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Much is being said about
the South African America’s Cup Campaign in yacht clubs and sailing circles
around the country. Some of the talk is good and supportive, other not so.
Whether they think it’s a good idea or not there is one thing that yachties
throughout South Africa need to be aware of and that’s the positive spin-off
for the sport in general in this country. Already the Shosholoza campaign has
probably generated more column space in newspapers and received more airtime on
radio and television than the sport of sailing has in the last year or more. As
a marketing tool for the sport of sailing in South Africa this campaign is
invaluable. What is needed now is for clubs, classes and sailing administrators
to ensure that the exceptional value of this marketing tool is not lost. It
must be converted into bums onto boats! What I would like to hear the next time
I walk into a yacht club bar is not what’s wrong or inherently flawed with the
campaign but rather how it can benefit the sport and more importantly how the
sport in SA is taking advantage of it! And the best thing about this fantastic
marketing campaign, someone else is paying for it!
RC
Laser Sailing KZN Champs Postponed
ISAF World Rankings - Gareth Blankenburg
RNYC Wednesday Evening 03/04 Round-Up
It wasn’t all plain sailing for the fleet in the MACS Inhaca Race 2004, which took place over the Easter weekend. The fleet
took a pounding when a fresh westerly wind came through early on Saturday
morning. It had nothing to do with the westerly but our predictions for line
honours and handicap also took a pounding although, to be fair we weren’t all
that far off. Some would say that a miss is as good as a mile though and one of
those is sure to be Chris Frost! Chris was definitely a happy man after proving
us wrong and taking line honours in this race for the second year in a row.
This was a fine effort especially considering that Chris’s Fast 42, Prodigy,
suffered a serious mainsail failure on Saturday and had to beat into Richard’s
Bay under headsail alone. Prodigy in fact made a clean sweep of the trophies
winning the all-important IRC division as well as on PHRF and leading the Royal
Natal Yacht Club to victory for the club trophy. Below is a report on the race
by Don Voysey:
“The
Macs Inhaca Race started off Inhaca
lighthouse on Friday 9 April 2004 at 10h00.
The
briefing was held the night before at the famous Lucas Restaurant where all the
skippers and crews were briefed on the latest weather and starting information
followed by mouth watering sea food snacks and plenty of 2M beer.
The
anchorage started bussing at about 06h00 with the crews getting the last minute
things done to get the boats ready for the race ahead. At about 07h00 the first
boats lifted anchor and headed down the channel to the Lighthouse for the 2
hour motor to the start line.
The
wind at the start was light South West and Prodigy the last year’s line honors
winner skippered by Chris Frost was the first across the start line with her
spinnaker flying.
After
10 minutes the wind died completely leaving the entire fleet stranded off the
wreck off the lighthouse and that is where most of the fleet spend the first
three to four hours of the race. With the tide starting to turn some of the
boats dropped anchor to prevent them from drifting back to the start.
Eventually
after three to four hours the Northly wind started to fill and all the boats
popped out the spinnakers and gennakers and got set for a down wind ride all
the way back to Richards Bay.
Prodigy,
Nemisis, Adios, Chadstar and others took to the shoreline whilst Madiba, Zeus,
Kimiya, Skitzo and Peparuka headed out to sea to look for a bit of current and
other tatics in mind with the pending moderate South Westly due later the next
day.
At
about 05h00 on Saturday morning the forecasted South Westly hit but early and
with 2 ½ times the predicted strength with some boats recording wind speeds of
50 Knots. The boats off shore some at between 17 to 22 miles experienced 6 to 7
meter swells with the tops breaking causing very dangerous sea conditions.
As
a result of the strong South Westly which was not giving up some of the boats
started retiring from the race one by one by starting motors and running for
the cover of the shore line.
The
end result was that 7 yachts out of 21 completed the race by the Sunday 12h00
cut off with some of the fleet (all accounted for) but still not back in Port
by Tuesday 12h00 at the time of writing this report.
The
prize given was delayed due to a protest and started an hour late at about
18h00 where the Commodore of the Zululand Yacht Club, Jannie Smit, thanked all
the sponsors, organizers and competitors. Dan Dalton from Macs shipping gave an
address on what Macs Shipping is all about. The guest speaker John Martin gave
the audience an enlightened look into his past and current achievements into
his career as an international yachtsman.
