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News By A Sailor For Sailors!
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Today we carry a report on
the KZN Inter-schools regatta. It looks like it was a pretty good event with a
good fleet of Optimists, Mirrors and Lasers taking part. I was however
horrified, actually quite sad; to see that there was no Dabchick class at this
regatta. While I accept that the numbers in the Dabchick class are nothing like
those that the Laser fleet achieved, albeit with a few Dabchick sailors
involved, I really think that the Dabchick class is one that should be promoted
well before the Laser to our young sailors. The Dabchick versus Laser debate is
one that has been ongoing in SA. Lately I believe that it has been quite heated
with some debate over the inclusion of the Laser at the Youth Nationals later
this year. Dabchick sailing is loads of fun, the boats are way cheaper than
Lasers and some of this countries best sailors learnt their skills on these
fast little boats. The KZN inter-schools regatta has, in the past, had strong
fleets of Dabchicks. Without knowing exactly how or why this situation arose I
can only hope that it is something that changes urgently for the better of our
sport. There are pro’s and cons for both boats but at the end of the day the
Dabchick would be my choice. I am sure that this is a topic on which some of
our readers have something to add, so if you have any thoughts send them to me
at andrew@smoothsailing.co.za.
Jules Verne Record Attempts
The South
African America’s Cup Challenge is slowly starting to take shape in
Cape Town. Since her arrival the campaign’s training boat, the former Prada
boat ITA48, has been undergoing a new paint job in the Mediterranean Shipping
Company’s container depot in Woodstock. By the end of the month the hull will
be black with the team’s trademark beaded colourful beaded wave pattern down
the side. After that she will be moved to the V&A Waterfront where she will
have her keel and rig fitted and will be prepared for sailing. Meanwhile the
process of selecting the crew and team members is well underway. Smooth Sailing
has created a dedicated Shosholoza page on our web site where you will find
details of the personnel that the team is looking for, job descriptions and
most importantly the application forms. You will find these, as well as
pictures of the boat being worked on last week, at www.smoothsailing.co.za/shosholozaindex.asp.
Support the
National Sea Rescue Institute and
you could be the winner of two new Outdoor Vehicles! For those times when
sailing is not going ‘smoothly’ you can always rely on the help of Sea Rescue
if you find yourself in trouble out at sea. All sailors should support the NSRI
and their wonderful work and it’s as easy as giving a donation of R330. This
contribution not only means a great deal to Sea Rescue, but also offers you the
opportunity to win the grand prize in their 2004 Car Competition – a Mitsubishi
Pajero and an Outlander worth over R580 000! Tickets are limited, so we urge you to call Sea
Rescue today on Tel: 021-430 4744 to secure your entry to win – a Mitsubishi Pajero PLUS an Outlander!
Alternatively, you can also send your particulars via e-mail to nsri-carcomp@iafrica.com and you will be contacted.
The competition closes on the 29th November 2004, or once all 12 000
entries have been accepted for the prize draw. To find out more about the NSRI,
visit our website at www.nsri.org.za.
LETTERS TO THE
EDITOR
From: David Booth
Re: KZN Schools Regatta
I agree that it is a very sad day for KZN youth
sailing when there are no Dabchicks at the Inter Schools regatta. But what is
further disturbing me is the 14 entries in the Optimist class.
This regatta used to be bigger than the provincial
regatta for both these classes and I think that this lack of entries must be a
very big concern to the yachting administrators in KZN. If there is no youth
coming through then the nursery of future yachtsmen is in serious danger
of collapsing.
To see the turnout of Lasers is very encouraging, that class must be doing something right.
From: Bruce Edward
Re: Dabchicks at
the KZN Schools Regatta
You asked for thoughts on the view you put up on your (great)
newsletter:
One of the most obvious thoughts about the Dabbie vs Laser dilemma is
the fact that with a Dabbie, you have much more to learn about sail tuning. I
sometimes sail a Laser and (with all due respect to a cheeky little boat), I’ve
seen lots of copying of opponents' control settings (Vang, Out/Downhaul) then
guys just see who can hike out the furthest/longest. Doing that doesn't teach
one enough about sail slots, stalling at the leech, fullness and optimum twist.
The Dabbie on the other hand can allow young sailors to learn those essentials.
From: Alan Yeomans
Re: Dabchicks vs Laser
Below is the reason we sold my sons dabchick three years ago.
The problem with the dabchick from my sons point, and I think from a lot
of kids is one of height and weight. He sailed a Dabchick until he was fifteen
but always found it awkward to sail and was always towards the back of the
fleet and therefore lost interest in sailing.
