Race page and enter
now!
The ISAF Sailing
World Championships, which incorporates the World Championships for
all ten of the Olympic Classes, got underway in Cadiz, Spain yesterday. It is
one of the biggest gatherings of world-class dinghy sailors ever and will see
some of the most competitive sailing imaginable taking place in the next 9
days. A young, but very talented South African contingent is taking part in the
regatta. In the Laser class we have three entries, Gareth Blankenburg, Paul
Wilcox and Bruce Keen. Charles Nankin and Mark Largesse and sailing in the Star
class while Roger Hudson is crewing for the old man of the team, Duncan Ross,
in the Tornado. For many nations this event forms a critical part of their
Olympic selection process while for others it is the last chance to qualify for
the Olympics with the final places being allocated to countries based on the
results of this regatta. To date South Africa has only qualified in the Laser
class where Gareth Blankenburg remains our top contender and a certainty for
the Athens Olympics. Both the Star and Tornado teams will be hoping for a good
result here to grab Olympic places for SA in their classes at the last minute.
For both it is a bit of a long shot really as neither team has campaigned for
much other than this regatta although Duncan Ross did campaign at length for
the Sydney Olympics so he certainly has the experience in the class. All will
be trying hard though and I am sure learning heaps by being able to take part
in this regatta. Racing started for only the Europe class yesterday with most
others getting underway today. You can follow the regatta on the web at www.cadizworlds2003.com.
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 |
|
GBYC & FBYC |
23 & 24 August & 20, 21,
24, 27 & 28 September |
|
|
UNYC Winter Series |
Durban Bay |
6, 13 & 20 September |
|
RCYC & HBYC |
11 September |
|
|
HBYC & FBYC |
12 September |
|
|
Aeolians Club |
20 to 22 September |
|
|
False Bay Yacht Club |
20 to 28 September |
|
|
False Bay Yacht Club |
20, 21, 24, 27 & 28 September |
|
|
2003 Nationals for 36" Shipmate, IOM and RM
Class Radio Yachts |
Henley Midmar Yacht Club |
20 to 27 September |
|
Sterkfontein Dam |
24 to 28 September |
|
|
Royal Natal Yacht Club |
24 to 28 September |
|
|
Saldanha Bay |
24 to 28 September |
|
|
Denysville Aquatic Club |
24 to 28 September |
|
|
Henley Midmar Yacht Club |
3 to 5 October |
|
|
Hout Bay Yacht Club |
4 October |
|
|
Chelmsford Boating Club |
4 & 5 October |
|
|
Various Clubs |
10 to 12 October |
|
|
Simon’sberg Naval Base,
Simonstown |
10 to 12 October |
|
|
Nautical Nomads Society |
25 & 26 October |
|
|
Albert Falls Yacht Club |
Changed to 15 & 16 November |
|
|
Seal Point Yacht Club/Manten
Marina |
25 & 26 October |
|
|
Durban Radio Boat Club |
8 & 9 November |
|
|
Hout Bay Yacht Club |
15 & 16 November |
|
|
FBYC & HBYC |
22 November |
|
|
Hout Bay to St Helena Island |
29 November 2003 |
|
|
Spionkop Boating Club |
6 & 7 December |
|
|
Table Bay International Sailing
Week |
Royal Cape Yacht Club |
12 to 17 December |
|
Glendee Yacht Club |
1 & 2 February 2004 |
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 andrew@smoothsailing.co.za.
WANTED
Contact: Julian Verbeek
Cell: 083 410 5978
E-Mail: JVBeek@anglogold.com
Andrew Heathcote
Mobile: +27 (0) 83 783 8805
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