The
prizes were handed out by John’s wife Jean Martin.
The
main prizewinners were as follows.
Line Honours: Prodigy: Chris Frost
1st on PHRF handicap: Prodigy: Chris Frost
2nd on PHRF handicap: Madiba: Robbie Dove
3rd on PHRF handicap: Nemesis: Peter Van Breda
1st IRC Handicap: Prodigy: Chris Frost
Inter Club Trophy: Royal
Natal Yacht Club.
After
the price giving the skippers, crews and families headed up stairs to the bar
where snacks and drinks were had until the earlier hours of the morning.
We will see you all again at next years Inhaca race 2005.
The GP 14 Nationals took place last weekend at the Pretoria Sailing Club attracting a
surprisingly good entry of 24 boats. Malcolm Osborne sent us the following
report:
“Originally
scheduled for Boskop over the Easter long weekend, this event had to be moved
to Pretoria Sailing Club due to organisational difficulties.
An
excellent fleet of 24 GP14’s sailed in (for some!) ideal conditions – light but
not drifting wind. No less than four races were sailed on Friday, ensuring that
the regatta was a certainty. Early on Saturday morning a strong wind prevailed,
but this died by the time racing commenced, still leaving sufficient with which
to sail Two more races on Saturday morning, followed after lunch by three more
in a wind that got quite strong for a while before subsiding. These conditions
made the lighter crews battle a bit – some capsizes put the rescue facilities
to work. By Saturday evening, 9 races had been completed. Rob Scott, the Race
Officer, was intent on being able to complete the full schedule of 12 races as
called for in the Sailing Instructions. Two races were sailed on Sunday morning
in puffy conditions. At lunchtime, a competitors’ vote decided that the last
(12th) race was not really necessary, given the general lack of
wind.
A good proportion
of the fleet comprised of keen newcomers to the GP14 class. This class has been
growing at PSC in recent times. The numbers were boosted by four visitors from
the Cape – two from Cape Town (Grant Parker and William Villet) and two from
the Southern Cape (David Laing and Albert van Kersen). From the start, however,
the current champions Richard Parker and Dave Hawkins showed that they had not
lost any of their skills. They won no less than 8 of the races, leaving
runners-up, Pat Mitchell and Andrew Marsh to win just three. Grant and Stuart
Parker were consistently second or third, but had to be content with the SAS
bronze medals for third place overall. A disappointment for the fleet was that
long-time GP14 stalwart, Ken Bennetts, had to withdraw after four races due to
health reasons. His boat was taken over by Peter Clayton for the remaining 7
races. Best wishes are extended to Ken for a speedy return to good health.
At
the GP14 AGM held on Saturday evening, Trefon Katazinos was unanimously
re-elected class chairman.”
The
top three places were as follows:
|
1st |
Richard
Parker & Dave Hawkins |
ERYC |
8
Points |
|
2nd
|
Pat
Mitchell & Andrew Marsh |
PSC |
16.25 |
|
3rd
|
Grant
& Stuart Parker |
ZVYC |
24 |
For the first time in ages I got to go RC Laser Racing on Sunday in what was, I think, a
pensioners regatta. Despite not being a pensioner I had a good time in the few
races that I sailed and was reminded of just why this is such a good form of
racing. With any luck there will be a few RCL’s down at ABYC during NMBI Week
next week and perhaps a few of the locals will take to them so that we can get
a fleet going here. Its not all-good news though, next weeks RCL KZN Champs
that were meant to have taken place at the Durban Radio Boat Club have had to
be postponed to a later date, yet to be advised. This because Mr RCL himself,
Terry Flynn, and several other top RCL sailors will be in Port Elizabeth for
the big boat regatta there next week. Hopefully they will all be bringing their
RCL’s with them!
The South African
America's Cup Challenge 2007 training yacht RSA 48 was officially
renamed Shosholoza at a ceremony in the V&A Waterfront,
Cape Town today (19 April). Shosholoza's bold new graphics,
which incorporate influences from Zulu, Xhosa and Ndebele bead work into a
dramatic wave pattern in the colours of the South African flag, were also
unveiled for the first time. The honour of the traditional cracking of the champagne against the
bow of the yacht was given to Mrs Sandra Sarno, wife of Captain Salvatore
Sarno, chairman of Mediterranean Shipping Company, South Africa, and managing
director of the SA America's Cup Challenge 2007. It was an emotional moment set
off by a rousing rendition of "Shosholoza" sung by the SA
Navy choir to the accompaniment of the SA Navy Band who were stationed
alongside the yacht on a floating crane.