He then took over my Laser, and I have not got it back since he is now
eighteen. The speed in which a Laser
can get up on to the plane is exciting for kids plus the fact that they can race against the local top sailors
including Olympic hopefuls (their heroes) is a big draw. From my point I my
spending less time repairing boats (I wondered sometimes was my hobby sailing
or woodwork) and more time sailing my Enterprise and sailing on my friends
keelboat. On the point of price I
think the cost of a competitive second-hand Laser is far cheaper than a
Dabchick and is basically maintenance free.
The following report on the recent Northvaal
Sailing Association Inter-Club Trophy was sent to us by
Lindsay Scott:
“Benoni Wins InterClub Trophy - for
the 5th time!
Benoni
S.C. succeeded in defending their possession of the prestigeous NSA Inter-Club
Trophy. This is the 5th consecutive year that they have won this competition.
The host this year was Florida Yacht Club. Six clubs competed - Victoria
Lake, Pretoria S.C., Benoni S.C., Florida Y.C., Wits University and Murray
Park. Conditions on Saturday were not very pleasant - cold and wet, which were
not the most pleasant of conditions. Three races were sailed before the race officer
(Gill Waiting) took pity on the shivering sailors. It was not much better on
Sunday morning, but conditions did improve around midday - the sun even came
out the afternoon. Four races were
sailed to total 7.
Each club had to provide a team comprising a Laser II, a Laser and a
Sprog. From the outset, Ivan & Timothy Gibbons (BSC) showed good boat speed
in the conditions. Generally, they were ahead most of the time. Their main
competition came from PSC's team of Thomas Funke and Dylan le Roux, but they
also had some bad races. Also sailing creditably in this fleet for VLC was our
SAS president, Brian Sutherland.
In the Lasers, there was tough competition. First places were shared by
Matthew Langman (MPYC), Robert Peers (Wits) and Leon de Raay (BSC). However
Leon was sufficiently consistent (other than 3 firsts) to win overall in this
class.
In the Sprog fleet, PSC's stalwart, John Wright with crew Gary Norton
were dominant, with stiff competition coming from BSC's team of Evelyn Osborne
& Nicolo Marcia,who won three of the races against John's four. Also trying
to get a nose in was VLC's Matthew M'Crystal, who got two 2nd places.”
The following report on
the 2004 Quadrangular
Regatta, sailed from the Royal Cape
Yacht Club on the 6th of March, was sent to us by Shirley Mullins:
“We had
the Skipper’s Briefing at Royal Cape Yacht Club at 09h10. Here we were given a
bit of background information on how the race started. It appears that way back
in the 1960’s, two gentleman became full of bravado in the bar and the SA Navy
Officer challenged one of RCYC ‘s members that they were the best sailors, and
so the challenge was born…Not for the faint of heart, this event was
traditionally sailed in whalers, but more modern boats are used today.
The Teams for 2004 were as follows:
S A S
UNITIE - represented by Steven Bentley
on board Cape Recife (L26) , S A S YSELSTEIN – represented by Myles Bissett on
board Escape (L26) , General Botha Old Boys – represented by Ian Lindsay on
board Phantom (Muira) and Royal Cape Yacht Club – represented by Bat Tromp on
board Apricot (Muira).
The
Quadrangular Yacht Race was held in Table Bay Harbour. There was a very light
westerly wind blowing, clear blue skies, flat seas and the back drop of Table
Mountain.
The first
race consisted of a triangular course. The conditions were so light, the yachts
barely moved. Several times we contemplated shortening the course but in the
end the wind came through and everyone finished. The race was won by Apricot.
We dashed off to Granger Bay to have lunch at the General Botha Old Boys’
headquarters, which is an absolutely stunning venue with yachts moored out on
the marinas. The moorings and lunch were organised by Tony Nicholas, Cape Town
Chairman. The clubhouse is beautifully decorated with framed knots boards, an
array of flags proudly hung along the walls and pictures of ships from days
gone by.
After a
fine lunch of filled rolls and some “refreshments” from the Bar, the teams
prepared for Race 2 of the day.
At 13h45
we left Granger Bay to start the second race. An “Olympic” style course
consisting of a triangle followed by a sausage, the race started at 14h30. The
wind picked up and the sea became a bit choppy. Apricot was in the lead again, followed by Phantom. Cape Recife
and Escape, the two L26’s, were not doing too well.
The race
finished at 16h19 and we made our way to the Royal Cape Yacht Club. I compiled
the results while Commander Morom, Capt. Doc. O’Shea and the rest of the crew
all went to set up for the Prize Giving which was being held at S A S UNITIE at
17h30.
The winners were as follows:
Race 1 : S
A S Unitie vs S A S Yselstein – The Bell Trophy: Winner – SAS YSN.