A large crowd, among them Admirals of the SA Navy, local dignitaries and
members of the South African yachting fraternity were addressed by the
President of the SA America's Cup Challenge Syndicate, Mr Mafika Mkwanazi, and
Captain Sarno who spoke passionately about his vision for involving
the entire nation in the challenge. The members of the SA America's Cup sailing
and shore team selected so far were individually introduced to the public
for the first time. Also attending the festivities were youngsters from
the Izivunguvungu MSC Foundation for Youth in Simonstown, a sail training
school run by SA Olympic sailor, Ian Ainslie, which will be used as a
filter facility for people wanting to join the Challenge team but who
have had no previous sailing experience. It is hoped that development
sailors from the school will join the South African America's Cup Challenge
team. The proceedings concluded after Shosholoza was lifted into the
water and her sails hoisted for a celebratory sail in Table Bay.
The bold new Shosholoza graphics which stretch across the entire
length of the yacht's hull were derived from designs perfected over many
months by Captain Sarno himself. They have been developed into
a range of logos and signage that will make the South African Shosholoza
Challenge instantly recognisable both at home and around the world. The
25-meter state-of-the art racing machine was bought recently from the
Italian Prada America's Cup Challenge. It will remain in Cape Town and be
used solely for training up a crack South African America's
Cup sailing team. Two new South African America's Cup Challenge racing
yachts will be designed and built in South Africa in the next two years. They
will be dressed in the same Shosholoza graphics. The first yacht, due to
be launched on Freedom Day (April 27) next year, will be used as the campaign
yacht in the European pre-America's Cup race series and in the seeding
regattas in Valencia Spain. The second new Shosholoza yacht will be launched
early in 2006 and if she proves faster than the first she
will be campaigned in the Louis Vuitton elimination series in 2007,
just prior to the America's Cup proper. The following team members started
working full time on the SA America's Cup Challenge 2007 on 1 April: Paul
Standbridge (sailing manager), Geoff Meek (skipper), Manuel Mendes (technical
advisor), Henri Hiddes (shore manager), Jason Ker, (naval architecht) and crew
members: Ian Ainslie, David Rae, Ashton Sampson, Marcello Burricks, Marc
Lagesse, Guido Verhovert, Alex Runciman and Sieraj Jacobs. A number of other
top South African sailors will join the campaign during the year, including
Golden Mgedeza, Handsome Matsane and Solomon Dipeere who come
onboard in May.
The latest ISAF World
Rankings were released earlier this week. South Africa’s Olympic hopeful in
the Laser class, Gareth Blankenburg retains his sixth position on the ranking.
With two Swedes ahead of him, in joint fourth place surprisingly enough, this
places Gareth fifth as far on the list as far as those who will be competing at
the games in Athens later this year go. There is still a long European season ahead
so hopefully Gareth will be able to hone his skills, jump up a few places on
the ranking and peak just in time to win a gold medal at the games! Lets hope
it works out that way.
The latest Muira Bullsheet has just
been released and has been posted on the Smooth Sailing web site at www.smoothsailing.co.za/muirabull10.pdf.
Colin Becker sent us the following Round Up of the Royal Natal Yacht Club’s 2003/2004 Wednesday Evening Season:
“RNYC’s final Wednesday
Evening Fun Sail of the season took place last week. It rounded off a very successful series of eleven races, and that
was evident in the superb turnout of boats.
25 boats battled it out in the cruising fleet, with Cool Runnings winning
on handicap. Stormaway claimed second
and Scoundrel third. Ijubane was the
only yacht in the racing fleet. An
awesome party followed, with Windhoek Lager sponsoring the evening’s
festivities.
The 2003-2004 season’s
leader board standings are now cast in stone.
Brian Miller’s Holiday 23 Raine led the cruising leader board for most
of the season, ending up with 59 points, 5 points clear of the nearest
competitors. Chatur and Xosha Moya tied
for second. Sean Jones’s Simonis 26,
Bandit, finished on top of the racing leader board having earned 63
points. Skitzo came second with 53
points and Ijubane was third.
The races
were sailed every second week, alternating with PYC’s events. 72 boats took part in at least one of the
races with an average turnout of about 25.
An individual handicapping system was used for the cruising fleet,
whereby the top and bottom 20% of finishers’ handicaps get adjusted slightly
after each race. This was an attempt to
give everyone a chance of winning. The
racers were scored with the PHRF ratings. “
The Cap Gemini and Schneider Electric
trimaran Geronimo was "well and truly in the Doldrums",
according to her router Pierre Lasnier, who went on to explain that shortly
before this position fix, the trimaran had been struck by a major storm,
combined with calms and a heavy rainstorm. The conditions surrounding Geronimo
at this time were quite typical of the extraordinarily variable weather
contained in the intertropical convergence zone. Despite previous optimistic
forecasts, the Doldrums (or Intertropical Convergence Zone) have been well and
truly in place across the route of Geronimo since this morning. This infamous
area of calms has certainly shrunk, but less than was predicted and is
spreading generously across the full width of the Atlantic. It is not
exceptionally wide north to south, but the trade winds are very slack on both
sides of the Equator. From 4°S to 4°N, the wind is 12 knots at best, all of
which adds up to a new obstacle every bit as formidable as a large Doldrums.
Geronimo traveled 445 nautical miles in the last 24 hours for an average speed
of 18.50 knots. They are now behind the position of Orange I on Day 53 and some
3 ½ days behind the recent track of Steve Fossett's Cheyenne.
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 |
|
|
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 |
|
|
Henely Midmar Yacht Club |
1 & 2 May |
|
|
Island Sailing Club |
29 & 30 May |
|
|
Sailing KZN AGM |
Royal Natal Yacht Club |
4 June |
|
Durban Radio Boat Club |
13 June |
|
|
Hermanus Yacht Club |
11 to 18 December |
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.
FOR SALE
The best Farr
x Far.
Excellent
Condition.
Full
Inventory plus too many extras to mention.
Ready for any
ocean cruise or race.
Urgent Sale -
Low, low Price.
Contact:
Ray
Cell: 084 792
6912.
E-Mail: ecroof@saol.com
Posted: 20/04/04
Sail # 3313
Complete with
2 sets of sails, dolly and cover.
R6 000-00
onco
Dabchick Main
sail as new, Jib good condition
R1 500-00
onco
Tel: 021 788
2223
Cell: 082 679
5542
Posted: 20/04/04
18 ft Jenneau
Microsail
Good
condition, history available
New Mast and
Fittings.
Positive foam
filled bouyancy and therefore no risk of sinking.
Suit of sails
comprising Mainsail with cover.
Storm jib, Screecher
and Spiinaker, all in good Condition.
She
has a 300kg Drop keel and is therefore easy to lauch and trail.
Four Bunks
Equiped with
a Yamaha 4 HP motor with retractable transom bracket.
Price
asking R 48 000-00
Includes
exceptionally good Roland Axle road Trailer.
or R35 000-00
without Trailer.
Currently
laying at Theewaterskloof Cape Town.
Open to trail
Sail to genuine buyers
Selling to
buy larger boat, as the bug has bitten.
Contact:
Geoff Hobbs
Cell: 082 398
6353
E-Mail: ghobb@wol.co.za
Posted: 20/04/04
New mesh tramp
On road trailer
R13 500-00
Contact: Chris Sutton
Cell: 083 390 9908
E-Mail: cpsmarine@yahoo.com
Complete Boat with new
trampoline
Reconditioned trailer
Located in Durban
R5 000-00
Contact: Hugh Douglas
Cell: 082 456 1530
Placed: 02/04/04
Kitted out
for cruising with double gas cooker, running water and braai
Sails : Main,
Genoa, No.2 and storm jib. Pole
Full
electrics, with solar panel
Engine : 6hp
outboard
Safety
Equipment : Full flares, 6 life jackets, VHF radio, extinguisher
Other : Asst
tools, harnesses, radar reflector, flags, etc
Sleeps : 3
Recently
finished hull and keel. In great condition and sails regulary.
On chain
mooring (included in price) in Durban
Price: R35
000-00
Contact: Rob
Bentley
Cell: 083 255
6032
Placed: 02/04/04
E-Mail: itensa@yebo.co.za
WANTED
Contact:
Richard Bryant
Phone:
021-797 2220
E-Mail: richardb@citadel.co.za
Posted:
20/04/04
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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