S A S
Unitie vs RCYC – Micky’s Mug: Winner – RCYC
RCYC vs
General Botha Old Boy’s : Winner RCYC
Race 2 : S
A S Unitie vs GBOB – Barrel Trophy: Winner – GBOB
S A S Yselstein vs GBOB
– The Old Salts Trohpy : Winner GBOB
RCYC vs SAS Yselstein –
The Yselstein Trophy: Winner RCYC
Overall
honours for the day, in the shape of the Van Winsen Trophy, went to ‘Apricot’
of RCYC.
Commander
Morom and Capt. ‘Doc’ O’Shea handed out the prizes. Commander John Bennett, now
in his 80’s, who together with the late Capt. Phillip Nankin, was one of the
first Naval officers to initiate the event, was a guest of honour and told
those present some more stories surrounding the Quadrangular Challenge.
The event
is really a family event, the husbands go out sailing and when they get back to
shore, the wives, children and friends are waiting for them to join in on the
fun. S A S UNITIE had all their Senior Officers present and they also joined us
out on the water.
Disaster
nearly struck when S A S UNITIE’s fridge played up and the beers were ice cold
(much to everyone’s delight). The cooldrinks were like blocks of ice and one of
the ladies announced that they only had slush puppies on sale (similar to
drinks sold at the movies) – the children, not knowing the difference, loved
it!
I was so
struck by the amount of effort that went into this “small “ event. It is a
non-profitable event, which is organised by people for the love of sailing and
to keep the tradition alive. Sadly, with the demise of SAS YSELSTEIN and the
proposed closure of SAS UNITIE in April 2005, next year may well be the final
chapter in this fun-filled, traditional sailing event, in its present form.”
Despite the less than favorable Southern Ocean
conditions Steve Fossett's crew aboard Cheyenne have managed to
carry out repairs to the damaged mast track en-route for Cape Horn. Initially
the crew expected to have to wait until they reached the shelter of the
Falklands later in the week, but the thought of several more days' slow
sailing, then to lose even more time while stopped was too frustrating after
all the efforts of the past five weeks. Commenting on the repair, Fossett said:
"I can't believe these guys fixed the mast. With a "Do it now"
attitude, the Cheyenne crew mobilized on Sunday morning to make the necessary
repairs. As reported earlier, a section of mainsail track on the mast ripped
off early Saturday morning.
The Cap Gemini and Schneider Electric trimaran, Geronimo, crossed the
longitude of the Cape of Good Hope at 22:15 GMT yesterday, one day ahead of the
current record. She will now continue further south as she heads for the Kerguelen Islands. On her 18th day at sea, she covered 411 nautical
miles on an easterly heading, averaging 17.13 knots point-to-point in a day
full of gybing. She was still having to progress in zigzag fashion along a
relatively narrow corridor between the slack winds of the high-pressure region
to the north and the threat of icebergs to the south. The first 12 hours of the
day saw her pick up speed and Geronimo is now taking the risk of moving further
south with a good wind angle. Having covered 286 nautical miles in 12 hours,
the average speed for the day should be approaching 24 knots.
Cheyenne’s Web Site: www.fossettchallenge.com
Geronimo’s Web Site: www.trimaran-geronimo.com
World Sailing Speed Record Council: www.sailspeedrecords.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 |
|
Point, Royal Natal & Zululand
Yacht Clubs and Club Naval, Maputo |
December 2003 to July 2004 |
|
|
Vaal Dam |
27 March |
|
|
Island Sailing Club |
27 & 28 March |
|
|
Club Mykonos, Langebaan |
3 to 7 April |
|
|
Zululand Yacht Club |
9 April |
|
|
Point Yacht Club Easter Regatta Including Sprog, 505
& Dart kZN Champs |
Point Yacht Club |
9 to 12 April |
|
Hoedjiesbaai Beach, Saldahna Bay |
9 to 12 April |
|
|
Dabchick Downham Trophy &
Optimist Interclub Challenge |
Pretoria Sailing Club |
24 & 25 April 2004 |
|
Algoa Bay Yacht Club |
24 to 30 April |
|
|
Transvaal Yacht Club |
24 to 27 April |
|
|
Durban Radio Boat Club |
1 & 2 May |
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.
Kevlar
Mainsail For J27
10 years old
Well used,
but still serviceable.
Going for
free to anyone willing to collect it in Cape Town.
Contact:
Trygve Roberts
Phone: 021
930-3696
Cell: 083 658
8888
FOR SALE
&
E-Mail: itensa@yebo.co.za
WANTED
In relatively good condition
Contact: Andrew Butler
Cell: 084 656 3678
In reasonable
condition.
Will pay fair
price and postage
Cape Town
area.
Contact:
Lance McIntosh
Home: 021-785
5332
Cell: 084 426
3475
Placed: 04/03/04
Andrew Heathcote
Mobile: +27 (0) 83 783 8805
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